“a thought-provoking, confronting, moving, sometimes funny tale… As a performer, Jamieson is incredibly charismatic and commanding.“
– Alana Kaye
3.5 / 5 stars
A new Australian play opened at the Chippen St Theatre last night. Borderless has already had some success, being shortlisted for the Rodney Seaborn Playwrights Award in 2020 and gaining a Semi-Finalist spot for Best New Stage Play in 2020 in the International Script and Storyboard Showcase.
That’s testament to writer & performer Peter-William Jamieson’s careful research and attention to detail when it comes to telling the story of two step-brothers, Blake and Hussan. The boys’ worlds collide when Blake’s father marries Hussan’s mother after she fled Afghanistan with Hussan during the Taliban’s reign of terror in the 1990s. Hussan and his mother found themselves in Newcastle, NSW after suffering horrors spending months out at sea on a rickety boat with other refugees.
Blake and Hussan are the same age, and the connection is instant and enduring. On September 11th, 2001, the boys watch as the planes plough into the Twin Towers and Al Qaeda and the Taliban declare war. Something shifts for Hussan, and Blake knows in that moment that he will follow his brother anywhere, even into the chaos and terror of war.
What follows is a thought-provoking, confronting, moving, sometimes funny tale of the bond of brothers, the terror of conflict and the lasting effects of war on our returned soldiers. Jamieson did extensive research for his script, spending hours talking to returned veterans about their experiences in Afghanistan. And it shows. It’s clearly a fictional piece, but there are obvious references to truth and true events. It’s very well written, and the script has a nice ebb and flow to it. I think overall there might be some clarification needed as to who the audience are in this particular situation – are we the camera? Are we an audience at his TED talk? Perhaps we’re his
doctor or psychologist? It’s not clear, and with one or two odd moments that break the fourth wall, the situation is even more confused. While these moments are fresh and funny, it confuses the context.
As a performer, Jamieson is incredibly charismatic and commanding. He’s clearly passionate about the mistreatment of returning veterans, and this piece seems like a dedication to them, and a challenge to do right by them. Jamieson did have a few pacing issues with his performance, but that might be down to opening night nerves. Sound design by Hal Rees is beautifully complementary to the Jamieson’s script and performance. It’s in the background elevating it when needed, and at the forefront for bigger moments. It’s an elegant design.
Understandably, a blackbox venue like the Chippen St Theatre can present some technical challenges, and unfortunately the lighting was a pitfall of this show. I think there were some missed cues, which meant Jamieson was in delivering lines in the dark a few times (something that’s maddening to me as a viewer). There were also some interesting choices where the lights were very blue and very dim. It was potentially aiming for moody, but fell short at just being too dark.
The set was great, with plenty to keep us interested and lots for Jamieson to play with. Director Christie Koppe made great use of the space, allowing Jamieson to play and find different levels. I think the image projection on the white material at the back was superfluous – Jamieson’s performance is so engaging it doesn’t need any backup.
Overall, this is a good piece, and all involved should be proud. There are a couple of minor things holding it back from being a great piece, but if people are continuing to tell Australian stories and highlighting the ongoing, enduring effects of war and shine a light on the plight of our returned soldiers, it cannot be a bad thing.
Borderless is playing at the Chippen St Theatre until Saturday 12 June.
Alana Kaye, Theatre Now
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