The Drawer Boy (Mockingbird Theatre Company) - Review

 

 "Only thing that makes [him] different is he can't remember from one minute to the next. He only know right now. He won't remember you." 

Pictured, from left to right: Morgan (Richard Manning), Angus (Chris Baldock) and Miles (Callum Doherty). Photo by Chris Baldock   If you've heard of the Drawer Boy, you're either more cultured than I am, or know about it thanks to a handy access of a search engine of your choice. Canberra's community theatre scene is very fortunate to be flourishing to such an extent that audiences have such a potluck of absolute variety to pick from, and Mockingbird is certainly happy to make a profound offering of their own. The Drawer Boy is a Canadian play by Michael Healey, first produced in 1999. A two act show with three roles to its script, Healey's play is an absolute marvel in its ability to entertain and enthrall in equal measure.    Unlike a handful of the smaller-scale dramas I've seen, it doesn't overstay its welcome either; it's an impressively unique script that felt like a breath of fresh air. The pace at which this piece moved is not only a testament to the writer, but to its cast and crew, who have realised Healey's work sublimely within the walls of the Belconnen Arts Centre's Rehearsal Room.   Director Zac Bridgman keeps the play at a level pace throughout, while possessing a wickedly intelligent sense of when to make the emotional ripples in that serene stillness all the more powerful. Bridgman utilises the intimate space of the Belconnen Rehearsal Room to allow his three actors to take hold of their audience and never let go, ensuring the audience is planted in their seats and gripped by this exceptionally-woven tale. Pictured from left to right: Angus (Chris Baldock), Miles (Callum Doherty) and Morgan (Richard Manning).  Photo: Chris Baldock   On the topic of performances, that's the real meat and potatoes of this production, with its central performances each an utterly distinct masterclass of characterisation.    Callum Doherty's Miles is a deceptively emotional offering, coming across as a comically-charged and unusual drama kid from the city, willingly waltzing right out of his depth. While still snatching those choice opportunities for his comedic prowess to shine, Doherty also embodies a thoughtfully soulful young man who genuinely learns about the people he merely wanted to observe by play's end. Miles's maturity is enthralling to watch, and can be owed to Doherty's poignant performance.   Chris Baldock offers a carefully considered performance as the cognitively impaired Angus. His portrayal of a caring, sensitive demeanour is brilliantly upended by his constant bouts with forgetfulness and confusion, and Baldock is devastatingly wonderful at drawing out the tragedy of his circumstances as the play's emotional centre unravels further and further. His moments of emotional clarity, scattered throughout his episodes of immense anxiety, are utterly heart-wrenching to watch, and brilliantly performed.   Richard Manning offers my favourite performance of the lot as Morgan, who serves as the perfect antithesis, yet companion, to Baldock's Angus. Manning is perfectly cast as a seemingly simple man who blossoms into a strengthened portrayal of a man who never truly learned how to mourn the losses of the unfortunate past he shares with Angus. His struggle with his responsibility to conceal the pain this unresolved emptiness brings and never allow it to further afflict his delusional friend is subject of many a dramatic moment, and Manning brilliantly encapsulates Morgan's emotional strengths and weaknesses in equal measure.   Baldock's set is well-realised and suited to grounding the audience in the land and home upon which Miles stumbles into, rendered further consistent by a pair of dynamic projected backdrops that worked in tandem with the flawlessly executed lighting design of Rhiley Winnett and Bridgman. Winnett, Baldock and Bridgman's sound design is excellently immersive, with the scene transitions especially benefiting from the guitar-strumming soundtrack choices. The cast are each responsible for their costumes, and their choices are astutely top-notch and immersive, as was, impressively enough, their sourcing of the numerous props that felt appropriate to the era.   The Drawer Boy is a marvellous opportunity for a director with a knack for emotional pacing and a cast of talented actors, and Mockingbird Theatre Company's cast and crew fully embrace the undertaking to produce a truly fantastic night of theatre. Framed as a scenario in which the simplicity of the complex city life clashes with the complexities of the simple rural life, Bridgman's cast and crew are utterly successful in producing a play that thoughtfully ponders the power of storytelling as an fundamental tool for shaping and influencing lives, and how new perspectives upon those rocky foundations can metamorphose and ultimately re-contextualise one's interior view of their world.    Strongly recommended. Get 'er done. Tickets: https://belcoarts.sales.ticketsearch.com/sales/salesevent/151183