The Hir story begins being told as soon as we see the set: an interior of a modest home, the kitchen identifiable because of the fridge, but other features completely obscured by strewn clothing and piles of miscellany. Juxtaposed against this mess is Paige, a middle-aged woman neatly groomed and made-up, wearing a hippy-era jumpsuit only slightly less loud than her penetrating voice. So begins a narrative of conflicting messages and emotions.
Hir was written in 2015 by multidisciplinary US artist, Taylor Mac and previously staged by companies including Red Stitch Actors’ Theatre in Melbourne. The much awarded writer/performer/provocateur is recognised for their incisive, witty dialogue and subversive, thought-provoking content. In Hir, Mac addresses several social, political and interpersonal issues, presenting them to the audience with enough ambiguity that it doesn’t feel preachy.
Told more or less in real time and completely within the confines of the household, the story unfolds slowly with each drip-fed piece of information shifting our perspective. Paige (Jodine Muir) is a frenetic force and clearly the dominant figure in the family. Arnold (Rowan Greaves) is her husband, rendered virtually mute and physically impaired by a stroke. In the opening scene, we find Arnold sitting idly in a chair, wearing a woman’s cotton night gown, a bright blue clown wig and garish clown make-up.
Paige barely acknowledges him and, when she does, it is with clear disdain. She ridicules him, berates him, treats him like an imbecile and forces him to drink a pink shake that we later find out contains oestrogen. It is uncomfortably funny while stabbing at our ethical sensibilities.
A knock at the door signals the homecoming of their elder child, Isaac (Luke Visentin), who has been away for several years as a marine in Afghanistan. It turns out he has been dishonourably discharged for taking illicit drugs.
When Isaac left, his home was orderly, his mother was a traditional wife, his father was violently abusive and he had a younger sister, Max. He has come back to a house in complete disarray – an anti-establishment, feminist, rebellious matriarch; a father who wears a nappy and frumpy nightgown, and mumbles incoherently; and a sister, Max (Lola Kate Carlton) who is now a young transgender/queer self proclaimed ‘faggot’ with tufts of a beard growing on ‘hir’ chin.
Meanwhile, Isaac is clearly suffering post-traumatic stress, vomiting on a variety of triggers. This may be explained by the revelation of what his posting in Afghanistan actually entailed.
Mac has crafted the arc of this play so that it is a blurred photo that gradually comes into focus. The final scene is shocking and what we come away with is an image of a family in free fall in a country that provides no parachutes.
Hir: visual clues via set and costume
Victor Kalka’s set provides the perfect canvas: pale yellow walls with uninspired hangings, a few random items of furniture, clothing covering the floor, a grey sofa in the foreground, kitchenette in the background with blender on counter and a variety of LGBTQI+ flags in a jar on the fridge being conspicuous.
Costume designer Xan Hardman has chosen to keep each character in the one costume throughout (with the exception of Arnold whose outfits range from nightgown to Christmas dress to plaid shirt). Isaac is in his marine T-shirt and khakis; Max wears a white singlet and torn black stove-pipe jeans with Emo chain; Paige is in the aforementioned jumpsuit. Each outfit is a visual clue to its wearer’s personality.
The direction by Patrick Howard is astute, though it could do with some tightening, especially in the first act. The performers all understand their assignments and do a great job in delivering a challenging script.
Jodine Muir is especially good in the key role of Paige, clearly understanding the complexity of her character and knowing when and how to reveal each façade.
Greaves, equally, is acutely aware of the nuance required for Arnold. Arnold has very little dialogue, so Greaves has to use facial expression and physicality to slowly reveal to us the true nature of Arnold, and he does so successfully.
Read: Carmen review: a new look for a classic opera at Sydney Opera House
Not everyone agrees on what the messages are in Hir, nor the ethical conundrums it presents, but that in itself is a good thing. Plus there are some genuine laugh-out-loud moments.
Hir by Taylor Mac
New Theatre
Director: Patrick Howard
Stage designer: Victor Kalka
Lighting designer: Holly Nesbitt
Costume designer: Xan Hardman
Assistant Director: Olivia Xegas
Fight Choreographer: Diego Retamales
Stage Manager: Matilda Holton
Assistant Stage Manager: Bora Celebi
Cast: Jodine Muir, Rowan Greaves, Luke Visentin, Lola Kate Carlton
Hir will be performed until 2 August 2025 at New Theatre, 542 King Street, Newtown NSW.
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