STOLEN: Harrison: Tours till 1 December

STOLEN: Jane Harrison
Prod: Fifth Amendment: Touring till 1 December 2001, info 01905 26424/ www.ukarts.com
Runs: 1h 40m, no interval
Review: Rod Dungate, Belgrade, 12 November 2001

One of those rare moments in theatre – huge and dignified passion: I felt a little cleansedSTOLEN is one of those rare moments in theatre that brings you so close to a terrible truth that it is almost unbearable. Jane Harrison's theatre piece – a rapid tumble of memories or snapshots-in-time – reveals the stories of five aboriginal children forcibly removed from their parents by The Welfare under the then Australian government's grotesque policies. These were policies under which the country's indigenous peoples were classed as 'flora and fauna' and could be shot on sight as 'pests'. Man's inhumanity to man or what!?

Many of us will be aware in a general way of the appalling treatment these people received, some of us may be aware of the lasting effects, of the ruined lives. But the power of this performance is that the company, kindly, generously, with huge and dignified passion confronts us face to face with what happened. The effect is all the more moving since we see events through the children's eyes. It is uncomfortable to contemplate that, in a way, we are all culpable, or at least culpable if we allow like things to continue to happen.

The team of five actors share their tales with a directness and honesty reminiscent of storytelling – which of course is what they are doing.

Much to be admired in Wesley Enoch's sure-handed production is his bold and poignant use of silence: the tone is set in the first moment when the group of children stand quite still looking into the distance, looking, looking, looking . . . Nowhere is silence used to greater effect than when young adult Jimmy, in prison, hands over first his shoe laces, then his socks and trainers, then his jacket, then his neck decoration, then he silently hangs himself.

This is not a happy tale, but the telling of it is powerful and uplifting: perhaps we have a chance to feel a little cleansed too.

Cast:
Anne: Tammy Anderson
Ruby: Kylie Belling
Jimmy: Elliott Maynard
Shirley: Pauline Whyman
Sandy: Glenn Shea

Director: Wesley Enoch
Design: Richard Roberts
Lighting: Matt Scott
Music: David Chesworth

2001-11-14 10:39:56