OBSERVER: Control
Presented by Flatpack and Theatre Works, Control was an interesting sci-fi odyssey which gave a glimpse, but only a glimpse, into what the late 21st century might look like.
The play had three acts. In the first, four astronauts are aboard a spacecraft heading to Mars to establish a colony. Or maybe they’re not. The second act, also involving four characters, takes place a decade later in Melbourne at the Museum of Childhood Memories. The final act, a further decade into the future and located on New Earth (formerly known as Mars), sees a technician programming an android so it can teach young children.
Written by Keziah Warner, Control was bold and ambitious in scope. Each of the three acts was radically different from the others in place, time and characters. However, they shared a similar structure as each consisted of a series of short scenes involving different combinations of characters. The writing varied from wildly passionate and exclamatory to moments of tender intimacy, poetic almost.
The structure of the play and nature of the writing meant much was demanded of the actors involved. Happily all four main performers – Seon Williams, Faran Martin, Lachlan Herring and Alex Duncan – acquitted themselves admirably. They gave each of the different characters they played distinctive traits and energies. In addition, there was a terrific sense of ensemble acting, with the dynamic between performers vital and strong.
Realising the different worlds of Control was no small feat so all credit then to the director Olivia Staaf. She had a strong vision for the play and, with her actors and production team, brought that vision to life through robust performances and smooth transitions between scenes and acts.
Given its scope and ambition Control suffered from being too short to fully and more satisfyingly explore the tantalising peek it provided of a dystopian yet also hopeful future. May the odyssey continue.
Venue: Explosives Factory, Rear Laneway 67 Inkerman St, St Kilda
Review by Peter Murphy