‘The Chat’ is an emotional, raw and honest look into the life of an ex-offender on parole and the parole officers who make the decisions about their future.
Created by ex-parole officer James Brennan, the play explores the ways the justice system and society treat people who have committed offences. The piece is a collaboration between ex-offenders, ex-parole officers, criminologists and academics together with some of Australia's wildest performance makers.
There are no characters or professional actors in ‘The Chat’, only their shirts discern the role they’re playing. The most prominent aspect is a structured one-on-one parole interview where the roles of their real life titles are reversed. It’s an intimate and minimal setting, the audience lining the walls like a jury and their voices amplified with microphones.
There’s a balance between ethics and aesthetic. The project’s development methodology has deliberately been avoided. The half-scripted half-improvised format allows for dialogue to flow naturally as an interview and the overall judgement of the criminal’s character would – mistakes and all. Slipping effortlessly between script and acting, it’s reflection upon the piece that ties the loose ends.
There is some confusing and abstract theatre throughout – hint: it mimics the emotional rollercoaster of a convicted felon from being controlled, supervised and isolated to having freedom and the healing process.
‘The Chat’ challenges perceptions and stigmas. Judgments are made, scrutinised, overthrown and ultimately transformed. There is laughter, disgust, pity and true fear (Mother Nature contributing in-sync on the evening). There is also (willing) audience participation, which further alters the outcome of the assessment, the overall flow and makes for a unique performance every night.
The performance is layered in fictitious reality, but there are grabs of truth – hard truth – in these stories. These moments are powerful and make the most impact in challenging persecutions.
In the beginning ex-offender Mark Flewell-Smith asks the audience to watch him closely because they will be judging him on his performance. During the assessment at the end, a stand-out moment occurred which moved the audience. A female audience member suggested Mark be asked what he wants.
“I want to be like you. I want to be a normal person like you. But I don’t know how.”
'The Chat' plays La Boite's Indie season until 14 November.
