Review: ALL MY SONS Exposes The Tragic Consequences Of Decisions Of The Good Of The Family Over The Good Of A Nation

Thursday 9th June 2016, 7:30pm, Roslyn Packer Theatre

Artur Miller's ALL MY SONS is a heartbreaking, harrowing example of what happens when people forget to see the big picture. First staged in 1947, with the real events of the 1943 Senate Inquiry into the Lockland Engine manufacture fresh in American minds, the issues of immediate gain or self preservation over the greater good is still relevant, both in the military and the broader community.

Set somewhere in suburban America in the Fall of 1946, the stories and secrets of the seemingly successful Keller family unfold over 24 hours. Joe Keller runs a factory that used to supply aircraft parts during the war but now manufactures household appliances. Joe and wife Kate had two sons, Chris who returned from the Pacific two years ago and Larry, who went missing in action. Joe and his business partner Steve Deever were in-prisoned for their involvement in supplying faulty parts to the airforce that killed 21 pilots but unlike Steve, Joe was exonerated. Chris has been communicating with Ann, who is Steve's daughter and was Larry's sweetheart before the war. After two years of letters he now intends to marry Ann but Kate refuses to support the union as she still believes Larry is still alive and will return for "his girl". This tension unearths secrets and shame with tragic consequences.

Designer Alice Babidge has created a simple set of black silhouette of a typical house ensuring the premise of being set anywhere in middle America is retained. The facades and open windows exposing the chintz wallpapered corridors within ensure the focus remains on the action playing out as family, friends and neighbours visit the Keller yard. The detail and metaphors of the house becomes apparent when the family secrets are unveiled. Steps spanning the width of the stage that lead down to the audience also serve to bring the audience into the Keller's yard. It allows options for vertical variety and separation of spaces in the relatively bare space that has a small garden setting and the remnants of a memorial Apple tree.

Director Kip Williams has created a work that draws the audience in right from the start. From the mysterious importance of the apple tree that has Kate in tears in the middle of the night and the casual morning conversation between father and son presented front and centre on the garden steps. Miller's language ensures that we see the Keller's as average American working class and Williams has chosen to give his characters a southern drawl which is maintained well by the whole company.

John Howard presents Joe as a loving, mischievous family man, with a reservation that he is harbouring a dark secret. His has a wonderful physicality that gives the impression of a degree of naïveté along with the submission to keep Kate happy. Howard is paired with Robyn Nevin as Kate who conveys the maternal figure with a heartbreaking devotion to her sons, particularly the missing Larry. Nevin captures the world weary exhaustion of fighting to convince the world around her that her son is still alive, all shadowed by the impression that she isn't telling the full story.

Chris Ryan gives son Chris an All American "white bread" middle class feel with his good looks and eager nature. He captures the patriotism and loyalty to his soldiers in the his recount of his service, all tinged with survivors guilt. Ryan gradually builds Chris' emotion and reaction from engaging in verbal challenges to escalating to more demonstrative reactions and his interactions with Joe are intense.

Chris' love interest Ann, or Annie as she is often referred to, is presented with a gentleness and simmering force by Eryn Jean Norvill. As with Chris, Ann is portrayed as the ideal stereotypical girl next door who in this case, was the girl next door before her family moved to New York. Like Joe and Kate, Ann is also keeping secrets along with veiled resentment and bitterness that no matter how much she says that she has distanced herself from her father, it is clear there is still a compromise being made in being at the Kellers. Whilst Ann may appear to forgive Joe,Ann's brother George is the opposite and Josh McConville expresses George's resentment and hatred as he tries to assert his position as man of the Deever clan whilst his father is in prison.

Neighbours Sue and Doctor Jim Bayliss, who now occupy the Deever's home are an odd couple. Anita Hegh presents the tactless gossip Sue with acidity and contempt whilst harbouring an insecurity that her husband is not paying enough attention to her. Bert LaBonte gives Jim a gentleness and weariness of being henpecked by Sue even though he opts to retain his well paid job to ensure he can provide for her rather than follow his dreams.

Other neighbours Lydia and Frank Lubey provide a degree of comedy relief to the tragedy. Lydia, portrayed by Contessa Treffone is bright and bubbly if not a little clueless. Similarly Frank, presented by John Leary is also bright and cheery and blind to the deeper effects his presence and ideas on the Keller family.

ALL MY SONS is a complex work that remains relevant on a number of levels. Whilst it addresses the inequality of the draft system that spared Frank from seeing combat it expresses the loyalty and bravery of those who were summoned. The central cause of tension, the question of war supply quality and the reason why they made it to combat is still relevant, particularly in Australia where only a few years ago the military was exposed as providing inadequate equipment to soldiers, cutting costs and risking lives. The underlying reasons for the decisions made serve as a warning and allegory for contemporary decision making. Whilst Joe made decisions for the future of his sons, Larry and Chris, both sons saw the entire military that they served with as their brothers. Society is now feeling the effects of generations deciding to do what they though was best for their own families and immediate communities, failing to protect the wider community and more global family.

ALL MY SONS is a powerful work that holds important messages for all generations and backgrounds. Whilst definitely not a light work, this is moving and thought provoking and a must see.

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