They are there every day, at the end of the day, standing outside the turnstiles to the railway stations, cheerfully handing out copies of the free, afternoon paper, the mX. A fairly thankless job, especially with many workers, weary after their long work day, dismissively and gruffly walking past them, as if they were invisible. Still they get their fair number of takers, the paper’s free and what the heck, it’s something to read on the train home.
The mX is great for skim reads with plenty of light news and strange stories from around the world. There’s also a small section that has become a hit with commuters…it’s called, ‘Here’s Looking At You’.
This quirky section publishes readers ‘grab’ messages to fellow travelers to whom they are attracted to, in the hope that they will will result in a date, or at the least to simply anonymously compliment the apple of their eye.
Here’s an example, cutely titled PINS AND NEEDLES:-
‘To the girl on the Lilydale train on Thursday with the shoebox and knitting needles. I never thought knitting could be so hot’.
The messages are short, sharp and fun. They also represent the starting point, the genesis, for Phillip Parsons Young Playwright’s Award winner, Tahli Corin’s latest creation, GIRL IN TAN BOOTS.
The play’s title comes from the following message:-
‘Tan Boots: To the girl in tan boots who always gets on at St Leonards, you are my angel of the morning. My daily fix of heaven. Man in grey suit’.
Corin’s play starts in the middle of things with Detective Carapetis investigating the disappearance of a woman in her early thirties and wearing tan boots, Hannah, from her local railway station after telling her female flatmates that she was going to meet up with Grey Suit.
Hannah has been declared a missing person, there is even a police mannequin made of her, and Hannah’s mother and flatmates and girlfriends are fearful that foul play has taken place…
No plot spoilers here! Corin’s piece is one of those plays with many twists and turns, and the elements of surprise are one of its strongest suits.
On to the Verdict… I’m a big fan. The play’s original, tight, multi-layered, entertaining, thought provoking… There’s a lot of potential here. I hope that it has legs!
Susanna Dowling gives the play a strong premiere production. The cast were great with Linden Wilkinson as Detective Carapetis, Odile LeClezio as Hannah’s mum, and Hannah’s girlfriend and flatmates played by Madeline Jones, Zindzi Okenyo, Francesca Savige and Sara Zwangobani.
Ekren Mulayin’s evocative soundscape fits the play perfectly.
A Collide and Griffin Independent co-production, Tahli Corin’s GIRL IN TAN BOOTS opened at the SBW Stables Theatre, 10 Nimrod Street, Kings Cross on Monday 1st April and runs until Saturday 20th April, 2013.
© David Kary
6th April, 2013
Tags: Sydney Stage Reviews- GIRL IN TAN BOOTS, mX, Collide, Griffin Independent, World Premiere, Tahli Corin, Susanna Dowling, Olile Leclezio, Madeline Jones, Zindzi Okenyo, Francesca Savige, Linden Wilkinson, Sara Zwangobani, Ekren Mulayin, Patrick Boland, Sydney Arts Guide, David Kary