sitting, screaming

As part of the 2024 New Works Festival staged by Sydney’s Old Fitz Theatre, comes this excellent one-act play about the abuse of a teenage girl, written by Madelaine Nunn, convincing and powerfully played by Clare Hughes. 

It’s hard to believe that a new play could hit the mark so well, but Hughes as Sam, the lone lead, blue eyes sparkling, decked out in lemon yellow top and navy blue shorts in her final year at a Sydney private school, lets rip with a blast of scalding, unfocussed rage: her against the world. Enter the ever-alert Mr David.

The clumsy blue streaks in her hair shriek a warning: look out, Sam’s at large! Her father’s in hospital with testicular cancer (‘Too much wanking!’) and meetings with friends and female members of the staff are predicably pointless. Sam is lost and the perfect picking for Mr David who steps into the picture gradually but with certainty.

Lucy Clements is the director in charge of the recovery of her leading actress, and we’re in good hands. The largest kudos must go to the actual creator of this messy picture of adolescent confusion, Madelaine Nunn.

A crushing moment comes when Mr David, under pressure, gets the girl to double back on herself. Sam doesn’t understand that all the shots are in his favour... until the worm turns and Sam learns how to defend herself.

The title ‘sitting, screaming’ is a problem. Apart from putting out a lower case alert, I could do with more actual screaming in the show. We get to the screaming and the action just stops. I wonder if this has something to do with the otherwise excellent backing of the Bravehearts Foundation, child sexual abuse carers.

Clare Hughes is exactly perfect as Sam and it would be wonderful if every girl in the city/country could avail herself of her stinging portrait. Coming from her fine performance in the ABC’s television series Ladies in Black, she here underlines her talent and sets claim for other roles, bigger things.

Frank Hatherley

Photographer: Phil Erbacher