Presented by Brisbane based Share House Theatre Company, Squad Goals is their tenth individual production. Envisioned in 2014 by USQ Toowoomba students Brodie Greenhalgh, Emma Black, and Josh Lyons this young company produce accessible theatre for young adults.
Co-directed by Emma Black and Alex Bayliss (the playwright) this female-centric black comedy explores the power dynamics brewing within the under 16s Fairfield Falcons netball team. We open to Anna Straker’s foreboding set, a rundown netball court. Eerily lit by Cameron Brider, we can tell it is early evening and detect orange barrier fencing mesh, an upside-down broken shopping trolley, wire fencing, a netball hoop, and general trash. Mike Willmett’s sound design complemented with varied nightscape sounds.
A girl in a netball uniform leads a frail girl on stage. Her wrists bound with rope, and a black bag covering her head. Lilly (Marni Forde-Sloan) is a member of the undefeated under 16s Fairfield Falcons and her captor is team Captain, Michelle (Lisa Davidson). After playing with a Ouija board, never a great idea, the team are convinced Lilly is possessed by a demon. Except for when she allegedly viciously attacked Michelle and took a bite out of her bicep, Lilly has been almost catatonic, currently slumped on the floor rocking and moaning. Taking matters into their own hands, the rest of the team members have decided to perform an exorcism and save Lilly.
Not for altruistic reasons, or any sense of duty to their teammate and friend, mainly because they need her in the team to keep their winning streak. Scarily it takes minor cajoling for Goal Defender Becca (Bek Schmidt) Lilly’s cousin, to agree to the exorcism, but as the play progresses Becca is not as passive. Wing Attack Alison (Aimee Duroux) and Goal Attack Jess (Karli Rae) go along with anything the conniving Michelle wants, to keep in her good books and secure their place on the team. In the Falcons, there IS an “I in team” and every self-serving team member is hiding a secret. When push comes to shove, only the strong will survive the night. Who will it be?
Rae made up for lack of lines with great off focus work and reactions. With an expressive face that beautifully conveyed her thoughts and emotions and a well-executed and choreographed physical altercation, Rae should be proud of her debut. Similarly, Forde-Sloan has only her physical presence (remember she has a bag over her head for most of the 70 minutes) to convey her character. She makes some amazing shapes with her frame, executes very realistic convulsions, and manages to shock the audience at one point. No Spoilers!
Duroux provided comic relief with hilarious anecdotes, punchy one-liners, and facial expressions Lucille Ball would have loved. I could have done with even more laughs, creating greater light and shade. Some screamed lines tended to become shrill and pitchy with some of her lines incomprehensible. However, I can only assume Black purposefully directed her this way as Duroux has an impressive resume. She was fabulous even though her voice could tend toward annoyingly funny Lemongrab from Adventure Time.
The dynamic between Davidson’s Michelle and Schmidt’s Becca was the heart of this dark tale. Davidson was commanding vocally and physically and she embodied her character. Not afraid to create stillness, her focused gaze and confident stance was unsettling. Almost more than when she was pacing the stage brandishing her huge metal sledgehammer. A wonderful performance that grounded the ensemble. Schmidt took her audience on a complete journey with Becca. Her emotional scenes were considered and honest. The audience felt her pain and saw her internal quandary. I thought she was marvellous.
Black’s direction has kept this work fresh and challenging. Thinking it was going to be a light fluffy comedy, due to the promo, didn’t stop me from enjoying this Heathers-ish work even though I’m not their target demographic. Also, thank you for creating opportunities for female actors in Brisbane.
28th Feb - 9th March
Lisa Bingham