Black Box

Part stage musical, part radio play, part documentary, Black Box is a fascinating insight into one of Australia’s unsung heroes – David Warren, aviation safety pioneer as the inventor of the universally deployed Black Box flight recorder. It may seem an odd theme for a stage musical, but, it just works, thanks to a multi-talented team effort, featuring two stunning stars who guarantee sparkling entertainment from start to finish.

In this world premiere of a new Australian musical, Brisbane-based writer, Paul Hodge, delves into Warren’s background and dedication to designing a device that will allow us to hear from the past to learn lessons for the future. Inspired by his love of music and HAM radio, spurred on by the unfortunate death of his father in a plane crash, Warren is an obsessive inventor, only just finding time to have a family while working as a busy civil servant by day and researcher and engineer by night – and any other spare time! It’s difficult to get good drama from a desk job, but this story turns into ‘David vs Goliath’ as Warren battles the Aussie’s lack of interest, deftly courts the Brit’s enthusiasm, while dealing with overt US zeal to beat him to the punch! Of course, this being the late 1950s, Ruth Warren is forced to quit her teaching job when she marries, and bringing up her children means no time for her own creative ambitions.

Directed by the experienced David Berthold (NIDA, Brisbane Festival, La Boite, Griffin Theatre Company) there is never a dull moment in this tightly woven – and sung – tale. Michael Cormick (Beauty and the Beast, Sunset Boulevard, The Rocky Horror Show, Mamma Mia! and Phantom of the Opera) plays David Warren as a focused and driven man, willing to slightly bend the rules but constrained by the era, and perhaps his own religious upbringing. Michael is on stage for the whole 2-hours-plus show, and his voice is always strong and engaging. His energy and charisma picks you up and leads you through Warren’s story. And there is great on-stage chemistry with his soulmate, Ruth, played by the warm and assured Helen Dallimore (Wicked, Girl From The North Country, End of the Rainbow, and Legally Blonde). When Ruth’s strength wavers, Helen captures the heartbreak of an artistic soul with limited options. There may even be room to expand on Ruth’s part in the story as the play develops. But for now, the focus is on David and his incredible tenacity. The musical numbers are delightful, entertaining and moving, with soundbites from Warren’s own catchphrases and speeches looping and reinforcing the play’s themes.

While this is a two-hander, you will swear that you have seen a stage full of supporting characters, thanks to the vocal talents of Bryan Probets, Hugh Parker, Bernard Curry, Liz Buchanan, Ethan Lwin and Freddie Hagley. Billed as the “first binaural musical”, the play’s technical subject matter perfectly suits the use of today’s tech – as audience members each wear their own headphones, which allows for crystal clear music, sound effects and dialogue. The Sound Design by Daniel Herten is superb, Sound Recording by James See, backed by the technical skills of QPAC’s Sound team led by Alex Kelly. One of our headsets ran out of batteries towards the end of the show, but a spare was quickly located. It was all part of the fun. But I’d be just as happy with seeing more of the cast live on stage. While the recordings suit Black Box in a Black Box theatre, I would certainly love to return to see the show again with a larger cast in person on a bigger stage. The musical talents of the pre-recorded band bring David Warren’s love of Benny Goodman-era jazz to life, and that would also be wonderful to experience live on stage. The soundtrack also features vocals by Dami Im, Taylah Johns, Tymyka Adele Wines, Henry Kafoa and Elliot Baker. 

The set design by Isabel Hudson is a warm homage to the radio era and you feel like you are sitting inside a vintage radio set. Video Design by Mic Gruchy and Lighting Design by Ben Hughes contribute greatly to the transportive atmosphere. The only disadvantage is that enthusiastic audience applause is muffled by the headsets, but they were swiftly discarded for a well-deserved standing ovation. Black Box is highly recommended. You will certainly have seen nothing like it before. In its current form, Black Box, is a perfect touring vehicle, and I hope that means that many more people will get to hear – and sing – about David Warren’s part in Australian history.

Beth Keehn

Find out more: https://www.qpac.com.au/whats-on/2024/black-box

Read Coral Drouyn’s interview with Paul Hodge: https://www.stagewhispers.com.au/news/what%E2%80%99s-box