The Boy At The Edge of Everything

In the Intergalactic Book of Alien planets, Earth is described thus – “The blue bits are water – the green bits are land.” Succinct, simple, and perceptive – as is all of this beautiful and hysterically funny play – aimed at children but a delight for adults whose inner kid is still alive and kicking.

Finegan Kruckemeyer is (arguably) the world’s – no, make that the universe’s – best and most prolific writer of children’s theatre (74 plays to date) and also its most lauded and awarded. Yet few people know that this master storyteller hails from Tasmania, by way of Adelaide and out of Ireland. Fortunately for us he has brought “The Little People” with him in his imagination to provide a story of  childhood, technology, time, and amazement that is just a little pixie-lated, and all the better for it.

Simon Ives is an earth boy whose entire life is regimented, organised to the Nth degree. He is always doing Something, and longs to do Nothing. If the Universe is expanding, then there must be an edge, and beyond that ….Nothing. On that edge lives The Boy, and he is staring out at nothing… “Not even darkness, because darkness is a thing.” From the other side of his roof he can see EVERYTHING, and that’s what he longs for. When Simon is fired from the roof of Grandpa’s shed in a discarded meditation flotation tank as a space capsule, the family forget to factor in all the old fireworks stored in the shed. Simon is catapulted into deep space and lands, thousands of years later [when earth (and family) has ceased to exist] at the Edge Of Everything, where he and the boy become friends and Simon learns that there are planets made entirely of dog poo, or only crossable via a giant water slide. When the two find a way to travel back through time to Simon’s home – it’s with a new understanding of each other and their worlds. The play carries a strong message about appreciating what you have, and tolerance and understanding of all that is different, yet it never preaches or pushes the point.

Peter Houghton, that most versatile of actors, writers, directors is the perfect choice for this marvellous offering for all ages.  With Andrew Bailey’s simple, stunning design, he brings us a universe where giant train sets travel between galaxies, a dining table devours lasagne, plates and all, things are magically suspended in mid-air, and boys can jump off the edge of the universe. No CGI, no projection, no technical aids….just wonderful stagecraft throughout, aided by Lisa Mibus’ excellent lighting and a great soundscape by J David Franzke. It makes the production accessible to everyone.

The excellent cast of four are totally believable in the roles as children, with the required energy and wackiness, and suspension of disbelief that comes with the very best of childhood. Sebastian Lamour is a smart, but not sophisticated, twelve year old – and it’s easy to identify with his dis-satisfaction with a life which is too well ordered with extra-curricular activities. He’s an actor who impresses with everything he does. Matt Furlani is wonderfully offbeat as the Boy and Colin... it’s no stretch at all to imagine he is from another planet. There is a sequence where Simon tries to teach the boy to say “EARTH” out loud. In the script, the writer simply writes the word Earth, eight times, Yet, with Houghton’s imaginative direction, this becomes a brilliant piece of comedy shtick worthy of The Goons or Monty Python, lasting perhaps 5 minutes and reducing the audience to tears of laughter. Add to that the fart jokes and even a vomiting sequence…which is surprisingly inoffensive and you have wonderful, priceless comedy to temper the more serious aspects. I look forward to seeing a lot of these two fine talents in the years to come. Emily Goddard is delightful as Chloe, brilliant as Mum and totally convincing as the teacher Ms Chester. Newly graduated from the National Drama School, Felix Berger-O’Neil shows great promise as younger brother Louie and the school bully Michael.

If you don’t have kids…borrow some; or wear your inner child like a badge of honour. This is marvellous insightful entertainment and I suspect that Finegan shares my mantra for life – “In a Universe of infinite possibilities, why settle for limited probabilities?”

Coral Drouyn

Images: Sebastian Lamour and Matt Furlani & Emily Goddard, Felix Berger-O’Neil and Matt Furlani. Photos by Jeff Busby.