Debbie Tucker Green

Now and then one has the privilege to see a young performer and know one is in the presence of somebody who is going to go on to great things. Long ago my father came back from Melbourne and announced he had witnessed such an occasion, seeing the debut of Geoffrey Rush.

In this case, Kat Stewart in a stunning performance in the main role of this play. She was utterly worthy of a difficult role in a very difficult but well worth seeing piece of theatre. It is a shame Redstitch lost her, since no other girls, at least for several years, came close to her abilities, but I guess Redstitch's aim of providing an avenue for actors, as well as good affordable theatre in Melbourne came to fruition. It is, unfortunately, a place for actors to move on from.… (mais)

Now and then one has the privilege to see a young performer and know one is in the presence of somebody who is going to go on to great things. Long ago my father came back from Melbourne and announced he had witnessed such an occasion, seeing the debut of Geoffrey Rush.

In this case, Kat Stewart in a stunning performance in the main role of this play. She was utterly worthy of a difficult role in a very difficult but well worth seeing piece of theatre. It is a shame Redstitch lost her, since no other girls, at least for several years, came close to her abilities, but I guess Redstitch's aim of providing an avenue for actors, as well as good affordable theatre in Melbourne came to fruition. It is, unfortunately, a place for actors to move on from.… (mais)

I'd read the Sarah Kane comparisons before reading this play so had a vague idea of what to expect. I think Green has a more distinct style than Kane, and her command of language is particularly evident in the scenes with the couple arguing over who gets the prescription they both desperately need. However, when it comes to the aims of both plays - to demonstrate the universality of cruelty & tragedy - I think Kane was much more successful with Blasted than Green is here. I would have like to have seen Green tackle the cultural background behind the practice of stoning executions, it would have given those particular scenes the punch they needed. As it stands, Green's choice to use an all white cast and set the play wherever it is being performed opens up the audience to speculate over how they would cope if such conditions were to occur in the developed world, much in the same way Kane tackled the thin walls between the developed and developing world in relation to war. I understand that it's incredibly unfair to compare the two playwrights but the relevancies here felt too obvious not to discuss. It's not an easy play to read because of the way in which the dialogue is written but it's a strong continuation of themes so common in the theatre of 90s UK

(Apologies for the pretention - it's for my dissertation.)… (mais)