[Disordered] Action Of The Heart

Over 1500 Australians were evacuated from Gallipoli in 1915, suffering from the after-effects of shellshock. This powerful minimalist production from One Of A Pair and 3^rd Room Theatrical tells the story of one such individual, Private Dylan Moxley (Peter Norton). Wracked with grief over the death of a brother in arms (played by Craig Wood in voiceovers) and haunted by memories of the wife he left behind (played by Sasha Dyer in a series of flashback tableaux), he must contend with nightmares, shakes and philosophical self-doubt as he recuperates in an army hospital.  A plucky nurse, Nellie (also Dyer), tries to raise his spirits.

The dialogue is snappy, emotive and true to the idioms of the time period. The writers are also to be commended for not going the obvious route with the story and turning the central relationship into a stereotypical soldier/nurse romance, in favour of a much more complex, platonic bonding. Norton and Dyer play off each other well, the latter essaying her dual roles with chameleonic ease and the former convincingly portraying Dylan’s neuroses without going over the top. The skilful lighting and choreography (courtesy of Rueben Foster and Katherine Alpert) ensure that there is no confusion caused by the play’s constant jumping backwards and forwards in time, and the well-chosen sound effects enhance the atmosphere enormously.

All things considered, this is an intense and rewarding chamber piece that deserves to be seen by anyone in the mood for well-made, serious drama.

Benjamin Orchard.

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