Director Fiona Hallenan chose Melbourne playwright Raimondo Cortese’s play ‘Features of Blown Youth’ as her contribution to this years New Directions program run by Newtowns’ New Theatre.

Cortese’s 1997 play was billed as a raw, violent and ultimately provocative Australian drama. My take was that it is about the dynamics of young people interacting in a shared household in the inner city. The household comprised a student, a stripper, a struggling writer, a cynical idealist and a wannabe tough guy. Outsiders who interacted with the group included a naive skinhead, an ambitious prostitute and a pushy landlord.

‘Features of Blown Youth’ had good tension and a genuine feel for its young, tempestuous characters, trying to find their way in the world. I had a good handle on most of its characters; the sexy young stripper with a heroin habit…the punky feminist who enjoys having arguments and making people feel nervous and uncomfortable…the burning intensity of the young writer…the aggressive ‘heavy’ young Italian guy with the the coarse mouth…the pushy new landlord who likes throwing his weight around.

Hallenan’s direction worked well. Most of the cast were on stage for the entire play and were in ‘freeze frame’ when they weren’t in the main action. There was a good raw energy coming the cast even though there were clearly differing abilities.

On the night, the New Theatre enjoyed a good attendance. What stood out was that it was mainly a young audience. Like myself, they seemed to enjoy Cortese’s young and restless kind of theatre.