Moving, thought provoking and powerful, this theatre piece shares a serious message in a very engaging way.
As audience members, we are invited into the lives of a group of family members and friends who are coming to terms with the suicide of Nick, a person very close to them. They all react in their own ways and share their feelings about their loss. This story telling has been crafted in a very clever way, through a variety of scenarios. I felt the most moving and powerful feelings were shared when Nick was on stage with each character individually. Talking as if he could hear them, they could feel his presence and as audience members we were given an insight into Nick’s thoughts and feelings as he responded to them. These scenes seemed to resonate with the audience the most and you could hear a pin drop during them.
The energy in the room was palpable as the characters’ grief is explored. The pain is real and the emotions diverse.
Creator, Mary Galouzis, experienced the devastating effects of the suicide of her teenage brother and drew upon references from her own and her brother’s diaries in the writing. This provides an authenticity and rawness to the material, with insights helpful to anyone affected by suicide or mental illness.
One of the aims of this play is to comfort anyone touched by suicide and to assist with relinquishing guilt and anger. Through sensitive writing, Nick’s character offers such support and addresses the inevitable questions of ‘why?’, ‘what could I have done?’, ‘didn’t he love me enough to stay?’. Questions that are deep and long lasting and can impact a life forever.
Anthony Von Der Borch was brilliant in his tender, emotional and heart-warming portrayal of Nick. Denise Alexander, as Nick’s mother delivered a stunning performance and was ably supported by Stefanie Rossi, creating an intense, believable and heart-broken character.
The cast comprised a mix of experienced actors and volunteers. This was explained on the night as well as in the program and reflects the inclusive ethos of Talk Out Loud, the youth suicide prevention organisation behind this production.
Statistics about suicide and a short audiovisual presentation were shared in a creative and personal way at the end, affording the audience some reflection time as well as bringing the fictional characters to life even more vividly.
This production was appreciated thoroughly by the audience; many were visibly moved. This is a play that will stay with me.
Reviewed by Samantha Tipler for Sam About Town
4 stars
More information about the production can be found here: https://adelaidefringe.com.au/fringetix/41-seconds-af2018
Talk Out Loud is a not for profit organisation that provides targeted suicide prevention initiatives, activities and programs for people under 30 years of age.
Find out more here: http://www.talkoutloud.com.au/
