Brisbane review - Wanderings: a riveting experience.

By Lilian Harrington

Production: Wanderings

Writers: Margi Brown Ash, Zac Callaghan, Leah Mercer.

Company: The Nest Ensemble

Location: Door 3 Diane Cilento Studio, Queensland Theatre.

78 Montague Rd South Brisbane

Season: 29 November - 14 December

Bookings: Try bookings

The Nest Ensemble must be congratulated for their presentation of Wanderings, which received an enthusiastic applause from the audience at its Australian premier on opening night.

It was written by three local Australian artists: Margi Brown Ash, Zac Callaghan and Leah Mercer, and its staged at the Diane Cilento Studio, at Queensland Theatre; it was exciting to see the audience following the stage action with the same enthusiasm that can be  seen at a local Matilda’s football match! There was no chance to fall asleep, as everyone was riveted to the edge of their seats throughout.

 The script, Wanderings, pulls no punches, with its occasional coarse language, aided by the sudden display of unexpected but sexually explicit props, and references to transphobia, as well as loud sounds and visual effects. It tends to shock, but it uses humour to get around some awkward moments.

This script has taken the writers some years to develop and rehearse. It is a gender-based play about a mother and her son. The mother Stella, (Margi Brown Ash), is now suffering from dementia, which she absolutely denies, and her son, Kidd, (Zac Callaghan), has transitioned from being her daughter Jess, to a son, now known as Kidd.

 It’s a dilemma for Stella to understand this, in her current mental state. Kidd has taken on the responsibility of preparing his mother’s house for sale. He has started packing away her things and he is making decisions on what is to be kept, and what is to be thrown out, or go to charity. Stella disagrees with his decisions and removes her treasured items from the disposal boxes to the must keep box, as fast as he puts them in there.

She plants KEEP post-it notes on items after Kidd has put them aside. She is incensed about having her favourite typewriter thrown out; she hides all her typed notes away under her favourite chair, so no one will find them. Kidd’s job is to pack up the home and ready it for sale and prepare his mother for the new aged care unit near where he lives, so he forgoes his own planned holiday to Tonga; despite his requests he receives no assistance from his absent sister, who doesn’t accept Kidd’s transition.

This play focuses on some very important issues: the problems that occur with ageing and having a parent suffering with dementia; plus the problems of family and community accepting and recognising transgender changes, in their own family. These are concerns that modern western society are becoming more aware of. This focus is highlighted in the relationship between mother and son and the path Kidd has to take to help his unwilling and devious mother, who continually tries to escape on her trike despite her ailing health.

The experienced cast worked as a tight team and brought a great deal of belief and foresight to their roles; Margi Brown Ash, New York trained, has worked extensively in Australia, and coached overseas, while Zac Callaghan, has worked both as an actor and a successful arts-health facilitator.

Under Leah Mercer’s direction, scene designer Rozina Suliman’s unique yet inspired, colourful set, enabled scene changes to occur easily and Freddy Komp’s lighting and sound design complimented the action effectively. The Nest Ensemble is an award winning, theatre company, who have successfully presented original works since 2004.