By Adam Rafferty
In a season full of Pulitzer Prize winning plays, Martyna Majok’s Cost of Living is by far the most emotionally affecting of those produced by the Melbourne Theatre Company this year. Providing a window into the world of those who live with a disability and the people who care for them, it does so from various points on the spectrum.
New Jersey native Ani (Rachel Edmonds) has paralysis from the neck down following a tragic accident and is now fighting for her independence in a country where health care varies greatly based on your means and the whims of insurance companies. Her estranged husband, truck driver Eddie (Aaron Pedersen), wants to provide her with the home support she needs, but this reopens the wounds of their marriage breakdown. Meanwhile, PhD candidate John (Oli Pizzey Stratford) lives with cerebral palsy and thanks to coming from a wealthy family, has the comforts of a modern warehouse apartment set up perfectly for his wheelchair access and practically independent living. For the assistance he does need, he can afford to be choosey in whom he employs as a support worker, so he grills fellow graduate student Jess (Mabel Li) when she applies for the job. The two experiences of living with a disability could not be more different.
John’s privilege makes him suspicious of Jess wanting the role, as she’s a fellow Princeton alumnus who says she already works two different night-time bar jobs. But she soon breaks down his prejudice as he then breaks down the walls she puts up around her private life, so that they find the ease in each other’s presence that’s required to make the supremely intimate act of helping someone complete their daily showering a comfortable routine.
Director Anthea Williams presents this moment of in-home support on stage with a beautiful delicacy, allowing the scene to breathe with quiet spacing that brings an intimacy and truth to the stage. So much so that it feels like an honour for an audience to be allowed into such a private moment of these character’s lives. We are also shown a parallel scene as Eddie bathes Ani, and while it is likewise presented with quiet realism and intimacy, Majok’s moving script provides shocking detail that is handled with great technical skill from everyone involved.
With the term “Cozzie Livs” becoming vernacular in the last year or so, the title of this play may mislead the casual observer as to the subject matter, but even once you understand this story is more about a figurative definition of the cost of living with a disability, there is more to learn. There are more literal presentations of the ‘cost of living’, and both Eddie and Jess’ circumstances come to a heartbreaking head before the end of the story, which is moving and achingly bittersweet.
Pederson, who has first-hand experience of being a carer, gives a career defining performance, deftly characterising Eddie’s emotional fragility as he switches from heartbreak to humour in a single breath. Edmonds’ excellent portrayal of hard-boiled Ani demonstrates precise comic timing that perfectly fits her thick-as-a-meatball-sub accent. Likewise, Li imbues Jess with a well-honed accent of slightly different local dialect (shout out to Voice and Text Coach Matt Furlani). Jess is tough and driven, thanks largely to her keeping her personal life separate from her work life, and as this wall is broken down, Li builds a portrayal that truly pulls at the heartstrings. Pizzey Stratford crafts beautifully John’s youthful and privilege-driven confidence, designed to shield the truth of his vulnerability.
With Pizzey Stratford, Edmonds and Director Williams all living with a disability, it should be no surprise that this production feels as beautifully faithful to reality as it does. The pacing, while truthful, does draw out the action a little longer than required, but what it delivers in bringing the audience into these character’s lives is probably worth forcing the wait. That said, Majok’s excellent script is balanced with as much humour as it is pathos, and Williams brings this out of her cast beautifully.
The two contrasting apartment settings are impressively designed by Matilda Woodroofe – although the stage revolve caused some technical issues on opening night. Richard Vabre’s lighting designs are artfully crafted and Jethro Woodward’s compositions and sound design all build on the performances given on-stage.
This is a tender and lovingly crafted production well worth experiencing.
Image: Pia Johnson
