Rocket Boy Ensemble brings Brisbane audiences a tragic comedy that presents an amalgamation of unhappiness, self-sabotage and relationship disarray through the lives of a hilariously dysfunctional family and love interests who during a time of mounting strain. The play’s title character Reagan Kelly (Emily Carr) is a cynical young woman that has slowly grown tired with the drudgery of Brisbane suburbia before snapping under the pressures of unrelenting conservative expectations. With late night binge drinking, struggles with employment and an overall loss of direction and purpose, Reagan takes to destructive behavior and sarcastic or uncouth outbursts to rebel against the expectations of her family and high school graduates. Lewis Treston uses his title character to present a feisty and harrowing depiction of how 20-something life as a generation Y can be effortlessly paired with a deep seeded anger at the world with contemporary humour and relatable pessimism in equal measures.
As if to surround Reagan in an equally as chaotic cloud of disorder, the Kelly family are captivatingly bizarre and unpredictable with mother Kristy (Elise Greig), father Ewan (Chris Kellet) and twin brother Oliver (Jeremiah Wray) bringing their own tangled lives together to create a cacophony of hilariously peculiar yet universally recognizable familial dynamics. With Kristy and Ewan bringing mismatched outlooks on marriage and laughably heightened yet relatable domestic dysfunction to the head of the Kelly family, it is no wonder that the family’s congregation is always wild farcical frenzy of big personalities and uproarious conflict. With a defensive and fragile twin sister and impulsive, impractical parents, it is no wonder Oliver is trapped in a desperate desire for acceptance and normality. On the outside looking in on this madcap family are the earnest and honest Hugh (Jackson McGovern), – Reagan’s effervescent best friend – Bianca (Lisa Huynh), – Oliver’s fervent fiancé – and Guy (Frasier Crane) – ‘just a guy’ who Reagan encountered a one-night stand with. On the surface, these three outsiders exist as symbols of a serious future, a reflection of mistakes, and something in between, but as each of the characters’ heartfelt intentions and corresponding struggles emergy, the farcical family tragic comedy expands to offer a more widespread depiction of Queensland living, identity crises and a frustrating search for meaning in a relentlessly bewildering life.
With a show that darts between hysterical plot twists and confronting experiences, the ensemble of performers collaborate to bring a perfect fusion of humour and honesty to each of their performances in their own unique fashion. Carr’s performance is beautifully blunt yet heartfelt in her efforts to dissect the suffocating pressures that Reagan feels with her lack of direction and self-sabotaging nature. Contrarily, Wray offers an apprehensive yet self-possessed exterior as Oliver with his condescending tones and selfish attitudes quickly dissipating into more fragile and sincere struggles with identity. Greig and Kellet work wonderfully as a pair, bouncing between shambolic approaches to juvenile conflict with their eccentricity and impetuosity and throwing constant melodramatic curve balls at the Kelly family unit.
Huynh’s distinctly forbearing nature and alternative outlook further exhibits the Kelly’s idiosyncrasy with a steadfast tolerance that counters the family’s unpredictable nature. Fortunately Huynh’s fragile sincerity is consistently present throughout the plot’s hilarious twists, giving much needed stakes and foreboding ramifications to other the characters’ impulsive behaviour. Guy is much the same, bringing a sweetly sympathetic, though oftentimes naïve, patience to his relationship with the bitter and avoidant Reagan. Crane’s performance is endearingly gentle throughout the hopeful and tender 19-year-old’s countering of Reagan’s defiance. From his cheeky one liners to his awkward yet endearing attempts to console the anxiety-ridden Reagan, Crane demonstrates Guy’s touching dedication to this unexpected pairing. Finally, McGovern’s performance as Hugh is loud and gaudy with his shocking vulgar language offering potently funny one liners that quickly fill the room with his presence and the theatre with laughter. McGovern’s performance is unpredictably intricate as he journeys from cliched eccentricity to thoughtful vulnerability in a gradual reveal of character that is captivating and bracing.
Much like Treston’s skillful fusion of farcical humour and brutal depiction of societal flaws, director Tim Hill combines an unmistakably decisive yet fluid structure to the work’s everchanging twists and turns. Jessica Palfrey’s furthers the artistic combination of candid yet cohesive representation through a production design that combines a stark white domestic backdrop with kitschy and adaptable set items to create effortless scene transitions and authentically suburban backdrops for the numerous Brisbane settings.
With emotional and physical hangovers, frank discussions of fragile mental health and self-worth and a consistently sarcastic appreciation for Brisbane, it is fortunate that Reagan Kellyis so consistently hilarious and enjoyable to experience. This harrowing story about rebellion and destruction in Queensland suburbia combines smart comedy with contemporary concerns to create a fun and fulfilling night at the theatre.
– Written by Rhumer Diball March 27th 2019.
REAGAN KELLY PRESENTED BY ROCKET BOY ENSEMBLE AND METRO ARTS.
WED 20th MAR – SAT 30 MAR 2019
Photo credit Nick John Bleeker
Downstage Discernments 