Stephen House has been responsible for writing some quirky and poignant moments of gay theatre here in Australia. He’s a very talented director and writer. He’s able to tell a story that mixes ingenuity and simplicity together into a poignant mix of enjoyable and insightful viewing. Walk in Dirt, unfortunately, isn’t his best work.
From the outset Walk in Dirt runs headfirst into a narrative that the audience grapples to come to terms with. It’s not that it’s unfamiliar, it’s just too much too soon. A little pacing, a little more set-up, and we wouldn’t feel so overwhelmed. After all, the last thing you want to do is establish resistance with your audience, but alas, that’s what House instigates.
The place where House’s work shines is through the voice of his characters. While House himself could push himself to actualise some of the characters a little better, the actual voices that emerge and lively, engaging and a thrill to hear. The old woman and prostitute, in particular, shine through with a horror that is all too real and that House himself articulates with panache.
The devices throughout are great, too. Well… nearly. The lighting is brilliant, as it always is in a House production. And the transition between characters has a playfulness and intent that is cheeky and engaging. The backing music, however, detracts and is far too sentimental and obvious. Which is a shame: the closure of the play would be so much stronger if the music had a sense of spirit – rather than sentiment – about it.
The point at which House’s work falls just that little bit short, however, is the writing. It seems that this is one instance where language fails the grand vision House attempts to create. Written in a poetic rhyming scheme, House tends to fall for obvious rhymes, the obviousness missing the entirety of the instance he wishes to convey. He also pushes over some of the rhymes, perhaps in an attempt to not appear too clever or pretentious, but the effect is detrimental rather than beneficial.
House is a brilliant playwright and director. There is no denying. But Walk in Dirt – a play that brims with human potential and insight and candid horror – sadly misses the mark a little. It’s a brave move for House, to so blatantly put himself inside his work like this and push his own boundaries, but sometimes the experiments we try as artists don’t always yield the results we want. Still, House’s sense of staging and presence is to be commended, and the characters he brings along for the ride will haunt you long after the applause has died.
PICA Performance Space Feb 15, 16, 18 & 19
Scott-Patrick Mitchell
