The Christian Brothers by Ron Blair is an landmark Australian play that first hit the boards in 1975. It is about one day in the life of a teaching brother in a Christian Brothers School in Sydney in the 1950s. The brother, played superbly by Adelaide actor Robert Cusenza, teaches his boys French, English, Physics, and History (but not Mathematics!) and uses the lessons as vehicle to reinforce devotion to the Catholic faith.Â
His maxim could well be ‘spare the rod, spoil the child’, and we witness him physically punishing one student in particular with a leather strap with sickening frequency, and reinforcing the physical pain with what can only be described as emotional abuse meted out with via cruel verbiage.
The Brother unravels over the course of the lessons, and we come to understand the bedrock of his faith, and how he longs to relive his personal epiphany. We admire his conviction and sacrifice, but we also revile his cruelty and special brand of narrow-mindedness.
It is a one-man show and the responsibility on Cusenza’s shoulders was enormous. The success of the play turned exclusively on his acting chops, and he didn’t disappoint. The audience laughed and despaired with him, and when he addressed the student chair (that represented the habitually recalcitrant student – the one who was mercilessly beaten), Cusenza’s skill was such that we almost ‘saw’ the student!Â
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The emotion was visceral and profound. Cusenza’s diction was first-rate and he used the simple set with fluency and great impact. The success of the production also owed a debt to experienced director Peter Goërs, who understands words deeply and how to paint palpable images with them.
This production of The Christian Brothers was a delight and worthy of Blair’s original script on its 50th anniversary.
The Christian Brothers by Ron Blair
Director: Peter Goers
Performer: Robert Cusenza
The Christian Brothers was performed 22-23 February 20245 at The Arch at Holden Street Theatres as part of Adelaide Fringe.
