This 80-minute, high drama can be seen for one week only, at The Blue Room Main Theatre, 53 James Street, Northbridge. Performances are nightly, at 7.00 pm until Saturday 13^th December.

A two-metre high, wire fence, with barbed wire around the top surrounds the rough and tough senior school. The yard is littered with leaves, school desk, an old rusty oil barrel and the stark concrete walls of the school, with steel girders as their hard, crowning glory (Designer, Patrick Howe and built by Bianca Stewart, Jennifer Scullion, Annika Jane, Eleanor Davison and Alexander Gerrans). Christopher McIntosh sourced the unusual props.

        In the corner of the schoolyard sits 14-year-old Eva (Eloise Carter), a slightly nerdy introvert. Because her Grandfather was on the Kokoda Trail, and her brother, Clint (Ryan Hunt) is serving in the forces in Afghanistan, Eva is obsessed with war history. Much to her mother, Trish’s (Ashleigh Morris) horror she wants to join the forces.

Latching on to Eva’s infatuation with history, the two school bullies, Sophie (Zoe Street) and Cate (Gemma Middleton) attack her ruthlessly, and regularly, Eva has to be rescued by her caring teacher, Ms Carlton (Amelia Tuttleby).

Eva’s only real friend is the shy youngster, Lucy (Amy Johnston) who may have designs on Eva. Lucy is forced by the school slut, Paige (Holly Dodd) to find her customers. Poor insecure Harry (Kane Parker) is ripped off in his determination to discover ‘the meaning of life’.

Eva’s older sister, Matilda (Violette Ayad) is pregnant to her abusive boyfriend, junky Turk (Sean Guastavino). Will Eva take Ms Carlton’s advice and leave the area?

McCall has cleverly blended present day tragedies with flashbacks of the horrors of war, as Eva recalls her Grandfather’s stories. There are dozens of good solid, interesting storylines in this meld of human psyche and life’s inevitable route. These are brought to life with the photographs (Leigh Brennan) and visual projections, Tristan McInnes.

A few months ago, many of these actors were in the wilderness, but director Mark Storen, to quote a school movie, has ‘taken them from crayons to perfume’. There were some amazing performances, all were WELL above average, but top marks must go to Eloise Carter and Sean Guastavino. The dramaturg was under Michelle Endersbee guidance, and she had the large group of actors perform well in the small space. With a flash of light, or an explosion, the schoolyard was converted for a few seconds to the trenches, the horrors of internment camps with the inmates clawing the wires, before returning to a parallel situation in modern life. The comparisons were at times quite horrific.

The clever costume choice described the wearers’ personalities perfectly (Sally Ostrowski and Amanda King). The lighting effects (designer, Karen Cook) were well thought out and presented. From blood red sets to the stark coldness of the battlefield. The lighting operators were Rhiannon Peterson and Aaron Smith. The sound effects were numerous, but the most spectacular being the overhead helicopter (Soundscape Elliot Macri, George Ashforth and Stephen McGuire).

Samantha Barrett and her deputies, Kharla Fannon and Amy Tamati, efficiently handled the stage management.

A very powerful play, with many metaphors on life over the years. From the seedy to the brave, the controlling to the dominated, this show has it all. One of Curtin’s best presentations. Try to catch it and admire how all aspects have been undertaken and conquered.

First produced in 2008, it won the Philip Parsons Young Playwrights’ Award. Brendan was also nominated for a Silver Logie and an AFI Award.

He wrote this play after a year of alcoholic binges, followed by self-imposed temperance.

We are in Ruben’s bar room, facing onto Sydney Harbour. The walls are red brick (really handmade polystyrene, painted with hundreds of hours work!) with illuminated shelves, holding every bottled booze imaginable. There is a comfortable leather armchair in the centre of the stage (Set designed by Lauren Ross and assisted by Michelle Endersbee)). The mood lighting, with many different lamp designs and styles was perfectly considered by Lighting Designer, Karen Cook – operated by Rhiannon Petersen.

On the right of the stage is a small dais with the Ruben Guthrie Band. The band plays. With ukulele in hand, the smooth, solo vocal tones of Eloise Carter, Jack Middleton, Jordan Norrish and George Ashforth are heard. With Keith Ong on guitar, they are playing blues as the audience arrive.

       Seated in the chair is self-centred egotist, Ruben (Nathan Whitebrook) who explains the reason for his facial scar and broken arm. Advertising genius Ruben is at the top of his game, driven on by his smooth – almost slimy – boss Ray (Jarryd Dobson) and the demand for Ruben’s iconic Australian jingles.  He had been to yet another advertising industry awards night, and once again, he has won a major prize. To celebrate, he became blind drunk and had an accident.

      Ruben has made the decision to become teetotal and join AA. However, for his Czech fiancé, supermodel Zoya (Amy Johnston) it was too late, she has had enough of the inconsiderate swine and is returning to Prague. Alone in his flat, Ruben decides to make a new start. Throw out the advertising and start to write novels in poetry. His overbearing mother (Eleanor Davidson) tells him he is mad to give up such a lucrative job. His alcoholic father (George Ashforth) who has just left home for a young Asian girlfriend, thinks the best thing for Ruben to do, is just get pissed every night, ‘after all he was happy doing that’.

      One night an old girlfriend, Virginia (Róisín Bevan) appears on the scene and she encourages Ruben’s sobriety. Ruben feels secure – until another character from his schooldays arrives, a gay lover, Damien (Sean Guastavino). Damien has just arrived from the airport with a bag full of quality booze, and moves in. He sings George Michael’s ‘Faith’ with passion as he cooks sausages.

      Will Ruben, who is working well with the AA steps, be tempted? Who will win his heart?

 Under the direction of admired actor / director, Mark Storen (assisted by Ariel Tresham), this magnificent production unfolds. The play is two hours with NO interval, however the time flew by. The whole cast was required to show a large range of moods and temperaments; there was singing dancing – the demands on the cast being huge. Ruben was on stage the whole time, but Nathan Whitebrook giving a faultless performance. This is a young man with a good future. Amy conquered the Czech accent subtly and convincingly reacted to Ruben’s strange attitude.

The parents are depicted with such clarity that I am sure a few in the audience will have cringed at seeing their own parents before them. Róisín was the perfect lover, and the chemistry between the actors sizzled. The performance of Sean as the alcoholic friend was hilarious. Well observed and carefully presented, it was authentic and not a tasteless caricature – an outstanding piece of acting.

There was a long, sad period when I struggled to find any redeeming points in Curtin plays. The acting was often well below school performances. However, this play is back to the good old days, the performances are solid and assured; the design and costumes have plenty of thought and the quality shone through. The musical accompaniment was imaginative and actually musical – how often do we get a few bum notes offered as a music?

At the final curtain there was a standing ovation. I do not think that I have seen one at Curtin in the last decade, and this was not simply student friends being kind, the whole house stood in admiration. A brilliant show, highly recommended.