By George Dixon
Walking into the reception area at the Meat Market Stables, you will find scattered about on the walls and on display stands with assorted items (not artefacts) of nostalgic Australiana that bring back memories of the fifties and sixties, which sets up the atmosphere for this incredibly entertaining play by Hot Lunch “This is The Dust We Are In”
Written and developed by Delta Brooks, Rebekah Carton, Thomas Richards and Henry Kelly (with additional work from Alex Lloyd)
The play opens up key aspects of one of Australia’s most respected playwrights, dramatist, actor, theatre producer and director, Ray Lawler’s. (1921-2024) iconic Australian Classic
Summer of the Seventeenth Doll, “The Dolls) which incidentally held its premiere at Melbourne in 1955.
I’m one of the few people in the audience who had never heard of Ray Lawler, let alone this play, which became a book and a film. I came to Australia from England in 1966 as a young teenager.
The beautiful thing about “This is The Dust We Are In” is that there is no need to have any past knowledge.
The references to the Seventeenth Doll is only the vehicle to expand aspects of Australianism and, at times, slightly cringe worthy historical references that we would now laugh at, mixed with classical snippets of poetry wrapped in current thinking and understanding, presented at times with high energy and emotions.
The build-up towards the finale becomes messy (a trademark of Hot Lunch), with the key players in wedding dresses; the actual finale is rich and uplifting.
The audience is taken on a journey from nostalgia to the present vs. fantasy, from the review desk to classical part auditions to the key message of Lawler’s original play.
This is a non-stop-action, well-paced production that seamlessly transforms between scenes.
The production is tight and smooth. Hats off to the production team that maintained excellent timing as the cast transitioned location and characters.
Brenton Ryan Lighting Design/Stage Management has provided an impressive layout that’s adaptable for any size stage.
Special mention to the sound production, which at times sounded very realistic, especially the off-stage wood chopping that did not distract from the on-stage action.
The Performers, Delta Brooks, Rebekah Carton, Tom Richards and Henry Kelly, are amazing performers, taking on multiple characters that are singular in their mannerisms, including voice.
One of the highlights came from the audition for a part in the play, this was so funny that I nearly fell off my seat. The variation from the performers who, one-at-a-time, auditioned for the same part, using the same slab of dialogue, highlights their skills and versatility.
The play also includes monologues based on aspects of “The Dolls” Each performer has the opportunity to provide their interpretation based on their actual personal stories, which not only makes it more relatable, it brings Lawler’s concepts to the present day.
The audience’s response was spontaneous; you could see the smiles on their faces as they came away looking extremely satisfied; a number of them stayed back to speak to the cast and review the items in the reception.
If you are looking for something funny, light and typical Australian. A play that is scripted and performed at a high standard. “This is The Dust We Are In” should not be missed.
Photo credit: Matto Lucas