4000 Miles

One of the quirky things about growing old is the loss of inhibitions. There is nothing like being skewered by your grandmother with a home truth.

 In 4000 Miles 91-year-old Vera Joseph (Nancye Hayes), shoots from the hip when her grandson Leo (Shiv Palekar) turns up unannounced to her New York home on his bike, after suffering from an undisclosed trauma during his long road trip.

Vera finds a packet of condoms in his bag and expresses surprise that the box is unopened.

Playwright Amy Herzog wrote 4000 Miles as a love letter to her own grandmother, who like the lead in this production was a sharp as a tack old leftie.

Nominated for a Pulitzer Prize, it is an entertaining play with bite and wit. Little things such as absent-minded misplacements of household goods are blended nicely with shocking revelations.

In the script Herzog writes in pauses and sometimes long pauses. The absence of dialogue in no way diminished the drama. Nancye Hayes fills these moments with a delicious mix of thoughts and actions. Seeing our grand dame of theatre performing with such clarity is a delight. 

Her grandson is supposed to be 21 years old, but Leo’s dialogue has a wisdom beyond these years. They are an odd couple, but spending time together is good for both of their souls.

Palekar embraces the role with compassion. We feel his trauma and are intrigued by his revelations.

The funniest scene in the play is when Leo looks like he might get the opportunity to open that box. The prospective one-night stand is hilarious, fuelled by a dynamic cameo from Shirong Wu.

The performances are aided by a stunning looking set (Jeremy Allen), lighting design (Kelsey Lee) and sumptuous audio (Jessica Dunn).

Exquisite details such as the tiles on the floor, items on the shelves and the tree outside the window were vivid. It makes you wince realising that it will all be broken into pieces when the play finishes.

Whilst the set will disappear, the memory of a warm night in the theatre and terrific characters will burn bright.

David Spicer

Photographer: Daniel Boud