May Tran in Red Bull. Image by Tracey Schramm.
The Voices Project: All Good Things is the last in a series of six annual projects designed to develop emerging writers and performers in Australian theatre. The evening consists of 10 monologues exploring different aspects of Australian teenage experience written by 10 emerging writers drawn from right across Australia from Adelaide to Darwin.
Each monologue explores the theme of departure and each grapples with issues and experiences ranging from the death of a grandparent, to the loss of a lover to suicide, to a first straight or queer sexual encounter. The monologues are intercut to create a collage from the different texts. Performed in the round with performers entering and exiting from different points around the space, the overlapping texts combine to create a strong evening of performance.
The Fuzz explored the agonies of a teenage boy unable to grow facial hair and his attempts to find a solution to the problem. With strong writing from Kirby Medway and a highly physical comedic performance from Jonas Thompson, The Fuzz was very funny and engaging. Nice gave us a vomiting schoolgirl out binge drinking and although it began as a comedic piece it turned darker as she began to ask herself questions about her much older boyfriend. Written by Gemma Neall it was a perceptive piece of writing performed with physical commitment and great comic timing by Sarah Meacham.
There was much else to enjoy in the evening with fine performances from all the actors and much to admire in the writing. The atmospheric sound design by Michael Toisuta also contributed to the success of the evening.
It is a shame The Voices Project is finishing this year as these kinds of development projects, which offer opportunities to young and emerging playwrights and performers from right across Australia, are vital to the future of not only Australian theatre but also of Australian film and television.
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
The Voices Project: All Good Things
Director: Iain Sinclair
Assistant Director: Lucy Clements
Dramaturg: Jennifer Medway
Lighting Designer: Emma Lockhart-Wilson
Set and Costume Designer: Emma Vine
Sound Designer: Michael Toisuta
Australian Theatre for Young People
Studio 1, The Wharf, Sydney
3-20 February 2016
