Oil

The topic of oil is hardly a palatable subject matter. The finite resource that fuels our cars and heats our homes grips the world with its iron (oily?) fist. Nations wage war to wrest control of the reserves. Yet in Red Stitch’s new play, Oil, oil is the invisible character that lights the path for the characters who walk through lands, through empires, and through time.

Written by UK playwright Ella Hickson, Oil is an explosive, blistering and captivating play that traces the Age of Oil, from its dawn to its demise. The opening act is set in Cornwall in 1889. Here we meet May (Daniela Farinacci), an expectant mother, who encounters a slick American when he arrives at the farm with an offer to purchase her property to drill for oil. As the salesman showcases the ‘magic’ of oil, May’s sense of adventure is ignited, and she runs away, deserting the man she loves.

The story shifts to Tehran, 1908. The British Empire is at its peak, and imperialistic officers rule Iran and treat their people like second-class citizens. May, and her eight-year-old daughter Amy (Hannah Fredericksen), work at an opulent saloon, where May is caught in a love triangle between her creepy boss and equally creepy army officer. Thinking about her daughter first and foremost, Amy steals her Farsi colleague’s wage, takes Amy, and runs into the night.

Next, we see a very different May and Amy in Hampstead, 1970. May is the head honcho at a multi-national oil corporation that abhors any thought of sharing profits with the people she exploits while Amy is the rebellious teen who wants to save the planet. Amy, along with her insufferable boyfriend, challenge May by getting frisky on the kitchen table, smoking and making threats to run away. It’s at this moment where the cracks in the relationship emerge and are irrevocably damaged.

Resenting her mother still, Amy is next spotted in Baghdad in 2021, when May – who is now a British MP – arrives via chopper to rescue her from the war-torn country. Coming full circle, the pair return to Cornwall at the demise of the Age of Oil. In their final moments together, can they mend their relationship and forgive their centuries-old grudges?

Directed by Ella Caldwell, Oil is a masterpiece. The opening act was simply mesmerising. The props, costumes and (lack of) lighting captured the harshness of what it would be like living in the pre-Age of Oil. With so much going on, you didn’t know where to focus your gaze! The cast were A-class, not to mention the chemistry between Farinacci and Fredericksen who were formidable. The mother–daughter relationship was fleshed out superbly; their comedic timing was perfect, especially in the Hampstead act.

Despite its 2.5-hour run time, Oil rarely lagged. In fact, it has the makings of being an epic story that will be passed down through the ages.

Oil
Red Stitch Theatre, Cromwell Road Theatre, 27a Cromwell Road, South Yarra, 3141
Till Sunday, 15 December 2019
redstitch.net/gallery/oil

Image: John Lloyd Fillingham