Holden Street Theatres
Sat 22  Feb 2025

The 21 st century may be crammed with ever new advances, but keeping a clear picture
of our past is just as important. Why? Well, just like ignoring niggling pains in our
bodies, the further we distance ourselves from those times gone by, the more we may
be forced to face their messages. ‘The Christian Brothers’ gives us a taste of what
school life was like back then, and this is within the lifetimes of some of us still around
today. The play is set in the 1950’s, just before the Catholic Church made significant
changes to modernize itself.
While entertaining with its cleverly crafted script, impeccable timing and professional
delivery, the content is chilling in its stark illumination of what served for education in
the Catholic school system. We may laugh at the extreme antics of this teacher
asserting his authority through brute force, cajoling, and emotional outbursts, but this
incessant bullying shaped the lives of many boys and young men up until very
recently.
It is sobering to realise that what appears to be comical extremes were in fact the
reality of daily life. This could be seen simply as a sad indictment of bygone days, yet it
begs the question, as good theatre does, have we really changed all that much
meanwhile? In recent years and just in the last weeks, we see the erosion of what we
took for granted was going to be here to stay.
When the only worthwhile goal in life posed is the saving of one’s soul, why would kids
bother paying attention in class? And staying pure in thought and deeds is a tough ask
for anyone, let alone a herd of teenage boys. They are constantly subjected to the
numbing monotony of prayers, regularly recited during the day as often through
gritted teeth as with many mixed emotions. Constant threats, coercion and
intimidation are normal. These combine with the ever-present possibility of eternal
damnation in hell, or worse, telling your mother of your misdeeds. The relentless put-
downs and beatings were designed to enact discipline; instead, they acted to break
spirits. This is especially rich when they then put their supernatural spirit forward as a
substitute.
Robert Cusenza gives a splendid performance, competently directed by Peter Goers.
This classic of Australian theatre remains a powerful reminder that sexism and
misogyny may be still alive today in large part due to such institutionalized practices.