Telethon Kid

This is a story about an undoubtedly important issue that rarely gets the kind of attention it deserves. The play largely addresses the issue of doctor and patient relationships especially where children are in the care of renowned specialists. Baldwin writes from his own personal experience and knowledge, and this brings a great deal of credence, humour and poignancy to the text. However, the events venture into other territory such as body positive politics and homosexual eroticism. All of these themes are dealt with in theatrically interesting ways, but their connection is sometimes lost in the way the story strays between them.

Sam (William Rees) suffers from a rare muscular disease which has put him in the medical limelight almost all of his life. His relationship with Doc (Max Brown) takes a morally questionable turn when, as an adult, they meet up at a conference and become lovers. The fallout from their encounter has devastating repercussions for both of them. This is where the play struggles to balance its focus on the exploitation of children with rare diseases for the purpose of medical advancement. The play fixes on Sam and Doc’s compromising circumstances and the impossibility of what is portrayed as a deep and genuine romance. Here the issue of the ethics of dealing with child patients becomes a bit of a backdrop. The realities of other patients, who are like Sam, are somewhat sidelined. This is seen in through the character Evie (Ashley Apap) whose story has just as much weight but is less developed.

Kt (Effie Nkrumah) is the marketing guru who holds the show and the narrative together. She represents the medical research group and exposes both the sinister and benevolent side of such organisations. Nkrumah commands the stage with both humour and pathos and this marries well with the equally strong performance provided by Rees. He is able to capture the frustration of his situation with great depth of emotion. It is easy to empathise with his conflicted relationship to life, medicine and sexuality. The text imbues these emotions with sincerity and humour and Rees is able to convey all the nuance of his difficult emotional journey.

The production is especially clever in the setting of the conference. The staging exploits the theatrical context, and this adds a great deal of irony and satire to the performance. This is a play that deals with some very sensitive issues, but the text gives them a somewhat uneasy and unresolved interrelationship.

Patricia Di Risio 

Photographer: Tamarah Scott