THEATRE: TUSK TUSK

Tusk Tusk opens with a scream in the dark, and once the lights come on it takes a while to figure out exactly what is afoot. Teenage siblings Maggie and Eliot, and their seven-year-old brother Finn, are hiding out in an empty flat without any adult supervision, mysteriously avoiding any contact with the outside world. The audience is left in the dark themselves about where their mother might be, and as the kids fight and play and wonder how they’ll get their next meal, a dark tension looms in the background. The question these children don’t want to ask is how much longer they’ll need to wait for her, or if she will even return at all. It sounds grim, but Tusk Tusk is equally full of funny and poignant moments of family intimacy and perfectly captures the dynamic of siblings who laugh and argue, but will do anything to protect each other. It’s a testament to the talent of playwright Polly Stenham, who is just 22 years old, and Tusk Tusk is only her second play. But this production by the Sydney Theatre Company and Australian Theatre for Young People shines from the strength of some remarkable performances by its very young cast. Charming Kai Lewins is heartwarming as little Finn, while impressive Airlie-Jane Dodds and Miles Szanto bring emotion and depth to their difficult roles that is far beyond their years. It’s a little drawn out, but Tusk Tusk is so moving and haunting you won’t be able to stop thinking about it.

Until Sept 4, Sydney Theatre Company, $26-45, 9250 1777, www.sydneytheatre.com.au

BY ANTONIA HAYES