TW and CW: The play includes detailed spoken descriptions of rape, drug use, suicidal ideation, violence, weapons, homophobia and homophobic slurs.
After the international success of Suzie Miller’s one-woman play Prima Facie comes Jailbaby; a hard-hitting tale of crime and punishment that must be seen and heard. Opening in 2023 to a sell-out debut season, the play has now returned to its home, SBW Stables Theatre, for a special return season as part of Griffin Theatre Company’s 2024 season.
While its label as a “spiritual sequel” to Prima Facie has led to inevitable comparisons, Jailbaby functions as its own statement on sexual assault and procedural injustice.
We first meet the titular ‘Jailbaby’ AJ (Anthony Yangoyan) as he narrates the events of a break-in he’s found himself involved in. Freshly eighteen, AJ is supposed to be the lookout and getaway driver; only there to make some quick cash to fund a soccer trip that could see him playing professionally. Things turn south for AJ pretty quickly as he’s beckoned inside by his older, scarier, and more experienced accomplices – alarms go off, AJ panics, and one of the owners of the house (Lucia Mastrantone) manages to catch a glimpse of his face as he makes his hasty exit. AJ’s journey through judicial and prison systems he barely understands is harrowing to watch.
Miller parallels AJ’s story with that of the family living in the house he robbed. The teenage son Seth (also played by Yangoyan) is privileged and antisocial, constantly holed up in his room and trying to make money to move to Japan without his parents knowing. Seth’s own criminal activities (selling Ritalin at school) are quickly brushed aside due to his parents’ influence, connections, and money. The mirroring is effective in showing the stark differences between AJ and Seth’s trajectories. A character reference from his soccer coach (Anthony Taufa) was not enough to keep AJ out of jail, and unlike Seth, barring his sympathetic Legal Aid lawyer (Mastrantone), there’s no one else in his corner.
Yangoyan, Taufa, and Mastrantone do a masterful job in bringing a carousel of roles to life. Aided by Isabel Hudson’s simple and realistic costuming, the three change in and out of both clothes and characters with practised ease. Yangoyan is particularly affecting as AJ, masterfully showcasing the character’s initial boyishness and naivety, and then his eventual brokenness as the play progresses, especially in his delivery of graphic descriptions of sexual violence as it was happening, in the present tense, with the audience as silent bystander.
Anthony Yangoyan and Lucia Mastrantone in Griffin Theatre Company’s Jailbaby. Source: Clare Hawley ©.
A drumming sound design (Phil Downing), and dramatic lighting (Verity Hampson) were on display from the first scene, heightening the stakes of the armed robbery and further used to signpost a dramatic tone throughout. While sudden flashing and dimming lights were utilised to transition between scenes smoothly, they do retain their reputation for being triggering for those with sensitive eyes.
Hudson’s set design embedded double-sided mirrors to achieve what Miller intends to do — hold up a mirror to the societal, institutional, parental and peer pressures faced by youth prone to criminalisation, and at times, victimisation. The small, triangular stage felt intentional as it achieved the claustrophobic nature of not only a prison cell but someone’s oppressive circumstances. However, it did present some inconvenience when viewing the actor behind the double-sided mirror, especially those seated on the edge of a row.
Between the two seating areas, crucial props resided such as the telephone and coveted Socceroos jersey with Tim Cahill’s signature. This naturally invited actors to move amongst the stage and audience, as well as deliver lines directly to the spectators.
The roles of intimacy and consent consultant (Bayley Turner) and fight choreographer (Tim Dashwood) proved inextricably important as violent scenes did not necessitate gratuitous violence being portrayed live. Instead, clever blocking and staging ensured that the physicality involved was neither distasteful nor cheap. When paired with flickering lights and thunderous sound design, the audience was able to experience the tension of watching a crime unfold.
Anthony Yangoyan and Anthony Taufa in Griffin Theatre Company’s Jailbaby. Source: Clare Hawley ©.
Structurally, the play benefits from its 90 minute runtime and lack of intermission as the audience remains immersed in Miller’s world, eliminating any opportunity for distraction.
Jailbaby does not advocate for abolition, however it does scrutinise the traditional prison system and its effectiveness in imposing “consequences” upon the guilty — or those deemed guilty by the legal system. It favours the argument for rehabilitation and social prevention, instead of watching young and at-risk people succumb to repeat offences.
The final scene can be extremely powerful or, for some, melodramatic. However, it forces the audience to sit with the knowledge that the cycle of violence is often inescapable and that to know, is to feel uncomfortable.
Jailbaby was developed and produced with the assistance of the Australian Writers’ Guild David Williamson Prize, supported by Griffin’s Production Partner program and a residency at Theatre and Performance Studies, the University of Sydney.
The production runs until January 21st. Get your tickets here. It is one of the final performance seasons at the SBW Stables Theatre before it undergoes major redevelopment.
Director: Andrea James
Dramaturg: Declan Greene
Set & Costume Designer: Isabel Hudson
Design Assistant: Hailley Hunt
Lighting Designer: Verity Hampson
Lighting Associate: Sammy Read
Composer & Sound Designer: Phil Downing
Stage Manager: Madelaine Osborn
Production Manager: Tyler Fitzpatrick
Intimacy and Consent Consultant: Bayley Turner
Fight Coach: Tim Dashwood
With Lucia Mastrantone, Anthony Taufa, Anthony Yangoyan
Some of the support lines and services provided by the Griffin Theatre Company in this link:
Lifeline 13 11 14
Mensline 1300 78 99 78
National Sexual Assault, Family & Domestic Violence Counselling Line 1800 737 732 (1800 RESPECT)
Rainbow Sexual, Domestic and Family Violence Helpline 1800 497 212
Children’s Court Legal Support Links
Judicial Commission
