Despite a limited stage set-up and a cast of just five, 'Fly-In Fly-Out' managed to stimulate the imagination and suspend disbelief in a way that productions with ten times the budget can struggle to.
Though the underlying subject matter covers a wide array of relatively tragic circumstances, the exceptional script and cast manage to elevate it into a heartfelt and engaging, coming-of-age comedy.
From the moment Tammy Weller bounded on stage, beaming with contagious enthusiasm, it was clear that she was the perfect casting choice to deliver the dry, bittersweet lines which belie her character’s bubbly demeanour. The entire cast put in strong performances, switching costumes to cover multiple roles without missing a beat, reinventing their gender and personality traits with ease.
The play follows 15-year-old Jenny’s (Tammy Weller) life in a small Queensland mining town as she balances a troubled home life, 2 jobs and her school life. Despite these challenges, the actions are all underlined by the death of her mother and the affect it has on her family unit. It’s probably a testament to the consultation with actual communities in the composition of this play that helps make the characters so believable and identifiable. Rather than focus on the major impacts of fly-in fly-out on towns and communities, these delicate issues are instead framed through the eyes of teenagers and their relative self-involved outlooks. I couldn’t get over how well the script captured the sheer awkwardness between the cast members, particularly in the relatively romantic moments, so effortlessly making you squirm in your seat.
The audience is taken through a pivotal period of someone’s life framed by the disruption caused by charismatic new arrival Sebastian (Patrick Dwyer) and his burgeoning friendship with Jenny. A wide range of subjects are touched on, and it’s the strength of the writing that makes it feel as though they’re not trivialised by the light touch. The character arc of the hairdresser regular who laments the changes in the way the town is, forcing importance on trivial tasks is relatively incidental, yet surprisingly effective.If you’re looking for criticisms, you could argue that it all ends up relatively lightweight with few risks in its approach, and little to come away with that could be argued as contentious or challenging. Instead it opts for a more universal appeal, easy to draw empathy with even if you’ve never even been near a town like this. The problems associated with a fly-in fly-out lifestyle come off relatively lightly with so much being contended with, and with the optimism of the central character making everything feel like it’ll be OK in the end.
A good play should speak to multiple people in multiple ways, with comedy used as a great medium to amplify the absurd. Considering the number of ways in which they could have gotten it wrong, 'Fly-In Fly-Out' was a thoroughly enjoyable way to spend an evening with more than a few laugh out loud highlights.Fly In, Fly Out Tour Dates
Mon 15 June – Roma Cultural CentreTues 16 June – Miles Town Hall
Thurs 18 - Sat 20 June – University Of Southern Queensland Arts Theatre (Toowoomba)
