Gruesome Playground Injuries - 16th Street Actors Studio (VIC)

Directed by William Hutchins, Steffi Gill and Kestie Morassi. Presented by 16th Street Actors Studio and Close Company Theatricals.

A challenging, but rewarding night of theatre that showcases emerging talent

Reviewed by Rachael Vassalo

16th Street Actors Studio

The work of Close Company Theatricals for the 16th Street Actors Studio, Gruesome Playground Injuries has a cast of two, Sophie Graham as Kayleen and Declan Harrison as Doug. Each of the three time periods depicted in Gruesome Playground Injuries is directed separately, with three directors working, those being William Hutchins, Steffi Gill and Kestie Morassi. Regardless though, the timeline of the performance is non-linear. Despite this nature, there are clear, identifiable chapters within the performance and it is not disjointed.

We were welcomed into an intimate space furnished with a bed on one side and a wheelchair on the other. Upon the bed lay a girl dressed in a period-accurate school uniform. The performance space was bare and identified by a simple red border, a feint black border running inside adds a mystique layer to the space.

This is an emotional rollercoaster of a script

This performance takes place over three decades and depicts the tumultuous friendship and subsequent relationship of two people, an accident-prone Doug and high school friend Kayleen, who experiences ongoing mental health challenges. They met at a prestigious Catholic school, filled with hierarchies with both not being the clientele. Both Doug and Kayleen are outcasts who exhibit extreme behaviour leaving them isolated and hospitalised.

Being someone who has struggled greatly to crack the surface with friendships, theatre is how I explore the world. Both Kayleen and Doug visit each other, they cross paths and they converse, though they always seem to be in a constant state of conflict and never truly connect as the dictionary definition of friendship. What has always, to me, affirmed a friendship is the apparent lack of conflict and the ability to be oneself. Playwright Rajiv Joseph depicts the rambunctious nature of friendship in an exceptional manner. Doug and Kayleen present as bizarrely at war with each other, at some points we wonder if the maturity of our two leads ever goes beyond their teens.

Upon their introduction, they tease and playfight with each other. As they age, this behaviour only becomes more pronounced. Kayleen’s offhanded quips express her frustration towards her struggle. She loses both parents young and is unable to secure fulltime employment, she is forced into multiple mental health facilities and lives in unstable housing. Doug’s possessive nature is the fear of every woman. His true tyranny is a ticking bomb which bursts multiple times. The fear of Kayleen depicted by Graham is en pointe to the terror women and girls experience at the hands of such men. Harrison performs the struggling jock Doug brilliantly, his flamboyant physicality humanises the macho, albeit awkward, character with recognisable perfection.

...a challenging night at the theatre...a fantastic introduction to emerging talent.

Gruesome Playground Injuries takes place in a very small performance space with the stage and seating at equal sizes. This intimate space is only identified with a thin, red line on the floor and rear wall. Within the red wall, the eight scenes are separated through the adoption of short films. Audience members were able to identify the work of the three directors, and could appreciate the nuanced differences of their practices. Costuming by MJ Kim truly let us appreciate the characters and connect with their emotional nature.

This is an emotional rollercoaster of a script. It is a complicated text, without nuance, with times of frustration but many more moments of humanity. One scene I found was executed brilliantly was when Doug brought Kayleen the owl ornament which stood on their school. Hearing Doug discuss the fate of the school, whilst watching his physicality relax to a more naturalistic manner whilst discussing his act of kindness lets us sense his altruistic redundancies are hidden below a mask of extremity.

A good understanding of the human condition paramount to a good script, it is also invaluable in every aspect of your existence. I thoroughly enjoyed this work by the 16th Street Actors Studio. I also must admit that Gruesome Playground Injuries is a challenging night at the theatre, it is a fantastic introduction to emerging talent.

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Starring: Sophie Graham and Declan Harrison

Produced by Alessio Mazza