Review: TRIBES Explores A Different Kind Of Language Barrier As One Man Is Isolated Within His Own Family

Sunday 5th June 2016, 5pm, Ensemble Theatre, Kirribilli

Nina Raine's (Playwright) TRIBES gives voice to those trapped in a world where they cannot participate due to the challenge that they cannot hear. Ensemble Theatre presents this moving work of family, fitting in, and finding a way to communicate with an honesty and sensitivity which extends throughout the work, from casting to final interpretation and expression.

In the dining room of an upper middle class home a family chat and gossip over dinner. At first glance it looks like any Eastern suburbs, upper middle class, well-educated family until it becomes clear that youngest son Billy (Luke Watts) isn't joining in on the conversation, instead focussing on his food. It unfolds that father Christopher (Sean O'Shea) was an English lecturer, mother Beth (Genevieve Lemon) is writing a novel, eldest son Daniel (Garth Holcombe) is writing a thesis on language and daughter Ruth (Amber McMahon) is an aspiring opera singer, yet another field based on communication and language. With Billy giving up on trying to lip-read the conversation that includes a number of people talking at once, Beth bangs on the table to get his attention but when he asks what is going on, his parents and siblings ignore him. When Billy is finally heard, he shares the news that he's made a new friend, Sylvia (Ana Maria Belo), a young woman currently going Deaf but who already knows sign language, and is now teaching Billy the new language.

Designer Rita Carmody has created a simple space dominated by a six setting polished wood dining table with assorted chairs and an upright piano stacked with books, radio and other paraphernalia. A modern abstract lampshade that captures Benjamin Brockman's lighting design during blackouts is suspended above the table and large screens above the stage allow for surtitles. Sound Designer Daryl Wallis injects a variety of music styles into the scene changes and also includes music within the story that helps show that the family aren't that considerate of the cacophony of sound that Billy hears when he's trying to follow conversations. Wallis creates a wonderful expression of the sounds that Billy and Sylvia can hear as a rumble of undefined sound as they feel their isolation.

Director Susanna Dowling has assembled a great cast for TRIBES ensuring there is honesty and truth in the understanding by casting Luke Watts and Ana Maria Belo, both with hearing impairments, in the central roles. Dowling has kept the rest of the family as normal, average, middle to upper class recognisable people ensuring that people believe that this could be their family, or people they know.

Watts presents the young man Billy with a beautiful innocence and compassion as he wants to help his brother who he can see is struggling with his recent relationship breakdown, even if the family won't tell him Dan's problems. The dejection and loneliness that Billy feels is palpable as Watts body language and facial expressions clearly convey that he is upset, without overplaying it into an exaggeration and his recount of being the person his female friends would confide in without seeing him as a prospect is heart wrenching. He also expresses that Billy does not realise that even though his family leave him out of many conversations, he is the centre of their world, particularly Dan's.

Belo's presentation of Sylvia captures the initial nervousness that most women feel when meeting her boyfriend's family and then shows her strength in standing up for her family, who are Deaf, as Billy's family pass harsh judgements at the use of sign language and sticking with the Deaf community. As the family soften and welcome Sylvia, Belo shows Sylvia as settling in, and getting too comfortable with the family who remind her of the world of hearing that she is losing. The poetry challenge between Sylvia and Dan, where Dan speaks and Sylvia Signs is a wonderful expression of the language and proof that there is as much and possibly more poetry in movement and symbols than words.

Father Christopher is imposing and Sean O'Shea captures his steam-train of opinion and argument with authority and force. He presents Christopher as a somewhat egotistical scholar that looks down on anyone that wants to belong to anything. During Christopher's retreats into the Chinese language lessons O'Shea shows that Christopher is actually hurting at the Billy's moving out, even though he's too arrogant to see that he can learn a foreign language that isn't much use to his present situation but refuses to learn a language that would make his son feel included.

Genevieve Lemon is beautifully suited to the role of Beth, the housewife who has decided to write a crime novel. She doesn't have as much of the pretension that her husband has and the way she presents Beth's explanation of why she taught Billy to lip read and to speak shows that Christopher potentially had a lot of influence on the decision and she went along with it in the belief that it was the best for Billy so he wouldn't feel different.

Brother Daniel is the closest family member to Billy and Garth Holcombe shows Daniel's dependence on his brother to keep him going, even though he doesn't really express it to Billy. The dejected scholar returned home after his relationship broke down is recognisable as the somewhat entitled perpetual student that would rather get high than do anything productive. Holcombe shows Daniel's deterioration, particularly with his mental illness and stutter as he sees Billy gain more confidence and independence. He is scathing in his trying to warn his brother off getting in a relationship and expresses a bitterness that the family are accepting Sylvia when they didn't accept his ex-girlfriend.

Amber McMahon presents Ruth as a similarly entitled no hoper, also recently moved back home, that is has wild dreams of singing opera when the talent really isn't there. Whilst Ruth is also self-absorbed like the rest of her family, McMahon does express that Ruth is a bit more aware than Daniel.

TRIBES is a wonderful expression of not just a Deaf man finding a place in a hearing world but also the different "tribes" and groups that we use to support ourselves. Billy thinks he's found his tribe when Sylvia introduces him to other Deaf people, failing to recognise that he is the nucleus of his family's tribe. The family also come to realise how important Billy was to their dynamic and stability when he leaves. Sylvia highlights that there are times that people need to find new tribes as she explains that she sees the same people at the Deaf community events and wants to do something different and be with people that don't focus on their disability.

TRIBES is a wonderful production that people from all backgrounds should see as it is a reminder to look after everyone in your 'tribe' and to be aware of other people's challenges and rather than ask them to 'normalise', seek ways to make them feel included and valued without feeling pitied or looked down on.

TRIBES

Ensemble Theatre, Kirribilli

26 May - 2 July 2016

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