Posted by kluster on August 24, 2010
Kids: they never cease to amaze me with all the marvellous things they’re getting up to these days. Yesterday, my morning started with the polished news presenter-esque sounds of 11-year-old film reviewing and Emmy-Award-winning Jackson Murphy weighing up the pros and cons of Phillip Noyce’s latest action blockbuster, Salt. The day before, I spent hours poring over the archives of 14-year-old Tavi Gevinson’s The Style Rookie, seeking further fashion inspiration, of course.
So it was with great interest that I ventured down to the Wharf Theatre to take in the Sydney Theatre Company and Australian Theatre for Young People’s co-production of Tusk Tusk last Wednesday night, eager to see what a trio of young Australian actors could bring to 22 year-old English writer, Polly Stenham’s (That Face) latest stage offering. The result, I am pleased to report, is a series of polished, powerful, emotionally driven performances. It’s reassuring to know that the future of Australian theatre is in safe hands.
Tusk Tusk is the tale of two teenage siblings and their attempts to protect their seven-year-old brother from the potentially devastating outside world. Abandoned without explanation by their mother, in their recently habituated London apartment, the two teens try to stave off impending lawlessness by assigning one another duties and unsuccessfully attempting to emulate adult behaviour. Spread across two acts the play brings home its at-times-waning plot with a powerful conclusion. Special mention must go to Arlie-Jane Dodds for her portrayal of 14-year-old Maggie, in this her show-stealing STC debut.
Tusk Tusk runs until 4th September at the Wharf Theatre, STC.
jackson murphy, phillip noyce, tavi gevinson, sydney theatre company and australian theatre for young people, tusk tusk, polly stenham