Review: MR BURNS, A POST-ELECTRIC PLAY Is An Intriguing Investigation Of How Culture Evolves

Saturday 20th May 2017, 8pm, Belvoir St Theatre

Anne Washburn's three act play, MR BURNS, A POST ELECTRIC PLAY is an interesting exploration of how stories evolve and culture is created when the world we know has irrevocably changed and stories can no longer be accessed in their original format. Presented by Belvoir and State Theatre Company South Australia, under Imara Savage's direction, this complex work is both a warning and a comfort as it presents a possibility of the future.

The premise of the work, commissioned by New York based investigative theatre group The Civilians in 2008, is that the nuclear reactors providing power to North America have all shut down, leaving the country without power and causing widespread destruction, contamination and death. Set across three time frames, the first act opens on a group of survivors, trying to while away the time by recalling an episode from Matt Groening's animated sitcom, THE SIMPSONS. The gravity of their situation becomes apparent when outsider Gibson (Mitchell Butel), a former amateur actor, comes across the gathering and is met in true American fashion with drawn firearms and interrogation highlighting that society has crumbled and that loved ones have been lost in the disasters. The second act, 7 years later finds the same group, with the unexplained addition of Quincy (Paula Arundell), recreating THE SIMPSONS episodes, advertisements and music videos as stage plays, with details drawn from memory or bought as lines have become a commodity. The third act finds civilisation 75 years after Act 2. The recollections and recreations of THE SIMPSONS have now taken on a mythic, pseudo religious status and musical theatre is the choice of storytelling medium. Detail has been stripped out over the years and it has now become a story of good and evil, with references to rituals and artforms from across the ages as a troupe present a more polished presentation of THE SIMPSONS' story with an amalgam of Greek tragedy, pop music, musical theatre and pantomime.

As society re-establishes itself following disaster, Jonathon Oxlade's set and costume design also evolves over the three acts. Act 1 is kept somewhat simple with a brazier surrounded by an assortment of seating options representing a makeshift camp and it's inhabitants attired army surplus and camping style clothing. Act 2 sees the theatre troupe acquiring a collection of found objects to cobble together props for their production. Oxlade gives the troupe a pseudo uniform of durable workwear overalls when not adopting costumes, inventively fashioned out of the remnants of civilisation. For Act 3, Oxlade conveys that society has become more adept at utilising the remaining resources with a allusion to returning to the early days of invention with costumes that draw on Tudor and Grecian styles and bold colours. He also demonstrates that the character types have become more defined with Bart (Esther Hannaford) bearing a medieval style crown as the brave young knight going into battle against the hunch backed old, sinister villain Mr Burns (Mitchell Butel) whilst mother Marge (Paula Arundell) is presented as the maternal Virgin Mary with Blue veil taking place of the matriarch's blue beehive.

Whilst Washburn hasn't given the characters much depth or detail, the performers do well at conveying their somewhat stereotyped roles. Of particular note in Act 1 is Brent Hill's presentation of Matt who holds most of the memories of episode 2 from season 5, CAPE FEARE. He has the earnestness of a devotee, recognisable to anyone that has had a hardcore fan of a show (think Whovians, Trekkies and Star Wars fans) explain their passion and the favourite episodes.

Savage has ensured that the second act's development of their touring show has a realism in the interaction between director Colleen (Jude Henshall) and the company. Ezra Juanta conveys the pressure Sam is under to create a set and props from found objects. Brent Hill as Matt presents the exasperation of the limited resources whilst Mitchell Butel's Gibson fights to retain works for his characters to be retained in the repertoire.

Act 3 has the bulk of Michael Friedman's music, presented on a variety of instruments by Musical Director Carol Young from side stage. Whilst the ensemble presents a captivating expression of Friedman's clever music which draws on folk, musical, pop and rap, the standout performances come from Hannaford and Butel as Bart and Mr Burns respectively. Butel presents a fabulous performance as a futuristic, much more nimble, Mr Burns which has evolved into a deliciously wicked combination of Groening's Mr Burns and Side Show Bob. Butel's lithe physicality is paired with his brilliant timing and intonation to elevate the power-hungry capitalist to new levels of danger as he is blended with the vengeful clown in a black sequin clad camp expression of a glamorously grotesque villain. Hannaford presents the braver, more noble side of the perennial 10 year old Bart as she captures the fear, courage and bravery of the hero of the new world mythology with her wonderful vocals and an understated dramatization which provides a balance to Butel's larger than life Mr Burns.

Whilst being light on in the character development and leaving many unanswered questions, MR BURNS, A POST-ELECTRIC PLAY is an interesting exposition of what brings people together in crisis, how a society defines itself, develops its' culture and its' stories and how it evolves whilst also being a warning against the dependence on dangerous energy sources. Whilst it draws on THE SIMPSONS CAPE FEARE episode, given that series has been on television since December 1989, even those that haven't really followed the show are likely to have at least a fair understanding of the premise of the work, making this relatable to a wide audience, not just regular viewers of the animated sitcom. MR BURNS, A POST-ELECTRIC PLAY evolves to a camp comedy pop musical but is grounded in weighty ideas ensuring that this work has a broad reaching relevance.

MR BURNS, A POST-ELECTRIC PLAY

Belvoir St Theatre