Can things go back to ‘normal’ when a kidnapped child returns to their home? The Various Methods of Escape, which is written by Amber Spooner and directed by Liviu Monsted, explores this question. In addition to this, this Australian play also attempts to get inside the mind of the kidnapper, with the ambition of exploring how society should understand such atrocities.
After 12 years of incarceration, Grace is finally rescued and returned to her home. However, this home doesn't give her a sense of belonging but is somewhat foreign. While she tries to fit into the life she was meant to have, the memories of the past 12 years affect her almost constantly. In fact, not only her but her family has been deeply wounded by the 12 years of her absence as well. Her father lives in guilt. Even after her return, he still maintains the habit of collecting information from the newspapers. Her mother always has flashbacks to the moments after she was kidnapped, having herself lost in the search for her daughter. And although her sister Hope seems to have a perfect life, she has been compelled to be the missing child twelve years ago.
With a limited space, they form their home with a long table, a few chairs, and a small cabinet. Although the staging is restricted due to the size of the stage, it is clear what kind of environment they are trying to portray. There are a couple of small props used to add to the overall atmosphere. There is a family photo on the cabinet, but it only has Mum, Dad and Hope on it, which is a constant reminder to the audience of the absence of Grace over the years. In addition, Grace has a small wooden house which has only one room with two doors. From time to time, Grace holds a newspaper doll and lets it walk around inside while she stares at the doll through the door as if it were a representation of how she used to be watched all the time in this way. The lighting for the stage (Mehran Moretzee) is quite simple, mostly natural light. The transitions between each scene are often aided by blackouts, which sometimes can make the story a bit fragmented.
The cast (Maisie Tiedeman as Grace, Michelle Huirama as Mother, Violet Fink as Hope, and Mark Brent as Father) successfully create the sense of alienation that lingers in this family. The audience can easily sense that this is not a trauma for just one person but for the entire family. Occasionally, there is also a bit of brightness in this play. Most of the lighter parts come from the interactions between the sisters. As Grace spends time with her sister, she slowly adapts to the pace of this family's life and reveals some of the liveliness of a normal girl.
The kidnapper Gregory (Mitch Howell) is portrayed in an unusual state in this play. Although he is imprisoned from the start of the play, his shadow still roams around the house, watching Grace and her family almost every moment, and sometimes he even speaks to them. This idea is very ingenious and has the potential of vividly showing the effect Gregory has on them. However, while his presence is arresting at first, the way he is present and interacts with this family is a bit one-dimensional, leading to weakening the sense of dissonance that should have been emphasised. He spends most of his time just standing in a corner somewhere, uttering derogatory and threatening words to Grace from time to time. In this way, it seems as if he has truly become Gregory's shadow, and the audience can't get enough information about the man from his repetitive words. It's only in the final scene, when Grace goes to the prison to confront Gregory, that the character finally starts to become solid.
What it is trying to deliver in this play is clear, but it isn't conveyed in the most effective way. Despite the strong emotions expressed, the plot is somewhat fragmented like the scenes cut by those blackouts. The play at the moment is more like some emotionally fraught sequences that slightly lack the coherence and drive of the story. As a result, when things start to turn towards the positive, the character changes can seem slightly abrupt because of the lack of steady build-up. If more time could be spent on showing the inner thoughts and lives of each character - not just about the 12 lost years, but also their lives outside of it- instead of mostly focusing on the emotional expressions against this horrific atrocity, this play would have been able to analyse this social issue much more profoundly.
The Various Methods of Escape runs at The Bread & Roses Theatre until 14th December.
★★★☆☆ (3*)
Gifted tickets in return for an honest review | Photography by Liviu Monsted
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