Theatre / “Milk”, written by Dylan Van Den Berg, directed by Ginny Savage. At The Street Theatre, until June 12. Reviewed by JOE WOODWARD.

SOME theatre is a matter of cultural necessity. “Milk” is one such theatre!

The play is an exercise in time placement dealing with indigenous experience of colonisation and the continuing ramifications now. 

It is careful not to make the work purely history; but to shape it into a tapestry that is at once current and connected with the on-going pain of discovery and identity. The work is multi-dimensional and complex; constructed as art and more than exposition. As such it marks a point of departure for Australian theatre.

Imogen Keen’s set takes us into a landscape that contains the harshness of country constancy while also suggesting the ruins of past architectural signifiers. It is brutal. It provides the space for actors to create, through words and simple movement, a dream-like fusion of struggles and affirmations.

The writing is poetic and epic in nature. It is set against one of Australian history’s most heinous moments. Yet there is no trace of narcissistic sentimentality or pity. The characters are called “A”, “B” and “C”. Each has huge obstacles to overcome. Each has to deal with the problem of history and self-preservation. Van Den Berg’s work is mature and clear. It places high demands on the director and actors.

Ginny Savage had a huge task in shaping the production. Working with the writer, who was also an actor in the piece, must have been a challenge in itself. The effect of the partnership though has worked. 

Performances from Katie Beckett, Roxanne McDonald and Dylan Van Den Berg were uniformly powerful and highly effective in keeping to the form and structure of the production. Roxanne McDonald is surely one of Australia’s most accomplished actors. Her performance evoked memory in a distilled emotional eruption that was at the same time contained within a most developed intellect. Through this, she communicated so much by simply holding a presence with eyes that could penetrate a whole audience at one time.

Her very being as “Character A” provides the cultural necessity that is “Milk”.