Kathryn Marquet’s The Dead Devils of Cockle Creek is a primal scream aimed squarely at humanity. Although a brutal ecological wake-up call with unrelenting horrific content; Marquet’s ability to voice on stage what we are silently thinking lends palatability.
Fanatical environmental scientist George Templeton (Emily Weir) has relinquished all pleasures in life during her 10-year passionate effort to save and study one small Tassie Devil group. Local Park Ranger, Harris Robb (Julian Curtis) a Kiwi who wants to be more than a friend, drops by periodically to smoke pot and chew the fat. On opening Templeton is alone in her tiny South-West Tasmanian shack trying to feed a baby Devil. Her precious study devils, immune to the terrible Devil facial tumour disease (DFTD) and the key to a cure, have been callously killed and she is holding the lone survivor. In her blinding rage she has shot the perpetrator in the head and stored his body in her bathroom. Stoned Robb drops by all set for laughs, cones, chicken nuggets, and hopefully sexy times but is dropped straight into hell when he goes to the toilet and trips over the body. With Weir’s portrayal grounded, Curtis gets to play the clown so at this point; you would be forgiven relaxing and believing you can settle back with a good old farce.
Just when you feel you have a grasp on how the play will unfold the “body” starts moaning and nothing is what you thought after this point. John Batchelor, as Irish stand-over man Mickey O’Toole, is one of the scariest and unpredictable characters I’ve seen on stage. Seething with an underbelly of violence and rage, I’m glad he was tied to a chair for most of the duration. Marquet has very specifically written his role to take the audience on a journey. O’Toole’s charisma and humour belie his vile darkness and eventually he becomes a likeable and welcomed voice. If you’ve seen David Thewliss in the 1993 movie Naked, then you will have some idea of how the audience reacted to O’Toole. Batchelor is perfect for this role and a welcome return to the La Boite stage after 20 years. Well done to Marquet for pulling off one of the most difficult character arcs to achieve on stage.
Little girl lost in the woods Destinee Lee (Kimie Tsukakoshi) is a fabulous comedic distraction when she bursts through the door. At 15, she is as fanatical about her views as Templeton but they are polar opposites. Australian born with Asian parents, Lee is a huge Pauline Hanson supporter, probably attends Reclaim Australia rallies, and believes Climate Change is a conspiracy but the Flat Earth Society is absolute truth. Unlike Templeton, when put under extreme circumstances her views may not be as robust as she originally thought. Tsukakoshi’s character is racist, uninformed, and unlikable and initially she frustrates and angers, but as her story unfolded, I just felt sad for her naivety.
Four diverse characters with strong political and ecological opinions debate, all hoping for validation from the others. Like the classic Mexican stand-off someone has to win and someone has to lose, but we are unsure who will come out on top, and even if it is deserved. All four have a minor or major fatal character flaw and Marquet leaves it up to you to decide how and why these flaws informed the final scene. What a final scene it is!
At the opening night after party, Dead Devils of Cockle Creek created conversations as diverse as the opinions in its content. People wanted to talk about their own reactions, the characters motivations, and ask others what they thought. As an actor, Marquet understands the need for laughter to entertain, but as a writer she also asks us to question, ponder, and challenge our views of the modern world. Catch it before it closes on March 13.
By Lisa Bingham
Photo Credit: Dylan Evans
The Dead Devils of Cockle Creek
Presented by La Boite and Playlab
10 February - 3 March