THEATRE: COLDER

REVIEW BY AMELIA GROOM

Launching the Griffin Stablemates’ 2008 season is Colder, a new Australian play by Lachlan Philpott, based on the story of someone who disappears without a trace.

As a child David was separated from his mother at Disneyland and went missing for seven hours. Years later something about that day haunts him. Something remains unresolved, and he wants to know what happened. That’s when he disappears again ‘

The storyline moves back and forth in time, often showing past and future events on the stage simultaneously. It becomes more fragmented and abstract in the second half, which should make for interesting, challenging theatre – but unfortunately the narrative seems to get stuck on the same point and circles around unnecessarily.

Still, it’s an engaging script that explores the infinite unknowns surrounding missing persons, and the purgatory that engulfs those left behind. While there’s clearly something dark lying beneath the surface, the open ending means we never know exactly what’s gone on.

What’s the connection between David’s childhood fried Ed, his uncle Ed, and the Ed he meets as an adult at Mardi Gras’ We are never really told. All we know is that the lives of the people who loved David are forever tainted, less colourful, and colder.

Inspired by the real-life events surrounding the unexplained disappearance of Simon Knight in 2005, Colder is a unique Sydney story making its world premiere at the SBW Stables.

Colder 
Until May 24
SWB Stables Theatre
10 Nimrod St, Kings Cross
$22-29
Bookings: 1300 306 776 or www.griffintheatre.com.au