SAVAGES: A STORY ABOUT MEN.
Raw, gripping and engulfing from the moment the men stepped onto the stage. With a cruise ship railing as their only prop, the actors relied solely on their chemistry, emotion and pure talent to tell the story. The story of 4 Australian men, who are setting sail on a trip of a lifetime. 4 Australian men, each with a story to tell and the scars to prove it.
The production opens with the lights dimmed, a heavy drum beat, and the performers taking to the stage in an animalistic, pack like movement. As the drum beat settles, the lights brighten to show the 4 men – Craze, Rabbit, George, and Runt – gazing out into the audience in a trance-like state. Each of the men begins by exclaiming to one another what they plan to leave behind on the shore – the baggage they choose to leave in their old life.
From the instance, you can sense the power struggle within the group. You can feel the deep seeded issues of Craze, the obvious ringleader. The sense of longing for acceptance from Runt, the weakest of the 4. The strive for power from George, the mature yet disillusioned one – and Rabbit, the member of the group who holds the power and the respect of his peers, even though his actions and state of mind is questionable.
Savages is an expose of the struggles of masculinity within a group of men, each with a secret or a lie heavy enough to throw themselves overboard. As the performance goes on, the lies and secrets begin to unravel, causing a rift of anger and emotion amongst the men – forcing them to turn on each other, like savages.
It delves deep into the misogynist pack like mentality of a group of alcohol fuelled, aggressive men looking for their ‘next meal’. A meal that they are hungry for, and have little disregard to how they’ll obtain it.
Savages is an impressive performance from the entire cast. You find yourself immersed in the rollercoaster ride of emotion that they take you on, believing every twist and turn as it unfolds before you.
Savages is currently showing at the heritage listed Eternity Playhouse in Darlinghurst. The performance is running from the 1st of April, through to the 1st of May 2016 – tickets can be purchased here: http://www.darlinghursttheatre.com/whats-on/savages/book
Leave a Reply