By Jennifer Beasley.
A beautiful narrative on friendship, grief and love, Ballkids is that rare play that is the perfect blend of comedy and drama.
This is a play that should not be missed.
Written by Liv Satchell, Ballkids (or, Scenes From A Friendship), it was the winner of the Rodney Seaborn Playwrights Award and a Green Room Award for outstanding writing. A smash hit at Melbourne Fringe 2024 and now presented by VIMH (Liv Satchell and Julian Dibley-Hall, who both direct this play) this likable and relatable work demonstrates mature writing that isn’t afraid of pauses, thus allowing the performance time to breathe.
A simple setup, Ballkids begins with thirteen-year-old Holly, a cracking performance by Michelle McCowage (A Place To Call Home) where in complete silence we see a master class on pure, understated physical comedy as Holly, waiting for the Ball Kids tryouts at the Australian Tennis Open, meticulously with her own obsessive ritual applies sunscreen. Then another girl the same age, Sam, acted by the equally talented Izabella Yena (Annie), appears, also to try her hand at the tryouts. The comedy sequence is gold. Her version of sunscreen application is to slap it on, while uptight Holly looks on in horror. Yet, unsuccessful in being selected for the role of ball retriever, they form a strong friendship.
It is this friendship that we follow during this seventy-five-minute production. The powerful writing and perfect casting make you believe you really are watching two firm friends, and their evolution from childhood friends to adult friendship is a wonder to behold. The rear ‘scoreboard’ is used to good effect. The year/age is put up with a title for each scene, travelling from their first meeting in 2004 at age thirteen (Ground Zero) and touching base through the following years until they reach thirty-five. Traversing comedy, drama, farce and an amazing scene of breaking the fourth wall, the audience is always engaged. In particular the flamboyant dance scenes have the audience in stitches. Marvellous coaching by Movement Director Xanthe Beesley here.
A repeated motif of “I love you. I miss you. I wish you were here.” is used as an anchor and to demonstrate the deepening of love between these two women. The brilliant direction by VIMH is outstanding. It blew me away, and I see plenty of theatre. The creative direction changes things up with differing techniques utilised to show age changes, communication methods and hilarious physical movements. Also, fantastic use of the blue tennis court space as a stage and well done here on the design by Filipe Filihia (Little Women), it is perfect as it allows the performers to bring plenty of energy and vigour to the scenes.
A pumping score designed by Tom Backhaus (The Grief Trilogy) infuses the play with the right tempo and emotional support as the performance requires and is perfectly synchronised with the actors. A very difficult feat to achieve with such a fast-moving play with its twenty-two scenes, which is why those strategic pauses are so important.
Lighting Design by John Collopy (Norma) is exquisite. Always so subtle, so striking, he is a maestro on all things light and dark.
This play ended on not one but TWO standing ovations! Truly outstanding. You will laugh, you may feel a little sad but most of all, it will touch your heart. A well-deserved Five Friendship Stars!
Ballkids is playing at FortyFiveDownStairs until 24th September 2026.
IKmage
