Directed by Garreth Cruikshank, written by playwright-producer Jon Glass and co-produced by Marg Lennon, the play revolves around corporate lawyer Rebecca (Alexandra O’Brien) who returns home one day to read a rejection letter from a publisher addressed to her writer-husband Oliver (Barret Griffin). This letter catalyses revelations and cracks in her marriage, career, friendships and family ties.
Meanwhile, her daughter Chloe (Rhiannon Jean) has moved in with her boyfriend Josh (Angus Farrand) and wants to attend Oxford University to study literature, despite a major question mark regarding her tuition fees, specifically a $30,000 deposit.
Rebecca is excited at the prospect of becoming head of the Department of Family Values which strives to “be there for families in crisis…rebuild trust in families and children.” This provides Rebecca an easy way out of her current job having lost her passion for the law. However she is soon faced with the prospect that this role is being pulled out from underneath her. This coincides with her having taken on a case for her best friend Anne (Sally Williams) at the Fair Work Tribunal.
Of course, everyone’s contrasting desires collide and tensions come to the forefront, with buried secrets threatening to spill any minute — Rebecca has to fight for her career advancement, figure out her working/home arrangement with her husband, convince her daughter to defer Oxford for a year, and support her friend during a tough time.
Throughout the packed 90-minute runtime, Cruikshank, a UK and Italian-trained Australian director and stage designer displayed his reverence for his craft, not only directing but multitasking in his supporting role as Mark, husband to Sally and “only friend” of Oliver.
Playwright Jon Glass also took over stage managing duties from Romy Teperson, actress Rhiannon Jean worked on the stage design, with lighting and sound by Nick Bird in soundscape.
Each actor delivered their lines in the kinetic pace we are used to from theatre, whilst bringing a sense of naturalism in their mannerisms and dialogue. Alexandra O’Brien as Rebecca commanded the stage with such force screaming, crying, joking, complaining, pleading and debating with her family members and friends.
Barret Griffin shines as Oliver, who is overwhelmed, sometimes unsympathetic and entitled. He complains about writer’s block and audaciously says, “I am a writer, I understand people” while missing the cues from his loved ones. When Oliver says, “I’m not cut out for dealing with people”, I felt that in my soul. Hey Oliver, I think we are all not cut out for that but we do it anyway!
Rhiannon Jean as Chloe and Angus Farrand as Josh hold their own, portraying the defining struggle for contemporary youth — the looming future and high cost-of-living. Sally Williams delivers an equally heartwarming and heartbreaking turn as
Anne who is diagnosed with cancer and has one year left to live, balancing chemotherapy and fighting for her case at the Fair Work Tribunal.
The humour was humouring with memorable lines like ”you can go to a decent uni here… or in New Zealand, that’s overseas!”, “how will you relax without your boat?” to be met with the response, “I’ll catch the Manly ferry” and last but not least, “I don’t want a Tesla, I want an education!”
Glass’ third play took loose inspiration from play-turned-film The Whale (2023) and the tumultuous parent-child relationship. Glass not only succeeded in translating a mother-daughter dynamic, but as a daughter, I never felt that the younger generation was belittled, nor the older generation fully to blame.
The subject matter of the gendered nature of family and work obligations was addressed with care and nuance, delving into the burdensome dilemma that mothers endure when choosing to stay in a home with constant turmoil for their children. The play also questions whether having one partner financially dependent on the other — in this case, the husband — is feasible. This also trickled down to Chloe, sharing her “PIN number” (yes, number number) with her boyfriend. Safe to say, neither of these options are good for the short or long term.
All-in-all, the audience was invested in the plot, audibly gasping and reacting to lines of dialogue and enthusiastically clapping as the lights dimmed.
You know what they say: go hard or go home. Team Family Values did exactly that.
Performances of ‘The Department of Family Values’ ran from 21 to 24 August at the Greek Theatre, Marrickville.
