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| Sharon Davis as Daphne in Liz Newell's Alone Outside Photo: Theresa Harrison |
Daphne is on the road home. She’s been driving for so long
she thinks she might be dreaming; this trip she’s made so many times before has
slipped by. She’s going home reluctantly; visiting her ailing grandmother
before it’s too late. But everything else in town, she’d be happy enough to
miss that.
Liz Newell’s Alone
Outside begins slowly; the writing is hesitant, like Daphne is. This is a
story we’ve seen before – an adult who doesn’t want to face their past but
must, for their family’s sake, and for their own.
There are some delicious details in there, though. Daphne’s
first return to the country pub, punctuated by short, sharp smiles by actor
Sharon Davis, is a fun bit of business. Bumping into her old high school
girlfriends is uncomfortably funny, as you might expect from life or from a
play such as this.
Director Lyall Brooks does a good job at finding a way to
highlight Daphne’s isolation and loneliness. A large truck tyre evokes the
outback. Bright white tiles suggest clean linoleum floors, but also feel like a
box that Daphne is trapped in. The late confrontation between Daphne and her high
school boyfriend Aidan is a rich mix of drama and hilarity.
Davis digs deeply in to the emotion of the piece. She’s as compelling
playing Daphne’s wry sense of humour as she is with the character’s rawness and
vulnerability later on.
Lab Kelpie has built a strong reputation for their solid
productions of new Australian text-based theatre. Brooks’ production is strong,
but I didn’t quite connect with the script. Newell’s play leans a little heavily on
touchstones we recognise without really uncovering a fresh take on the
narrative of returning home.
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