The Events | State Theatre Centre | Until 8th July | ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
A few years I got I visited the city of Oslo in Norway. We arrived mid-morning and after settling in to our hotel headed out to explore the city. After visiting some shops and getting a bite to eat, we worked out where the cities LGBTI venues were, so we might return later in the evening to check them out.
We worked out the most direct route to walk back to our hotel, but discovered dead ends on every street. The roads were closed, fenced off. The buildings beyond the fences looked empty – how odd to have this large section of the city boarded up, was it going to be demolished for some new development? We took the long way round.
Later while waiting at the front door of hotel I noticed the statues that stood near the entrance were damaged, they were dented and chipped. A small plaque nearby revealed why.
This was the spot that in 2011 terrorist Anders Behring Breivik detonated a massive explosion that killed eight people and injured 209 others. Two hours later the right-wing extremist entered a children’s holiday camp being run by a political party, dressed as a policeman. He then shot over one hundred people, killing 69 – mostly children. 110 people were injured, 55 of them seriously.
The plaque said the statues would remain the way they were, damaged and scared – as reminder of the irreversible harm that this act had done. The fenced off part of the city was not a new development- but a scar waiting to heal.
The Events is a powerful work written by British playwright David Greig, and it was created in response to that horrific event in 2011. The play is not about Anders Behring Breivik or Norway, it’s a more universal story that tackles the heavy topic of mass shootings.
A choir mingle on stage, chatting and catching up, the church minister arrives apologising for being late. Claire is a left-wing thinking, Anglican minister with a same-sex partner. She corals the choir into action and they launch into song.
A young man enters, Claire encourages him to join in the festivities. As the choir sings an energetic and fun tune their leader bounces with joy at their heavenly voices.
So begins a powerhouse performance from acclaimed Australian actor Catherine McClements, who portrays Claire, and Johnny Carr, who takes on the role of ‘the boy’ and everyone else Claire interacts with on her journey of redemption, anger, revenge and forgiveness.
Each night a different local choir takes to the stage to help perform the work, last night it was Curtin University’s Rhythmos. They’re just one of six local singing groups taking to the stage during the show’s season.
Claire looks for answers following the horrific massacre of her congregation. She deals with guilt and anger, she seeks understanding, her beliefs are tested, and her loss is unimaginable.
It’s a wonderful part for McClements who gets to showcase a diverse range of emotions, and some stellar moments of comedy. Carr also gets to display his versatility by playing a myriad of different characters, often in quick succession.
The opening night audience had moments of laughter, and there were times when you could hear people sobbing. There was also a powerful undercurrent of fear. Impressively Greig’s story has no overt violence, a gun does not appear on stage at any time. What is presented is the aftermath of gun crime. The raw, human, pain that remains for a lifetime.
Just like they’ll never knock the dents out of the statues on the streets of Oslo, the damage done to Claire and those in her fictional community will be forever – no matter how hard attempts are made to find a resolution.
The dual productions of The Events and Assassins, which is playing upstairs in the Heath Leger Theatre, show that Black Swan State Theatre Company under the stewardship of Artistic Director Clare Watson is hitting home runs with each production of their 2018 season.
Each show that Black Swan has delivered in 2018 has been topical, confronting, thought provoking and perfect for juicy post show debates and discussions.
The two productions, like all of their current program, are presented as a conversation, they share similar themes and provoke related questions.
Sondheim’s witty musical is a comment on the ridiculous nature of America – it’s obsessions with guns, celebrity, criminality and The American Dream. Greig’s play is an exploration of how we process the unfathomable, how we struggle to understand the motivation behind callous acts, and cling to hope that there is a way though out darkest days.
Graeme Watson, images by Daniel J Grant
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