I found emerging local playwright Maree Freeman’s play FALLOUT enigmatic.

This is the situation. Three brash, obnoxious teenagers, two girls and one guy, are trapped in a sealed room, a stone enclosure with a dirt floor.

The audience is given sparse little information. From their dialogue piece out that they have been placed in their ‘prison’ because they are sick and that they will only be released when they can prove, to the people who are watching them, that have recovered. A fourth person, a young woman, appears, who tries to fit in but is ostracised and bullied by the core group.

There was plenty of choreographed violence in the play which ran for an hour and a bit straight through. I kept on wondering what is the playwright trying to say with all this depiction of adolescent angst and violence?!

The only conclusion that I could come to is her piece is a latter day version of something along the lines of William Golding’s classic, LORD OF THE FLIES, portraying angst ridden, out of control adolescents and their primal instincts.

From what I’ve read, Maree Freeman had a broader vision for her play, however for me, and of-course I can only speak for myself!, this vision does not come across.

My feeling is that FALLOUT needs to be fleshed out, more audience friendly. It’s fine being obtuse, leaving a lot unsaid and working in metaphors but isn’t a test of good theatre that it has clarity and hits the mark?!

Kip Williams directs and the play is performed with intensity and commitment by Michele Durman, Gabriel Fancourt, Amanda McGregor and Lizzie Schebesta.

Maree Freeman’s FALLOUT opened at the Old Fitzroy Theatre, corner of Cathedral and Dowling streets, Woolloomooloo, on Tuesday 16th October and plays until Saturday 3rd November, 2012.

© David Kary

27th October, 2012