Private Zachary Williams is stuck in a box.
He is not physically trapped, in the sense that the old cardboard box that he wears could be easily discarded by most healthy individuals, but his current mental state has prevented him from dragging himself out of the dark, confined space that he has fallen into.
Zach (David Woods) is a Welsh war veteran who returned home from Iraq with severe post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) which has crippled his will to escape from his box; the box that serves as an enabler for his reclusive misery. His friend Ieuan (Jon Haynes) attempts to end his suffering with the help of MDMA (ecstasy), which he claims cured his own mental issues, and this launches the two comrades into some meaningful and often rambling conversations about their pasts and the emotions that run wild inside their minds. Zach’s wife and therapist (both also played by Haynes) also participate in the discussion about trialling illicit substances to treat PTSD, and their opposing views make for some interesting and humorous dialogue.
Woods and Haynes are the founders of award-winning theatre company Ridiculusmus, and have recently started to create theatre focused specifically on mental health issues. Give Me Your Love is the second performance piece constructed by the troupe that incorporates extensive medical research about mental health into a play which endeavours to break down stigma and explore alternate ways to treat these illnesses. Treating PTSD sufferers with MDMA as a form of therapy is a controversial scientific approach, and Give Me Your Love manages to objectively educate its audience about the potential real-life benefits of this treatment, while also maintaining an engaging storyline and some truly hilarious dialogue.
The audience rarely see any faces, or a complete body for that matter, during the course of the play. Zach remains hidden inside his cardboard retreat for the show’s entirety, and Ieuan is forced to speak to his friend from behind a closed door, which means that their interactions are mostly verbal. Their conversations, along with gestures from Zach created by the few body parts that can be seen (mostly his legs), capture the emotions of the characters in a way that eliminates the need for facial expressions. Their banter is quite melancholy in nature, with a light-hearted edge, and they manage to portray sad content in a comedic way without dismissing the legitimacy of Zach’s mental state.
Woods delivers an honest and powerful performance as Zach, which is all the more impressive considering his face is never shown. His raw portrayal of the despairing helplessness that encapsulates this frustrated war veteran is relatable on many levels, and his excellent timing successfully maintains a sombre and often droll piece of theatre. Haynes is also exceptional, as he swaps between Zach’s nagging but loving wife, the psychiatrist who inspires his eagerness to try ecstasy, and the visitor who is enthusiastically willing to help despite his friend’s belligerence.
Jacob Williams’ grimy set heightens the stifling, dank nature of Zach’s mind, while the varied soundscape created by Marco Cher-Gibard enhances the inevitable emotional rollercoaster of living with a mental illness. Richard Vabre’s lighting design – a mixture of dim flickering, bright fluorescents, and striking pathways of light – also contributes nicely to the fragile broken realm brought to life by the two talented actors.
Give Me Your Love uses witty dialogue and a man in a box to explore the bleak nature of PTSD, along with a focus on a well-researched, innovative means to cure its sufferers. Zach’s struggles are real for many people who have experienced some kind of mental trauma in their lives; the cardboard box resembles a daily closed-in existence for these sufferers, and Ridiculusmus has opened up an important dialogue about helping these people in the form of a dark, genuine and endearingly funny performance.
Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars
Give Me Your Love
Written, Directed & Performed by David Woods & Jon Haynes
Set Design and Construction: Jacob Williams
Sound Design: Marco Cher-Gibard
Lighting Design: Richard Vabre
Production Manager: Rainbow Sweeney
Biomedical Consultant and collaborator: Dr. Ben Sessa
Arts House, North Melbourne
November 18-22
