Death in Bowengabbie

‘Death in Bowengabbie’ is from the pen of 35-year-old playwright, Caleb Lewis, winner of many of Australia’s most prestigious literary awards. A fact that is not too surprising when you learn that Nick Enright (who died at the early age of 52) and Edward Albee – still going at 85 - both mentored him. Caleb has had several commissions for Bell Shakespeare, Black Swan State Theatre Company and the State Theatre Company of South Australia.

Bryce has a company, ‘Poetry in Action’ that supervises the countrywide growth of high school poetry. When you hear this beautifully constructed script, it has an almost poetic ring to it.

This delightful blend of tragedy and comedy was, understandably, the biggest draw at the Adelaide and Hong Kong Fringes. In Perth, the 70-minute play is presented by producers, ‘Shaman Productions’ and Gemma Sidney, at The Main Theatre, Blue Room, James Street, Northbridge each evening at 7.00 pm, from Tuesday to Saturday until 11^th May.

The set consists of black walls and floor. In the centre of the stage is a two-metre diameter, chalk circle that will represent various venues around the town. Oscar brings in six suitcases and places them around the circle like a clock. 

        Oscar (Bryce Youngman) has flown over from the mainland to attend a close relative’s funeral. It is early in the morning and the damp mist swirls around his hire car as navigates the narrow valleys. Oscar has not been back to his hometown for 15 years. As he drives into Bowengabbie, he is horrified and saddened at how the place has deteriorated. This was once the thriving centre of preserves making, with 500 employees making dozens of different quality products.

     His parents both died when he was young, and so Oscar went to live in the big smoke. Now, he is about to start a wonderful new job in Dubai, and is getting married to fiancée Ruth in about a month. Oscar is distressed at this town, which meant so much to him when he was a child was dying. Then he spotted a plain looking girl staring at him. Was that Abbie, his first girlfriend? His heart fluttered.

      Slowly the locals all came and hugged him, welcoming him back. The themed funeral was well attended and was ‘unusual’. Even the hearse made him gasp. 

      Oscar returned home, but within days another relative had passed away and he had to return to Bowengabbie.

This one-man show is one of the best that I have ever seen. When you learn that Bryce is a WAAPA graduate and has appeared frequently on television, you can appreciate how he has honed the skills of holding an audience completely enthralled for the full hour. He portrayed a dozen VERY different characters, switching smoothly and instantly from one to another. His voice, body language and expressions were all individual to the friend or relation that lived in Bowengabbie. His pace was flawless, allowing the richness of the personalities to shine through. Just listening to the dialogue was sublime.

The direction was by another WAAPA graduate, who had directing experience with Bell Shakespeare, Matt Edgerton. Matt has smoothly blended the many threads of the story, guiding Bryce to build the tension and emotion, then let the climax drop slowly back. Bryce did not hold back, having tears in his eyes on several occasions.

Even the tech crew had immaculate credentials. James Collins, who is a member of the Australian Institute of Music, has produced a complex soundscape, crammed with sound effects and quality incidental music. Even for an award winning, skilled lighting designer like Joe Lui, his imagination and skills were stretched to the full in creating some wonderful effects. The teching was then operated by another WAAPA graduate, Jennifer Friend. Yes, the whole show oozes talent.

This is a first-class, quality show that is hard to fault. If you are studying creative writing, go along and see what magnificent writing is possible. Enthralling, with a great twist at the end.