Presented by State Theatre Company of South Australia
Reviewed 1 April 2014
War is something that touches millions and affects lives in many different ways. When a soldier returns from war they bring back a little bit of it and must find ways to deal with it if they want to return to normal life. The Long Way Home is an emotional tribute to our service men and women, created from the first-hand accounts of returning soldiers.
Creator Daniel Keene, in conjunction with the Australian Defence Force and the Sydney Theatre Company, set out to tackle the dark subject of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and the difficulty that many trained soldiers have recovering from war. While the issue has been previously explored in film and theatre, what makes The Long Way Home so powerful is that it actually features those returning service men and women who are the focus of the story.
In total, there are 13 ADF personnel in the cast and 4 professional actors. Director Stephen Rayne has done a fantastic job at transforming real soldiers into convincing actors. Afghanistan veterans Tim Loch and Craig Hancock play pivotal roles and do a great job. Pre-recorded stories, told by the veterans themselves then projected onto a screen, give the performance the feeling of a documentary and make it all the more real and confronting.
Although the lack of acting experience does show through in parts of the performance, the characters feel all the more genuine with the experiences of a real person behind them. I’m sure these budding actors will hit their stride quickly though, as even with a few fumbles they managed to elicit a standing ovation from the audience.
Odile Le Clezio, one of the four professional actors, performs with a fantastic intensity, while Tahki Saul adds some much needed, energetic humour to the performance. Although it was absolutely fantastic, I did find it a bit jarring to have a Monty Python-esque sketch appear in the middle of such a serious play.
The play does, unfortunately, feel a bit disjointed and eclectic. When you’ve got so much going on, both physically and mentally, you really need to pay attention to the overall flow of the play and make sure things don’t get convoluted. Although this piece definitely focuses more on creating an emotional impact, and succeeds, it never seems to get anywhere in particular. The ‘blokey’ vernacular used by the soldiers also seems over the top. I feel that in trying to capture the way soldiers talk to each other, with a lot (A LOT) of F-bombs, the scriptwriter has simply painted it on too thick.
The multimedia used in this performance is stunning. From the documentary-style clips already mentioned, to a slow motion explosion, the images projected on to the huge back wall really make the performance quite cinematic and alive.
The Long Way Home is an ambitious, inspirational and eye-opening performance that really highlights the effects of war, even if it feels far away.
Reviewed by James Rudd
Venue: Dunstan Playhouse, Adelaide Festival Centre, King William Rd, Adelaide
Season: 1 – 5 April 2014
Duration: 2 hours 20 mins
Tickets: $30.00-$60.00
Bookings: Book through BASS online or phone 131 246
- State Theatre Company of South Australia website
- Adelaide Festival Centre website
- Sydney Theatre Company website
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