The danger age

The Danger Age a Deckchair Theatre Company a WA premiere production of Kate Mulvaney’s play which won the 2004 Phillip Parsons Young Playwright’s Award is a unified comical exploration of all things Australian during the Second World War.

Set in WA coastal town Kalbarri, a 10 year old boy suffering with asthma called John Curtin (Gibson Nolte), and his family are the outsiders when it comes to conservative mores of the times. His mother, Maisie (lovingly played by Samantha Murray) is a ‘loose’ woman in love with the ‘enemy’ a Japanese doctor, Dr Matsudaira (Anthony Wong), and his best friend is an indigenous tomboy, Albert (Irma Woods, who fits the role like a glove) whose antics together bear much bonding and love.

It is the play’s opening scenes that enliven the stage humourously with all the undercurrents of contemporary national and global issues of race, culture, politics, prejudice, love and friendship that make up this nourishing night in the theatre. Curtin is mistaken for the Prime Minister of Australia, and called by the Franklin J. Roosevelt about the impending Yellow Peril and young John is privy to the strategies of the American President to fight the invasion of the top end of Australia with the initiative of more Aussie troops enlisted by John to join up, and the creation of the Brisbane Line.

Sally Richardson, the director of The Danger Age has ensembled a fine team of creatives both on and off stage; Ash Gibson Greig as composer with his historically authentic sound mix that unifies the milieu with this 21st century take on the period. Also the designers Matt McVeigh and Iona McAuley have given Richardson a genuine period home setting within a proscenium arch which spills out, converts and surprises allowing the actors Nolte and Woods in particular to bring to life alleyways to prison, the school yard and divides between North and South Kalbarri. Richardson is deft at tempering a comic touch along with the weightiness of the piece and it only occasionally falls short, also her seamless direction is naturalistic and organic which is a delight to engage with. Nolte is the keynote to this production with his refreshing and exuberant flair to embrace the nature of a country youngster, and his supporting cast which also includes the talented Hayley McElhinney and Damon Lockwood. The latter is distinguishing as the convincingly sleazy and racist policeman in turns, and effortless as the broadcaster and President.

The pathos of the play is achieved as the humourous child’s play runs right through Mulvany’s work yet the grief is helped along by Wong’s gentle rendition of Japanese poems. The Danger Age is an expose that engages, warns, guards, and finally, celebrates Australian-branded courage and ‘salt of the earth’ comic sensibility.

The Danger Age by Deckchair Theatre

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