Brisbane review - Brace Brace: Thought Provoking

By Lilian Harrington

Production: Brace Brace 

Writer:             Oli Forsyth

Company:      Pip Theatre

Director:         Deidre Grace

Location:        20 Park Rd Milton, Brisbane

Season:          May 20-30 Wed 6 30 pm, Thur. Fri. Sat. 7 30 pm, Sat Mat 2 pm.

Bookings:        Try Booking or 0427 031 983 (Office)

This three- hander, written by young English writer, Oli Forsyth, Brace Brace is an eighty minute non- stop action, staged simply on a “runway” at Pip Theatre. It is directed by Deidre Grace, stage managed by Hannah Page and with Sound Design by Freddy Kemp. This play needs a lot of energy and movement, as there is a keen focus on the characters with very few props and costume changes and the sound effects are key to the action.

The play opens with two actors a girl and a boy, who meet at a social event and fall in love. Shortly afterwards they marry and they set off for a three -week honeymoon, 12 hours away by plane. Ray (Harry Solomon) and Sylvia (Amelia Slatter), are on their way, when things begin to go badly for them on the plane. A terrorist, or the mentally deranged Man (Matthew Filkins, who plays multi roles), has a psychotic episode, and pushes his way into the cockpit, and tries to overcome the pilot and take down the plane. Both Ray and Sylvia attack him separately trying hard to prevent the plane from crashing and trying to avert disaster. The two sustain injuries, but when the man attacks Sylvia, she receives broken ribs and bad bruises to her face and chest.  The two suffer post- traumatic stress episodes and Sylvia finds it hard to get over this event. This affects her relationship with Ray. Sylvia is called in to do a media interview on the TV where the TV Host (Matthew Filkins), reveals that the Man has been set free, and allowed to return to his family, near to where the young couple live, a short distance away. This terrifies Sylvia. Later she gets a visit from the pilot, whose life she saved and she is heartened to learn that he understands her and her emotional condition.

The whole program is narrated like a travel experience on an airplane. The question is asked ‘What would you do if you were involved in a terrorist situation on a plane, when you had to fight for your survival?’.

 It looks at the actions of the everyday person who is suddenly forced to do something extraordinary. We think of stories of local shark attacks and of those who rush to save the life of the victim or we hear of those who stand up and intervene or take leadership in a road crash. This experience has long term consequences for those involved. Others in the same situation such as Ray, respond to the same event either in fear or with some other form of courage. These shared events can either strengthen a relationship or cause it to grow apart, as each person tries to deal with their own emotions, power, identity and grief.

The production was very fast paced and the actors were confident and compelling, especially Sylvia (Amelia Slatter); the energy stayed at the same level throughout the play, showing recurrent anger and frustration. It would have been interesting to see shades of tenderness and compassion at times, and more variation. The simple use of props was clever and well organized and the lighting and sound effects were crucial to this production.

This innovative, thought provoking, production is different and makes for good theatre.