Sam Grabiner’s debut play is a complex and rewarding exploration of masculinity from a wide range of perspectives. Boys on the Verge of Tears opens with a young boy using a public restroom for the first time, with their father providing advice from the other side of the cubicle. At times hilarious and others poignant, this conversation sets the scene for a series of vignettes examining the different stages of life. The show progresses from school life, young adulthood and finally to a man facing the end of his life.
The encounters all take place in a male bathroom. There’s a central washbasin, a set of cubicles on one side and a urinal on the other. The cubicles allow for characters offstage to interact with those in view of the audience. This provides a confessional-like feel to these conversations. The cast of five between them cover 45 different characters over the course of 100 minutes. This complex undertaking is superbly handled by Ben Walter, Karl Richmond, Justin Hosking, Damon Baudin and Akeel Purmanund.
The excellent costume design and Keegan Bragg’s clever direction make it easy to identify and distinguish the different time frames and life stage of the action.
Sam Grabiner’s writing is incredibly mature for a new writer. The material is thought-provoking and at times confronting, but Grabiner deals with it in a sensitive manner. The scene with teenagers in a school bathroom has crude jokes, misogynistic attitudes and bullying, as the kids perform the male roles that their peers expect. Grabiner gives insight and understanding into the masks that these young men wear. These masks are peeled back sensitively, and we can see their hopes and fears for the future.
There are real standouts among the characters who demonstrate depth and perspective on their struggles. The sheer number of characters does mean that some get lost, and it does feel like a couple could have been left out. Moreover, some scenes run too long, which lessens the impact of the storytelling. These include monologues that would benefit from being shorter and conversations that could be exited earlier.
The show takes a turn halfway as the beat of club music and disco lighting sets the scene for violence in a nightclub bathroom. A young man is beaten and left in a cubicle. The lack of a clear explanation reminds us of the senseless violence that can explode at any time. The victim then encounters a man who claims to be a doctor, two men in drag and drug dealers. Such varied interactions highlight the play’s ability to look at masculinity from multiple angles.
Read: Dance review: Somos, Arts Centre Melbourne
Boys on the Verge of Tears doesn’t give any easy answers to the problems that men face through their different stages in life. It is moving – at times disturbing – and you can’t keep your eyes off the action. Grabiner is a little too ambitious in the number of characters and some of the scenes do drag on too long. Nonetheless, it’s an impressive debut that gives audiences plenty to ponder in a world where the concept of masculinity is being challenged and debated.
Boys on the Verge of Tears by Sam Grabiner
fortyfivedownstairs, Flinders Lane, Melbourne
Director: Keegan Bragg
Producer: Ben Andrews
Stage Manager: Ella Campbell
Lighting and Sound Operator: Zsuzsa Gaynor Mihaly
Set Design: Ben Andrews
Costume Design and Scenic Art: Louisa Fitzgerald
Lighting Design: Georgina Wolfe
Sound Design: Ethan Hunter
Drag Wig and Make-up Artist: Becky Silveira
Marketing: Bridie Pamment
Vocal/Accent Coach: Matt Furlani
Intimacy Coordinator: Tegan Crowley
Cast: Ben Walter, Karl Richmond, Justin Hosking, Damon Baudin, Akeel Purmanund, Pepe Wright, Avyakt Pawar, Smith Barling
Tickets: $35-$49
Boys on the Verge of Tears will be performed until 30 March 2025.
