All My Sleep And Waking
All My Sleep And Waking
La Mama Theatre
9 July 2008
Following the story of a family watching their father die of cancer, All My Sleep And Waking is an in-depth look at what it means to be a carer for someone in the later stages of their life.
With such dark subject matter, it is often difficult to keep a show from becoming dreary, depressing or lifeless. Mary Rachel Brown has injected a series of ‘small comedies’ into the script, often making the audience laugh despite the sombre tone. The familial interplay between characters is well put together, comfortable and familiar without becoming indecipherable to an external audience.
Strong dramatic performances from Andrea Close and Sharon Davis contrasted well with the more comedic portrayal by Andrew Gray of Peter, the continually nervous brother. Together, the three older performers make an impressive team. Patrick Wingrove rounded out the cast in his La Mama debut, playing rebellious son Josh well, if a little nervously precise in his diction.
Staging was very good, managing a sense of minimalism without being sparse, and captured the feeling of a run-down apartment well. Understated lighting and sound direction also supported the cast without overpowering their often subtle performances. While some lighting issues appeared towards the beginning of the show, these were promptly rectified and did not appear again.
While definitely not a ‘light-hearted romp,’ All My Sleep And Waking does put a human face onto the thousands of people who work as carers around Australia. With solid writing, direction and performances, it is a strong and enjoyable piece of theatre.