Our Country's Good

by Timberlake Wertenbaker
Pegasus Theatre until Saturday 26th

Our Country's Good is Platypus Theatre's first major production, and the energy invested into it suggests that the company will be able to establish an excellent reputation. The power with which they convey this thought-provoking drama owes as much to their diversity as to their skill - the group draws members from all sections of the community, encouraging adults from all backgrounds to explore their creative ideas through drama.

Timberlake Wertenbaker has created a play that explores the breaking down of barriers and survival against the odds, and it is an ideal choice for this company. Our Country's Good is particularly moving because it is based on a true story, taken from the diaries and letters of Ralph Clark, an officer serving on the first ship of convicts to be transported to Australia in 1787. Clark documented his role as director of a convict play, the first performed in the unexplored wilderness, and its profound effects on prisoner and officer alike. This intriguing story has been dramatised in a way that allows individual characters to be brought to life while exploring wider issues to which we can all relate.

A number of particularly strong actors help to weave the drama into a whole. Ralph Clark, director of the convicts' ill-starred performance of the comedy The Recruiting Officer, is played by a thoroughly convincing and passionate Jen Elford. Hester Lott's performance as Captain Philip conveys just the right combination of idealism and humanity, and Mina Katouzian's portrayal of the haunted Harry Brewer is outstanding. This gender reversal - most of the female roles are played by men, and vice versa - is used very effectively to convey the way in which the convicts' world has quite literally been turned upside-down, although the production is sometimes let down by weaker male actors.

Despite the complex ideas explored by the play, there are moments of comedy, allowing several members of the company to provide memorable performances. Strong design and a powerful soundtrack help to create a production that leaves the audience questioning as well as moved.

Olivia Rowland, 23 / 5 / 01