Cut Chilli

Cut Chilli is a “coming-of-age” story of a different kind. It’s even bigger than that really – because though it revolves around inter-country adoption practices and “the wilful naivety around the broken systems that have enabled its darker side”, it reaches beyond that to our own dark history of ‘stolen’ children, forced assimilation, supremacist policies and racism.

Though Chenturan Aran’s play centres on Jamie, adopted as an ‘orphan’ baby in Sri Lanka, brought up in Western Australia in a predominantly white community, and becoming increasingly aware of the void in his life – his Sri Lankan heritage and culture, his birth mother, the details of his adoption – it also nuances the implications of being different – a different colour, a different religion, a different culture, a different generation.

It might seem a lot of “differents” to integrate into two hours, but Aran does so skilfully. He weaves them into the ‘family’ of his play: Jamie himself, his Muslim activist podcaster girlfriend Zahra, Katherine and Lee McKenzie, the white Australian couple that adopted him so many years ago and Jeff, his funny but very politically incorrect uncle. And explores them through the accusations, arguments and pain that result from Jamie’s searching questions

There is bitter confrontation, hurtful introspection, an upsetting revelation. The characters are real and colourful. The dialogue is economic, pithy, honest and director David Burrowes drives the action to match. It is fast, challenging, provocative, the conflict and tension lightened by humour including some very ‘dad-type’ jokes.

The tense friction that builds with successive scenes is juxtaposed with gentle translations of a Sri Lankan story recorded in the lilting voice of Nikki Sekar and told to the sounds and images of the sea projected on a scrim screen that stretches across the stage suggesting distance and peace.

Aran’s characters are carefully written and Burrowes and his cast make them immediate and real, especially Jamie and Zahra, played by 2023 NIDA and WAAPA graduates Ariyan Sharma and Kelsey Jeanell. Both make their stage debuts creating these very bright, fiery young characters who aren’t afraid to rock social, political or personal boats.

Sharma’s eyes and expressions augment Aran’s script to extend the implications of his words, and inject intelligent humour into his reactions. He realises the growing of strength of purpose in Jamie that Aran has written into the role, and the challenges of pace and pause that Burrowes has used to empower that strength.  

Zahra is equally purposeful and Jeanell makes her frank, outspoken and unafraid to question, challenge or react – especially when faced with Jamie’s very uptight, suburban family. Her Zahra is energetic, very direct and just a bit devious.

Susie Lindeman and Brendan Miles play Jamie’s adoptive parents, Katherine and Lee. Both bring a wealth of experience to roles that demand underlying control and tension and outbursts of temper and emotion. Lindeman shows her strain in anxious gestures, vocal tremor and rising temper. Miles tries to hide it in humour and failed gusto, especially with Zahra who reacts to his cynical bonhomie with appropriate disdain – until the reason for their tension is eventually extracted – painfully – by Jamie’s persistence.

Lee’s brother Jeff is the ‘comic relief’ in the play – and Noel Hodda relishes every sick joke and PI comment that exposes Jeff’s open, unintentional offensiveness. He makes Jeff friendly, artless, funny, lovable – a buffer to the rising pressure that starts to erupt as the final scenes play out.

Cut Chilli has been produced by a creative team that is talented and insightful. David Burrowes’ empathic understanding and sensitive vision has been fixed and intensified on a set (Sohan Apte) that takes the action almost across an ocean, colours it with costumes (Rita Naidu) that contrast and blend and gives it sounds (Sam Cheng) that soothe and appease.

Like so much of the theatre being written and produced by new writers and indie companies, Chenturan Aran’s play breaks new ground in many ways. Congratulations to Lucy Clements for ‘remembering’ reading the play and, with Emma Wright, the New Ghosts/Old Fitz team, David Burrowes and his talented cast and crew, for realising it so effectively.

Carol Wimmer

Photographer: Phil Erbacher