Review: FLOOD by Chris Isaacs

Reviewed by Kristopher Brown

Originally produced in Perth, Western Australia in 2014 by Black Swan Theatre Company, FLOOD touches on our ignorance and sense of entitlement to the land that we call Australia and explores the prevalence of unconscious racial bias in our current society.

As a play FLOOD by Chris Isaacs seems a natural successor toNick Enright’s seminal plays A Property of the Clan and Blackrock as a reflection and portrait of young Australia today, touching on tragic circumstances and how young people handle and respond to it. The rhythm and timbre of the writing is poetic in nature and almost frames the piece as a collection of personal recollections, echoing the verbal traditional storytelling of the indigenous people.

From the moment you enter the campsite, you feel part of the landscape, part of the action. As an audience member you believe you have stumbled upon an untouched landscape and are setting up camp, huddled around the campfire, even down to the citronella candle at the front of the performance space. Pre-show the actors mill about the campsite adding a nice element of world building.

It is clear from the outset that this company know how to do theatre outdoors very well and many other productions in Anywhere Festival could learn a lot from seeing this production. Director Tyler Harlum plays with place well, creating a world in which his cast can play. He has a strong eye for tableaux and uses it clearly articulate the power dynamics within the piece and making moments that could appear cliched such as the road trip, feel new and fresh. One moment however did fall short, with the love scene between Sal and Liz feeling too artsy and losing its realness.

As an ensemble piece, the performers are all strong and work well together to not split focus. They tackle the piece with a level of energy that makes you feel as though you’re a carefree 20 year old hanging out with your mates. A clear standout is Brie Jurss as Frankie who gives a powerful and honest performance and handles her personal struggle convincingly.

Jack Alfred Kelly’s production design is perfect for this production. The subtle lighting and sound effects, mixed with innovative use of torches, really helped to create a sense of place and bring the audience into the piece. It was exciting to see this level of production value and design for a piece of theatre outdoors, and the selection of site was great.

Overall this is a great production that begs you ask yourself “What is trespassing?”, “Is violence ever justifiable?” and “Do you have the personal conviction to stand against the group?”. It excites and I am thoroughly looking forward to seeing what the producers Brie Jurss and Emma Lamberton, and director Tyler Harlum do next.

FLOOD by Chris Isaacs plays The Great Court and The University of Queensland St Lucia campus 17, 18, 23, 24 & 25 May 2019 at 7pm as part of Anywhere Festival. Book your tickets now.

The reviewer attended the opening night performance on 17 May 2019.