Death is the destiny of every man and the living must take it to heart. Four teenagers – African, Asian, Anglo and Aboriginal respectively – are thrown together and torn apart by the death of a friend in a bogan-town backwater. Welcome to ‘Messville’. It sounds like another teen-angst melodrama but Samson, the Belvoir St Theatre’s latest production, somehow rises above the banal to achieve surprising levels of warmth and depth.
Amidst all the ‘fucks’ – and some of the dialogue contains nothing else – there is a fragile innocence to each character. The blossoming romance between Essie (Ashleigh Cummings) and the disarmingly beautiful Rabbit (Benjamin Creek) is both fraught and joyous. Her frosty bravado is thawed by his tender humour. Beth (Belinda Jombwe) is seeking God, and Sid (Charles Wu) is seeking Beth but grief and guilt pervade.
The desert-like contours of the set almost engulf the small downstairs theatre space, creating a sense of audience immersion in the unfolding drama. Though not completely satisfying, the young cast bring energy and find beauty in the strangest places.
Until May 31, Tuesday 7pm, Wednesday – Friday, 8:15pm, Saturday 2:15pm and 8:15pm, Sunday 5:15pm, Belvoir St Theatre, 25 Belvoir St, Surry Hills, $38-48, belvoir.com.au, 02 9699 3444.
