Politics is the source of many family arguments. Imagine siting down your famed activist father across from his political nemesis at family lunch! Well, that’s exactly what Charlotte Gibson and her fiancé Francis Smith have done, by bringing together their two families for Christmas lunch. In this romantic comedy a frosty Christmas is possible in Australia after all, and you’re all invited to lunch!
In a cool suit, Luke Carrol, swaggers across the sleek stage as the stories Narrator, like a good friend, he informs us of all the gossip and history behind each character. Actress Shari Sebbens performs as Charlotte Gibson, an Aboriginal lawyer who has brought her fiancé Francis Smith (Tom Stokes) home for the weekend. From the opening scene the pair interweave effortlessly around one another through their banter and stage presence, a testament to the actors shared charisma. Somehow the kitsch handshakes and baby talk between the couple isn’t grating, and Playwright Nakkiah Lui’s witty observations mingles easily in their dialogue.
The euphoric state, by which the star crossed lovers are first introduced to us, is slowly undermined by Smith’s self-deprecating jokes and hints, anxiously, toward the impending family meeting. The audience appears fretful for the couple, grasping at their programs and leaning back uncomfortably into their chairs, until the pairs amusing meeting with Joan (Melodie Reynolds-Diarra) and Ray Gibson (Tony Briggs), leaving the audience in stitches. Smith is hilarious in the subsequent scenes his character is familiar to each audience member, as the awkward well-meaning loved one whose foot ungracefully collides with his mouth repeatedly.
The arrival of Charlotte’s fashionista sister Rose (Miranda Tapsell) and her ex-football player husband Sonny (Anthony Taufa) marks a shift in the play. It becomes apparent that both sisters feel an unease in how they are pigeon holed by their family, and by extension the community. Rose, as a ‘cosmetic fashionista’ describes her relationship with Sonny as the ‘Aboriginal Beyonce and Jay-Z’. Charlotte, as the promising ‘Aboriginal lawyer,’ and is constantly in the shadow of her activist and politician father. A conversation between the two sisters over a sneaky stairwell spliff reveals the character’s complex feelings toward what is ‘race’ and ‘class’.
Despite head hunters gnawing at her heels to host the 7pm news show, Charlotte wishes to pursue a career in academia focusing on cultural studies in New York. Rose’s desire for ‘big black babies’ is tainted by fears drawn from the history of the stolen generation. Here, Nakkiah Liu’s writing aptitude shines, as Rose jibes at Charlotte on finding an Aboriginal boyfriend instead of Francis. The unassuming scene sparked in-depth chats about whether ‘culture is lived’ during intermission line ups, a mark of a great play.
When Francis’ parents finally arrive in the second act, chaos erupts and the sophisticated set loses all its graces to the grubbiness of a holiday gathering. The tension between Charlotte’s activist father, Ray, and Francis’ career politician dad, Dennison (Geoff Morrell), reaches the expected heated peak. However, when the plates fall silent and Christmas lunch is smeared across guests and hosts alike, it becomes apparent that two powerful characters have been mistakenly overshadowed, Marie Smith (Vanessa Downing) and Joan Gibson. Both characters have been mistaken for ‘supportive roles’ by their families and audience alike.
Nakkiah Liu’s writing combined with Director Paige Rattray’s focus, balances the play’s humour with a social conscious. Behind the witty one liners is a self-aware sincerity that is absent in most romantic comedies. So call a friend, take a date or stop avoiding Mum’s phone calls and go see Black is the New White!
By Elizabeth Ralph
1-17 February
Playhouse, QPAC