Bowengabbie. A small town, once the jewel in the crown of the Australian preserve industry, has faded into obscurity. The town’s youth departing in their droves for the city in search of better prospects and more money. Leaving behind an increasingly aging population. Add to that an eclectic and eccentric cast of characters, and the scene is set for writer Caleb Lewis’ work Death in Bowengabbie, currently being presented at Perth’s Blue Room Theatre until the 11th May.
Death in Bowengabbie is a charming and at times darkly comic piece. A masterful example of “less is more”. Told in a straightforward troubadour style, with performer Bryce Youngman, playing not only the role of Oscar, but also the whole ensemble cast of eccentric characters that make up Bowengabbie’s elderly population. You could easily stretch the story out into a longer production (currently it only runs to just over an hour) or stretch it out even further into a televised/radio serial. Such is the strength of the characters; you want to learn more about their lives.
Youngman is a delight to watch, a captivating and charismatic performer, who draws the audience in, holding their attention throughout. The production really highlights Youngman’s range, with the actor deftly handling both the comic and touching moments with equal amounts of subtlety and poise. Though in many respects he is the sole face of the production, much credit should also go to the team behind the scenes, right from the writer Caleb Lewis, for his fantastic and witty script, to the director Matt Edgerton, and Joe Lui and James Collins on Lighting and Sound respectively.
All in all Death in Bowengabbie is a quality production, darkly comic as well as heart warming. With more deaths than your average episode of Midsomer, Bowengabbie is a story of love, death and those quirky small towns, suitable for pretty much the whole family.
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