Reviewed by Paul Treasure
In the 1980s and 90s it was common practice for family shows to occasionally drop a “Very Special Episode” where the normally light and frivolous show would tackle a very serious subject. every other theatre company’s production of Xavier Hazard’s new play, 'All Boys', is billed as an explosive play tackling the very serious subjects of male privilege and violence set in an all-boys boarding school. What could have been a searing and unforgettable piece of theatre, unfortunately, does come across as more of a “Very Special Episode” than anything else.
The set, by Jake Pitcher, is very simple and quite clever. Three walls, the back one of which has lattice inserts allowing us to see through them when the lighting design chooses, with three benches, that are moved around to shape the acting space into the various scenes. This simple set allows the transitions to be very quick, and clearly define the settings of the scenes. The lighting design, by Jolene Whilbley, is also very clever, especially given the constraints of the space, aiding in setting the scenes and the mood. These two aspects work well, especially in the scenes where action is taking place both in the acting space and in the area behind the lattices simultaneously. The sound design, by Jess Nyanda Mayle, is extremely well done and is crucial to conveying the mood, and also the passing of time. Technically this was an astoundingly strong production.
The first part of the show was very promising. Director Cezera Critti-Schnaars pulled out some very interesting and exciting staging ideas, including a scene in a busy school corridor which was visually stunning, and the raid on the Year 6 dorm, which was chilling and legitimately frightening. As the play progressed, however, the ideas seemed to dry up and the staging became more and more predictable. It felt almost like the director raised the bar so high in the first part that she had nowhere else to go for the rest of the play.
Overall the acting was solid, not a bad actor in the bunch. However, it was all very… earnest. The actors gave the impression that this was a Very Serious Play, and they wanted us to take it very seriously. Ethan Gosatti stood out from the crowd. His portrayal of Jack MB came across as natural and believable, and his cheekiness was an endearing aspect that made him feel, in many ways, the most intriguing character onstage, possibly as his character managed to keep outside of the ongoing melodramatics. Jono Battista, as the cynical Will Burke, was also a refreshingly real and natural performance. James Ford, playing Josh and Boy-A, playing perhaps the least likeable character in the show, playing it with a real menace and danger that made you hate him every time he was onstage. It’s a very good actor who can take a character like his and run with it and truly embrace the dark side. It was an absolute pleasure to watch him make us hate him so much.
The play itself is being touted as a must-see piece of theatre about issues that are part of the national discussion. It has set itself up with big shoes to fill, and somehow doesn’t quite manage to do so. In tackling so many different facets of male violence and private school privilege it feels like it glides over the top, touching of all of them, but never really manages to dig into any of them to any depth. The various love triangles that develop and break during the course of the play have the effect of making it less dramatic and more melodramatic. The play is trying so hard to reach the heights of something like a Prima Facie, but unfortunately, it comes across more as a storyline in something like Home and Away. It demonstrates that Xavier Hazard has a lot of potential as a very good playwright, and I am very interested to see what he is capable of in the future. I look forward to seeing his first masterpiece, hopefully very soon.
This is a very solid piece of new theatre with some very good performances, that has truly attempted to achieve something noble, worthwhile, and thought-provoking. Ultimately, though, its aim may have been just beyond its grasp.
Reviewer Note: Tickets for this review were provided by the theatre company.
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