JACK CHARLES VS THE CROWN
If Jack Charles v The Crown is anything to go by, years of heroin addiction, sexual confusion and the pangs of growing up motherless make for pretty upbeat theatre.
Jack Charles is on a mission: he wants to see his not inconsiderable criminal record sealed, and he’s making the case to the audience through song, dance and one cracking life story. The 67-year-old Indigenous icon is clearly in his element on stage, and after all these years, his voice is still a pleasure to listen to. He trills his Rs when he speaks.
Though it calls itself a one-man show, Jack Charles v The Crown feels more like a motley connection of characters: Jack Charles, the attention-loving boy with the wide grin and the white teeth; Jack Charles, theatre’s enfant terrible; Jack Charles the thief, light-fingered and light-hearted; Jack Charles the addict, in pain and resigned to himself.
Jack Charles v The Crown, written by Charles and long-time collaborator John Romeril, does not shy away from the hard knocks of Charles’ life. The production opens with footage of Charles taking a hit, as the man himself – now seven years clean – sits centre-stage in an apron, pottering away serenely.
There are references to abuse, and to the loneliness of growing up a stolen child in post-war Australia – though these are fleeting. Charles is not here to ask for our pity. More likely, he is asking us to play along, and though there are few laugh-out-loud moments, there is certainly a lot of fun to be had in this romping homage to getting by.
Until Apr 17, Belvoir St Upstairs Theatre, 25 Belvoir St, Surry Hills, from $39, 9699 3444, belvoir.com.au
