Scene one:
I’m surfing free to air channels and notice one guy pinning another guy to the floor in a cage fight. The guy underneath is having his arm twisted in an arm lock, suddenly, his arm goes floppy, it’s either broken or dislocated at the elbow, a cut to the studio and the host says “guess who just became a southpaw?” The audience laughs and I change stations a little more disturbed than I wanted to be at 8 o’clock on a weekday night.
Scene two:
Condense the disregard we demonstrate towards each other, add in some self obsession and insecurity, then express it verbally in a 70 minute stream of consciousness rant, and you'd probably end up with something like Thom Pain.
Jon Halpin, Jason Klarwein and the Queensland Theatre Co, delivered Will Eno’s play uncompromisingly. Luckily in the tradition of many productions at the Billie Brown Theatre, it didn’t need to be liked. Thom Pain has a higher purpose than that.
It’s harshness appeared to prompt numerous walk out’s and at the Billie Brown no one gets out without being noticed. The exit is up the front along side the stage and the door itself makes a racket when opened.
Thom was 10 minutes in and footsteps came down the aisle. Jason paused and then, with every eye in the house on the guy, called the him a “c#nt” (gasp from audience) as he exited.
Scene three:
The phone rang and it was the almost daily call from some charity, this time it was for two wheel chairs for a couple of kids with muscular dystrophy, but it could have been in aid of any one with a need that they can’t meet themselves.
In this rich country needy people have to beg. Evidently the majority don’t agree that they should automatically count on us.
Scene four:
Interesting, most people think Beckett’s work is absurd, impenetrable, and elusive. But I have a feeling Joe Mitchell who deftly directed the QTC’s “Waiting for Godot” knows better.
The play centres on two anxious characters feeling sorry for themselves and awaiting something, they’re not sure what, but hoping it will make things better for themselves, though they’re not sure how.
Careless disregard, exploitation and selfishness all make an appearance. No one shows any real compassion and concern for others. The suffering of others is either ignored or reduced to a curiosity or an object of fun.
Now where did Samuel Beckett get those crazy ideas from, and what could he possibly have been getting at?
(Tuesday, 08 June 2010)