The Silver Tunnel
Writer: Warwick Moss
Director: Warwick Moss
Ashfield Uniting Church
November 9-14, 2020
This dynamic production of The Silver Tunnel, advertised as “a hell of a play in a holy place”, marks the repurposing of the Ashfield Uniting Church as a new Inner West performance space. A brainchild of the Rev. Bill Crews, who has been an advocate for the poor and homeless for over 50 years, this new entertainment space aims at raising awareness and funds for the disadvantaged.
In his introduction to the play, a proud Bill Crews commented on the length of the production, a mere 50 minutes, as marking also a more realistic approach to the modern theatre experience. People now, he said, want to drop in for an hour, be entertained, and go home or move on elsewhere. This could be a timely trend in theatre and fits well with a social media oriented audience.
Although short, The Silver Tunnel raises important social issues. The play begins in Sydney’s oldest graveyard where seven tombstones, all suicides from the First Fleet, are presided over by “Old Harry” (Ric Herbert). Amid conversations with the dead, and complaints about his life, he begins digging an eighth grave for an as yet unidentified person.
At this point, we are introduced to young Jason (Tim Matthews), who claims to be applying for the job of assistant gravedigger. He has been called there by “voices” he says. The seductive appeal of suicide is well depicted in Jason’s evocation of the silver tunnel; its promise of escape, release and rest.
From there on we are taken on a rollicking and often macabre journey and treated to some funny but macabre word play. The satirical method Harry devises of suicide, falling on his own spade (after digging one’s own grave it seems logical) results in some very funny stage action highlighting the ambivalence of the wish for self-annihilation.
However, the mysterious insight Jason has into the facial expression of Beth, Freddie’s wife, confronted with her husband’s suicide while breakfasting, while it might indicate the sometimes obliviousness of one person to another’s despair, does not really work. At times, the script seems a little too blokey.
To facilitate the swift journey from graveyard to heaven and then to hell the audience have been seated on handy swivel chairs, and the change of location admirably adapted to the structure of the church. To say more would be to give away its surprises but it was an enthralling hour owing much to excellent acting. Herbert’s comical, combative and ultimately self-sacrificial Harry was the highlight of the performance but Matthews mixed-up, unhappy, unloved Jason was a carefully nuanced foil to his more feisty co-star.
A fast-paced script, constant stage action and well-timed sound and light effects all contribute to creating a dramatic piece of theatre. However, the declared intention of the play – “its huge theme – the wonder and value of life” – is not so easily discerned.
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theatre@ssh.com.au
