My Father’s Left Testicle

Set in a fictional world inside a detention centre with Australian refugees, the latest play at The Depot Theatre asks the question, “what would it be like if an Australian needed to seek asylum?” We go on an emotional journey of discovery and learning about the asylum seeker crisis with My Father’s Left Testicle.

A black comedy with elements of satire, this production is based on Commedia dell’arte, an ancient Italian form of comedy which translates as Comedy of the Arts. Many of the cast are trained in this technique, which initially implemented masks and was used as roaming street performance.

My Father’s Left Testicle starts with a group of “boat people” whose journey is intercepted by a coast guard who takes them to a detention centre called Camp Assimilation. We witness their personal stories as themes of love, loss and searching unfold.

“The aim is to put ourselves into the shoes of the refugee, show that people seeking asylum are human, it could happen to anyone, it’s a type of biological roulette, it has nothing to do with the individual but more the situation in which they are born,” said actor Emily McGowan.

“It’s something quite different to anything ever done before. There’s physical comedy and slapstick, which is unique considering it’s a story about the refugee crisis. It’s an emotional rollercoaster, with lots of turns, one minute you’re laughing, the next feeling a lot of pain. You can expect a human story, that’s at the core of it,” explained McGowan.

“There are elements that reference the modern political world and Australia’s attitudes, comments on the system that is in place but we try to keep it neutral, and not take sides. It’s critical of the process without really blaming the government,” she concluded. (MS)

Nov 2–12, Wed-Sat 8pm + Sun 5pm. The Depot Theatre, 142 Addison Rd, Marrickville. $22-$32. Tickets & info: www.thedepottheatre.com

BY MEL SOMERVILLE