Review: A Heartfelt Expression Of A Contemporary Story Of Connection To Land and Family Plays Out IN WHICH WAY HOME

Tuesday 24th July 2018, 7:30pm, Reginald Theatre Seymour Centre

Returning to Sydney for an encore season, Katie Beckett's WHICH WAY HOME shares a wonderfully personal celebration of a close family bond filled with comedy and emotion. Directed by Rachael Maza, WHICH WAY HOME is both an expression of an Aboriginal father and daughter's relationship but also a reminder of the universality of family bonds and a reminder that though our personal histories may be different, our humanity unites us.

WHICH WAY HOME is Katie Beckett's wonderful tribute to a father that raised her and her siblings alone following the tragic death of her mother when she was a child. For the two hander, sixty five minute play, Beckett takes on the role of Tash, what one would assume is a somewhat stylized version of herself, whilst Kamahi Djordon King presents the father figure, simply referred to as 'Dad'. A quintessential road trip story in which Tash is taking her Dad back to his country, their ancestoral and spiritual home, leaving the suburban Queensland coastal home in which he raised Tash alone behind. The drive highlights how connected and how different the two are and allows Tash to reflect on everything her father has done for her, protecting her and bringing her up alone in a society that would have made life more difficult for an Aboriginal man raising his child alone.

Presented with a simple set (Emily Barrie, Set and Costumes) of a segment of rural roadmap forming a feature on the black box stage, settings are implied with the makeshift arrangement of Dad's belongings being transported 'home'. The roadmap also provides a distinction between the present and the past which play out in the black space that surrounds the map. Niklas Pajanti's lighting shifts the mood and helps transport the audience back to trips to the ocean and recollections of surfing down green hills with the neighborhood children. Time slipping past with a unstopping flow is presented with a inventive expression of a perpetual connection to land through a stream of sand falling in a beam of light.

The combination of storytelling styles, from breaking the fourth wall, to dialogue, and flashback narration allows the pace to keep moving whilst also establishing the pattern in the work. Beckett captures the realism of a daughter used to her daggy Dad's jokes and easy sensibilities of loving Rugby League, reality television and soaps and above all else, food. Djordon King embodies an unintentionally embarrassing father who has a fabulous sense of fun and a desire to just enjoy life rather than worry about the lists and healthy living that Tash is so focused on. Whilst the opening night performance was a little stilted, as the season runs the nerves should settle for a smoother ride.

A delightful short story of family and belong whilst also touching on issues particular to Beckett's heritage and community history such as the fear her father felt that he could loose his children to the welfare system that was prejudiced against his situation as an Aboriginal single father. This is a wonderful expression of a contemporary Aboriginal story and a contemporary Australian story. It is important to see these stories of the wider Australian community put on stage and this work is relatable to all audiences, regardless of background, as we all have families and WHICH WAY HOME proves that though we may look different, we are really not that different.

WHICH WAY HOME

24 - 4 August 2018

https://www.seymourcentre.com/events/event/which-way-home/

Photos: Snehargho Ghosh

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