The Sydney Theatre Company’s Theatre In Education wing recently put on a successful season of Matt Cameron’s well crafted ‘Ruby Moon’ which was part of this year’s HSC syllabus.

‘Ruby Moon’ told a fractured fairy tale. Life appears idyllic in the fictional suburb of Flaming Tree Grove. That is five year old Ruby Moon goes off to visit her grandmother and doesn’t return. The narrative focuses on Ruby’s parents, Sylie and Ray, as they try to work out what’s happened to their daughter.

Andrew Upton’s tight production of ‘Ruby Moon’ was a good piece of theatre. Thematically, the play worked well, communicating much of what any parent would feel and go through in searching for their missing child.

Actors Jaime Mears and Justin Smith had a challenging time, playing the two main roles of mother and father, as well as playing a wide range of minor characters,comprising neighbours from Flaming Tree Grove, who they interview about Ruby’s disappearance. They carried out their work with style and flair, assisted by a prop box on the stage in which they could dive into to transform into other characters. My favourite of the neighbourhood characters was Justin’s portrayal of Mad Professor Ogle who confesses to murdering Ruby but was impossible to believe.

Jo Briscoe’s set was great. The backdrop was a made-up outline for a series of suburban houses, above hung decoration lights. There was the haunting silhouette of young Ruby Moon centre back of the stage, overlooking the action.

Max Lyndvert’s dark music score leant plenty of atmosphere as the tale unfolded.

The play ended suitably enigmatically, an appropriate way for this dark, poetic piece.