Despair and disbelief. Can’t even recognise a female of the species, those dolt trappers! Worth more dead as a bounty catch than zooed anyway. She was called Benjamin. She died because the man entrusted with her couldn’t be bothered to unlock her den. No shelter from the freezing night after a blazing day. This is the basis for Human Animal Exchange’s production of THEY SAW A THYLACINE where, down the ages, two long dead women plead the cause of a long dead animal species.

The two gutsy, driven women are Beatie (Sarah Hamilton) and Alison (Justine Campbell). It is the Tasmania of the 1930s and they do not know each other. Beatie is an animal tracker, and a tracker’s daughter but she has an environmental agenda and loves, respects and wants to preserve the Tasmanian Tiger. She is too often at the mercy of, and in danger from, the men of her profession. Alison is a de facto zookeeper and a zookeeper’s daughter, also with an environmental agenda she loves, respects and wants to preserve the Tasmanian Tiger. She is too often at the mercy of and in danger from, the men of her profession. This is why Beatie and Alison share a stage.

It’s a bare stage as befits such a grim story. Three chairs, the scooped, infinite backdrop of a photographer studio and a period- redolent sepia and blue lighting design. What comes forth from this openness is a cry in wilderness shaped into a lyric, rhythmic, almost poetry text full of humour and replete with rich narrative. All supported by a superb, subtle, emotive sound score.

Beatie speaks first and her speech is halting yet rushing like a wild Tasmanian river. She calls the marsupials, Ty. She speaks directly to him or her and she often imitates their yip which is a revelation for the audience.

Hamilton is terrific here; she gives the character the earthy quality of someone who lives their life inside nature, in the bush. She adeptly handles the unique style of Beatie’s words which mix swearing and Australianisms such as “shittin me daks” with a rushed effusion which dismisses prepositions. “He got black hat”. On the other hand, Alison is educated and emotional, with Campbell bringing considerable depth and warmth to this character who is compassionate and honest and stalwart.

Beatie and Alison, although they have never met, have an evident connection and an almost mutual understanding that the Tasmanian Tiger needs to be protected. As the actors played their parts, they would gaze into each other’s eyes as if they were telling each other well done, we are the same. The actors brought a sense of gentle women-like presence as though they were telling no man could feel as such.

Beatie and Alison both break the fourth wall on occasion to bring the story into the now. Alison asks “What could I say? It’s 1936. He’s a man. I’m a woman.” Gender might not be the issue today’s environmentalists can be silenced by but societal norms still impact on those who care deeply for the planet. As a female sixteen year old in the 21st century it amazes how humans have built their way to the top of the food chain, killing and capturing animals so that that an entire species like the Thylacine is now extinct. Makes me wonder how far humanity has come and will continue to develop.

THEY SAW A THYLACINE has been created by Human Animal Exchange which explores the relationship and struggle between our human and animal instincts, and our exchange with the natural world. The show has won a string of awards since 2013 for production, performance and writing. It was partially inspired by Sarah Hamilton’s Great Aunt who took a famous photograph of one of the last living Tasmanian Tigers.

Though not necessarily historically accurate, this show sets out to elucidate theatrically why the anniversary of Benjamin’s death is the date of National Threatened Species Day. The loss of the Thylacine is embedded in our cultural psychology, our ecological DNA. There was even an unsuccessful attempt to sequence its genome to de-extinction the unique creature.

Unfortunately, THEY SAW A THYLACINE was one night only at The Joan but seek it out. Resonant and relevant, the echo of Beatie and Alison’s persuasively transformative plea leaves the theatre with you.

Also be sure to check out the other shows on offer through the Joan’s Brave New Work program.

This review was created in collaboration with my school’s  Workplacement student, Angelique Bickerstaff.