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Good Little Solider

There are some moments – all choreographed by the Ensemble – that effectively evoke the machoism of war.
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Light pierces through the bullet holes in the tin shed sheeting as the sound of loud and rapid fire surrounds the central male figure of Frank (Gavin Webber). We see Frank hoisted up by the ghosts of his soldier mates – silhouetted.  

These images stay with me from this performance – but unfortunately there was only a very small audience to appreciate this thought provoking dance-theatre work. Good Little Soldier explores how post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) permeates from the afflicted individual into the families of those affected.

Cleverly directed by Mark Howett, Good Little Soldier is based on a season presented by Ochre Dance Company in Berlin in 2013. Howett directs theatre, dance, opera and film, having started in lighting design, and has an impressive portfolio of mainly overseas work. His previous works in Australia include Cloudstreet for Co B Belvoir and Secret River for Sydney Theatre Company, and the breadth of his vision can be seen in Good Little Solider.

The Australian regional town setting – magically designed by Bryan Woltjen – shows a returned soldier struggling to engage with family life. Strong use of tin with country pub echoes and flaps of white bandages masquerading as washing are all story elements in their own right. Musicians Matthew de la Hunty and Dale Couper move from propping up the bar to scrambling up the scaffolding to perform ‘sturm und drang’. The brilliant used lighting is by the multi-talented Howett, and the music is key to creating the emotional drama, in conjunction with sound design by Laurie Sinagra. 

The battles at home are stoically borne by Frank’s wife, played by Raewyn Hill, who in her withdrawn mask-like manner and highly muscled body becomes more masculine –  and my least favourite element of this performance – as the nurturing, more feminine aspects of life seem to be absent from this family.  As the son, Josh, Otto Kosok – a member of Co3 Youth Ensemble and previously part of STEPS Youth Dance Company – provides a youthful presence.

The ghost soldiers, played by Grayson Millwood and Ian Wilkes, vividly depict Frank’s military life and are unseen by everyone else around him. Their dancing ranged from crazy abandonment to heartfelt anguish and really brought the work to life. It was also heartening to acknowledge the long history of Indigenous fighters in world wars (as embodied in Wilkes’ character) who are all too often missing from an Australian perspective.

Even though the allegoric comparison of soldiers performing war manoeuvres and performing dance movements may be sketchy, there are some moments – all choreographed by the Ensemble – that effectively evoke the machismo of war. The most effective are the structured throwing around of the pin-cushioned boy Josh in the ringside boxing scene, and the angst of a losing fight with rattling beer cans and overdone male hugging.  Webber, who played Frank the father, is the co-artistic director of Gold Coast based THE FARM and both performer and director. His maturity and experience shine through in this performance which he holds together despite the very much ensemble nature of the work.

Hypervigilance and reactivity is a key notion is this performance, which certainly does not seem suitable for war veterans given its loud gun battles, images of war playing out across the back tin wall and realistic deaths of the ghost soldiers – though the director says afterwards that veterans have been supportive audience members.  

The hallucinatory aspects are well handled by director, designer and actors.  

Rating: 3 ½ stars out of 5

Good Little Soldier

Directed by Mark Howett
Performed by Gavin Webber, Grayson Millwood, Raewyn Hill, Ian Wilkes, Otto Kosok.
Choreography and Text: The Ensemble
(based on The Farm’s original performance ‘Good Little Soldier’ staged in Berlin May 2013.
Dramaturg Phil Thomson
Set & Costume Design by Bryan Woltjen
Lighting Design by Mark Howett
Musicians Mathew de la Hunty and Dale Couper
Sound Design Laurie Sinagra

Subiaco Arts Centre, Subiaco 
9 – 30 July 2017

Mariyon Slany
About the Author
Mariyon Slany runs her own communications and art consultancy. Her formal qualifications in Visual Arts, Literature and Communications combine well with her experience in media and her previous work as WA’s Artbank Consultant for her current position as Public Art Consultant.