Snorkel
La Mama Theatre, 205 Faraday Street, Carlton
By Richard Bladel
Directed by Peter Houghton
With Carmen Mascia, Christopher Uhlmann
Until 13 September
Review by Vannessa Hearman
Snorkel tells the story of two siblings bonded by a history of family violence, poverty and despair. As the play opens, we find out that Sis (Carmen Mascia) is planning to end the life of her dependent brother, the alcoholic Snorkel (Christopher Uhlmann) by cooking him roast mutton birds with stuffing prepared with a generous amount of rat poison.
Sis is sick of looking after the men in her family, being subjected to abuse and not having many choices in life.
At the same time, Sis and Snorkel harbour the secret that Sis has murdered their abusive, drunken father. Their mother walked out on the family nine months ago, a victim of his violence. Snorkel plots how to hide the murder, while Sis is more concerned with agonising over his fate.
Much of the tension of the play stems from Snorkel's abusive behaviour towards his sister, which smacks of his father's. He is unpredictable and she puts up little resistance. The two actors capture the tension very well: their interaction is edge-of-your-seat stuff.
Bladel's play has an oppressive feel about it and an impending sense of doom. This contrasts with images of mutton birds flying free in an idyllic rural setting, as evoked by Sis. In reality, their small town is fraught with unemployment, domestic violence, alcoholism and lack of opportunities.
The play is based on a true story — the murder of Bruce Roberts by his wife and son. It explores the difficulties faced by women who have been systematically abused and are forced to take drastic action to reclaim their life and identity.