Review: THE ALIENS Quietly Looks at The Friendships That Form Between a Trio Of Misfits

Thursday 27th August 2015, Old Fitz Theatre, Woolloomooloo

Exposing the stillness and silence of human interaction, Annie Baker's THE ALIENS looks at life and relationships from a quieter angle. Three social outsiders are drawn together to discover their own worth and strength in a world which has told them they are ordinary.

Two seemingly down and out men meet at the worn out garden table in the concrete yard behind a suburban American eatery, making themselves at home alongside garbage bins, weeds and air conditioner units. The silence is captivating as the hirsute KJ(Ben Wood) studies the exasperated, equally scruffy and bearded, blonde Jasper (Jeremy Waters), who lights up a cigarette and avoids eye contact. Eventually, KJ breaks the silence with singing as he tries to get a response out of his friend, general chatter about a mutual friend finally eliciting a response.

KJ is a university drop out with an addiction problem and Jasper is a published author, recently dumped by his girlfriend. The trio is rounded out by the awkward, geeky high school student, Evan (James Bell), who has just started working at the café on his summer holidays. The intimate space of the Old Fitz Theatre allows close observation of the trio as they amuse themselves in silence, chatter on with random ramblings, sing and build unlikely friendships.

The trio capture the awkward silences that occur in conversations with an ease that reflects the reality of the situations. Most plays will have a faster pace of dialogue and a desire to fill gaps of sound with noise of some form. Baker allows the audience to ponder what is going on in time with the characters as they study their situation, giving the show an ease and a truth that not everyone will respond immediately, which other plays that deliver a rapid response would have the audience believe. The silence allows the audience to get a clearer measure of the characters from the rambling KJ, the seemingly level headed, apart from when it comes to his ex girlfriend Jasper, and the shy, socially awkward, good boy Evan.

Wood captures KJ's free spirt as he sings random compositions to himself, is comfortable with stretching out on the concrete and acknowledging the potential in Evan as he encourages the younger man to sing despite his protestations that he is no good. There is an undertone of neediness to KJ in his insecurity that Evan likes Jasper more and the need to be acknowledged that he is smart, despite his not completing studies. Waters conveys Jasper's tormented soul as he struggles to deal with the loss of his relationship whilst still being a friend to KJ and befriending Evan. Bell gives Evan a beautiful awkwardness of a deer caught in the headlamps as he determines how to approach KJ and Jasper. He has an endearing energy as he wants to spend time with his new friends and seeks to fit in with his contribution to the 4th of July party and worries about his new friends. He gives Evan a gentle, caring, self-effacing nature as he downplays his plans to teach children at the summer camp and believes that he is not smart or gifted, instead, looking up to his new friends.

Director Craig Baldwin has captured Baker's study on humanity with an ease and understanding of human behavior and emotion. The bleakness of the trio's situation is highlighted by Hugh O'Connor's set which has the audience looking in on the back yard, some skirting the edges as the performance is set in the round. The men appear to be kept outside of general society as they decline Evan's request that they sit inside, not out in the private yard set aside for staff and the former ally they had that let them use the space advises Evan that they are no longer welcome. The sound of street traffic and birds surround the space, confirming not only the location, but also that the world is continuing to keep living outside of the yard. Ben Brockman's lighting, particularly electric bug zappers over the garbage bins help demonstrate time changes.

THE ALIENS is a thought provoking work that challenges the audience to examine what is going on rather than being spoon-fed what they should think and feel. The silence allows for connections to be made as the audience reflects on what they are witnessing at the same time as the characters appear to be contemplating what is unfolding in their world. As well as the value of quiet, THE ALIENS, also questions the value of people as these two men that would normally have been ignored or moved on, have given the young Evan new courage and confidence.

THE ALIENS

Old Fitz Theatre

129 Dowling Street, Woolloomooloo

25 August - 19 September 2015

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