Australian Realness

Cast your mind back to Melbourne, 1997. For me, it was a time marked by street-wide cricket tournaments over summer school holidays, rollerblading and blitzing Need for Speed on a PlayStation 1. In the socio-political sphere, John Howard was elected PM, Crown Casino opened and The Castle was king of the box office castle. Currently on stage at the Malthouse Theatre, Zoey Dawson’s Australian Realness packs a slab of VB worth of nostalgia in her new show where the suburban backyard becomes a battle of will, wit and, ultimately, survival.

Billed as a “revenge fantasy”, Australian Realness pits the bogans and bourgeoisie of Melbourne’s inner north against each other to devilishly twisted heights. Directed by Janice Muller, each cast member plays dual roles – one bourgeois, one bogan –  of which, Linda Cropper’s stark contrast of characterisation, accent and mannerisms was a hoot! 

Set at Christmastime, the first half of the show takes place in a typical middle-class suburban abode, decorated with homely knick-knacks and furniture you would expect from Freedom. The family matriarch (Linda Cropper) arrives after dropping coin at Daimaru – RIP Daimaru – and prepares Christmas family dinner. After a few exchanges with her husband (Greg Stone) and heavily pregnant daughter (Emily Goddard), we begin to learn all is not well. 

Christmas begins to look a little different for the family. The Audi has been sold. The Christmas tree is miniature. Champagne is sparse. And what’s worse is that the backyard shed has been transformed into a low-budget, pre-Airbnb set-up, rented out to a brash and unrefined family. Their aesthetic is a greasy mix of robbery, smoking darts, f- and c-bombs and general thuggery. 

The real fun and drama kicks in when the two families begin to mingle and the social divide becomes more pronounced. When hundreds of workers lose their jobs, the white collar v. blue collar battle heats up, turning their lives upside down!

On the onset, the show felt like a stage adaptation of Upper Middle Bogan but then deteriorated into some post-modern examination of class structures. In some ways, what was overwhelmingly entertaining became overwhelming to sit through. The ensemble cast, however, shined through. As mentioned, Cropper was a stunner; André de Vanny break dancing and Chanella Macri also provided the most jeers.   

Australian Realness provides incredible insights into what could’ve been and brings the sometimes ignored conversation of class, ethnicity, sexuality and gentrification under the microscope. No one is spared. 

Australian Realness
Till Sunday, 8 September 2019
Malthouse Theatre, 113 Sturt Street, Southbank, 3006
malthousetheatre.com.au/whats-on/australian-realness

Images: Pia Johnson