Dangerfield Park: La Boîte Theatre Company - Review

Dangerfield Park: La Boîte Theatre Company - Review

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Posted 2014-10-26 by Natasha Poyntonfollow

Tue 21 Oct 2014 - Wed 05 Nov 2014

There is no denying it, Sven Swenson's new offering of Dangerfield Park is a confronting piece of theatre. It is confronting for many different reasons, most of which are due to the subject matter's uncomfortable reflection of our current political and social reality.


The story revolves around 6 main characters. Perry and Marc are a couple who have lost almost all of their belongings in a house fire. They were able to salvage one possession – a piece of art that hangs on the wall throughout the duration of the play, as a symbol of suppressed, sometimes politically dangerous but very, very, real love. Despite this and their disagreements over the design of their new house, they have decided to marry in a civil union ceremony. Marc is a junior lawyer, who feels he can't take his partner, Perry, to work functions for fear of losing his job from the discrimination he would encounter. Throughout the course of the play, Marc becomes increasingly politicised, which Perry has difficulty in accepting.


While their house is being rebuilt, Marc and Perry stay in the flat of a friend, Sholto (played by the playwright and co-director, Sven Swenson). Also crashing there, is a young Reyer, who has been thrown out of his home by his fundamentalist Christian family. Reyer has only recently "come out" and has a difficult journey trying to reconcile his Christian beliefs with his sexuality. While still trying to explore his new-found freedom and sense of self, he also bears the brunt of his father's pressure to try to "cure" his homosexuality and conform.


Sholto, mostly willingly but sometimes begrudgingly, opens the doors of his flat to his friends in need. His sarcasm and sarkiness, hides a very warm heart. It is through Sholto, Sven Swenson reveals his obvious talent for writing dialogue – it is fast, snappy and very witty. Sholto provides a counterpoint of light relief against some very dark issues throughout the play. The perfect, and very amusing example being an exchange "the morning after" Sholto tries not to reveal that he doesn't remember his recent conquest's name.


Sholto is an ageing, self-described queen and theatre director, who is trying his best not to fall for journalist, Tim. Tim has recently moved to Brisbane from Adelaide and is one of the few characters who seems completely comfortable in his own skin.


The person who ties these characters together is Otis Bremmer (played by co-director Brian Lucas). Otis has helped several of the characters come to terms with their emerging sexuality and has reluctantly agreed to be Marc and Perry's Man of Honour at their upcoming ceremony. Although Otis is a central character, we only ever see him through a light gauze screen at the back of the stage – seen and yet, slightly dream-like and hazy; indicative of the fact that much of Otis's dialogue is delivered as flashbacks or as memories from other characters.


While out in Brisbane's Dangerfield Park one night – a notorious "beat" or hangout for quick flings and hook-ups within the gay community, Otis is bashed and left for dead. The play focuses on the reactions of his friends to the events that night, which they slowly piece together through a court trial and Tim's inside sources. Each character is forced, not only to come to terms with the inevitable death of their close friend, but also to the choices he made. His death inescapably becomes political on both a personal and community stage, which is where I found the play really interesting. "If you're gay, you're political." It gently reveals the history of gay rights, laws and activism, through the personal tragedy unfolding around the characters and the momentous and historical decisions of the wider, political population. And just how unfair so many of these decisions are with the impact they can have on individual's lives.


The venue of La Boite's Roundhouse Theatre is a good choice – it is so intimate, and at times feels like you are encroaching on the character's lives; a fact that Sholto points out at the beginning of the play as he addresses the audience.

The play explores many in-depth, dark themes. It explores not only issues revolving around gay rights, startling inequality, ever-present discrimination, politics and activism but also violence and death. These themes interweave with each other to create a piece, while not flawless, is utterly riveting. Dangerfield Park is a long play – over 3 hours long, but with the snappy dialogue and intriguing story, it is hard to notice the time flying by. It is a play that makes you laugh and then in the next moment, moves you almost to tears at the injustice of it all. Over-riding all of these themes however, is one of love. As one of the characters so rightly points out, "Love is love, no matter what."


Dangerfield Park runs from 21st October to 5th November 2014 at La Boite Roundhouse Theatre. Tickets can be purchased directly from La Boite cinema [ here and are $22 - $28.

Please note, Dangerfield Park comes with warnings and is suitable for adults. It contains course language, nudity, adult themes and violence.

Directors Brian Lucas & Sven Swenson
Designer Matthew Dickie
Composer & Sound Designer Phil Slade
Fight Director Nigel Poulton

with
Nick Barclay
Zachary Boulton
Michael Deed
Brian Lucas
Christos Mourtzakis
Sven Swenson

#performing_arts
#kelvin_grove
#inner_suburbs
#theatre
#october
!date 21/10/2014 -- 05/11/2014
%wnbrisbane
171679 - 2023-06-15 09:18:12

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