Courage to Kill
Written by Lars Noren / Directed by Richard Murphet / Public Front / La Mama Theatre, Melbourne / Set & Costume Design
'We begin in his messy apartment where he gulps down cigarette smoke. He almost vibrates with obsessive energy as he trims pictures and columns from magazines, manically circling words and sticking the pieces on his walls. These add to an ever-growing collage of images with faces contorted or obscured, or having features cut out.' Australian Arts Review
'...Noren, and indeed set designer Charlotte Lane make it feel as though the walls are closing in on its inhabitants, largely because those walls are covered in sticky-taped newspaper clippings that keep being added to.' SYN
'A brilliant and distinctive feature of plays at La Mama is their openings. As the audience files in, the stage is set and more often than not a character is already inhabiting the space. These often give a succinct but poignant introduction to the character. In the case of Courage to Kill, the son is at the table, frantically cutting out bits and pieces of newspapers and magazines. The walls of the room are covered in these clippings. Their purpose is never revealed, much like many of the play's darker elements.' InReview
Photography by Jeff Busby