The Damned – Black Swan

“Welcome to Rainbow. Not what you think”. This is an apt sign for the lazy, bleak town where two teenage girls create anarchy with the abuse of drugs, illegal drinking, and eventual homicide. Reg Cribb’s daringly wicked The Damned demonstrates the alienation of rural teenagers in a passive aggressive manner, desperately trying to help people understand.  


Presented by: Black Swan State Theatre Company Venue: Studio Underground, State Theatre Centre of Western Australia
Tuesday 18 October 2011
“Welcome to Rainbow. Not what you think”. This is an apt sign for the lazy, bleak town where two teenage girls create anarchy with the abuse of drugs, illegal drinking, and eventual homicide. Reg Cribb’s daringly wicked The Damned demonstrates the alienation of rural teenagers in a passive aggressive manner, desperately trying to help people understand.  
Natasha, who fearlessly employs her sexuality as a loaded weapon, influences the naive Kylie to leave school and live with her in a dilapidated house. They are joined by Melody, who they believe at first is “one of them”. Initially taking drugs and drinking themselves into oblivion is a careless way to rebel, battle boredom and strive for independence together. Secrecy ultimately bends and breaks their powerful friendship. 
Amanda Woodhams and Sage Douglas as Natasha and Kylie respectively have a chemical on-stage relationship that fluctuates between hostile and awkwardly tender. Claire Lovering is quiet and quaint as Melody in a way that artfully contrasts Natasha and Kylie, but her frayed edges serve to bring out their darker, twisted side. Wade Briggs makes a noteworthy performance as four separate characters. This versatility enhances the “small, cramped town in the middle of nowhere” atmosphere and the “everyone knows everyone else’s business” attitude. 
The open studio space is well-used and the set remains predominantly unchanged. A screen disguised as a billboard dictates the changing scenes, depicting various locations. Mia Holton’s audio visual design is inventively contemporary, showing images of mobile phones when the girls send messages to one another. The use of technology and concepts such as Facebook work in parallel to Cribb’s thematic concern of isolation; these are modern elements of society that segregate older generations from the younger. 
James Luscombe’s sound design aids the rapid, fluid scene changes with crackling electric sound effects, something between a stuttering radio and pulsating Tesla coil. Background noise is predominantly internal, and sporadic, impromptu singing gives the audience both unexpected warmth and goosebumps.    
The frequent course language can be distasteful at times but is never uncharacteristic of the troubled and foul-mouthed teenage girls. The dialogue and its delivery intend to confront the audience while the violent, grim nature of the play is softened and shielded by a fiery, often sexually inappropriate humour. The audience is lost somewhere between clutching their sides and physically recoiling.
The technical elements of The Damned work in harmony with the actors to build a sense of the teenage desire to lash out at a rustic community. Directed seamlessly by Andrew Lewis, the play encourages its audience to ask quite possibly the most infuriating and difficult question: “why”. Reg Cribb explores the hardships and motives of isolated rural teenagers with his sharp wit and passionate dedication to a brave and coarse subject with grudgingly topical issues. There’s nothing flowery and sensational about his play; it’s gritty, raw, and honest.      
Bookings: www.bsstc.com.au / (08) 6212 9300 Friday 14 October – Sunday 30 October 2011