Set across five distinct time periods, Oil at the Sydney Theatre Company depicts different moments in the modern history of petroleum (crude oil) and its far-reaching impacts. Written by UK playwright Ella Hickson and directed by Paige Rattray, the play follows the journey of May (Brooke Satchwell), a strong-willed woman who longs for a better life for herself and her child.
Opening in a remote farm in Cornwall in 1889, a pregnant May is first introduced to the magic that is petroleum when traveller William Whitcomb (Callan Colley) arrives on her husband’s family’s doorstep on the freezing night. As his oil lamp illuminates the room, it shines a light on a future of possibilities, one that May is unable to walk away from.
We jump forward to 1908 Tehran, around the time the first significant oil well was drilled. The British are riding high on the thrill of colonisation and May’s interactions with a British officer (Benedict Samuel) demonstrate the lengths she is willing to go to for her young daughter, Amy’s (Charlotte Friels), future. Next up it’s the 1970s where we see the political instability surrounding the lead up to the 1973 Oil Crisis and the rise of environmental activism. Then it’s Baghdad in 2025 where we see the impacts of recent and current conflicts and the resulting climate crisis.
In the end the play comes full circle, and we find May and Amy back in Cornwall in a speculative 2050, notably the same year that numerous nations have committed to net zero carbon emissions. We see the full effects of the climate crisis as the world endeavours to find new ways of generating energy.
To say this play covers a lot of ground is an understatement. While the development and subsequent impacts of petroleum is arguably the primary focus (it is called Oil after all), certain scenes adopt themes of feminism, ambition, fear, capitalism and how all these things combine to impact those around us. The one constant through all of it is the relationship between May and Amy. It is no coincidence that her daughter’s name is a re-imagining of her own; in her child she sees the future she was never afforded and the possibilities she always wanted.
The narrative is circular but lacks continuity. Clearly if May was alive in 1889, she would not be kicking around in 2050. Perhaps due to the nature of the plays structure, it was difficult to become invested in a character’s journey. No sooner do you become engaged in the narrative presented than it changes to something completely different.
And while the cast as a whole delivered an incredible performance – in particular Satchwell as May was an absolute powerhouse on stage (despite a grating Cornish accent) – none of them were particularly likeable. Am I invested in these characters? Their desires, their futures? But perhaps that’s not their purpose. Perhaps the characters exist to facilitate and amplify what Oil is actually about.
The production concludes with a comment that the mistake western civilisation made was thinking that their “vision of modernity was modernity itself.” Perhaps this play is a warning. A comment on the influence of greed, capitalism, and a deluded sense of control.
Perhaps it’s a reflection on intersectional feminism and the myths that continue to surround single women who are happier on their own despite the opinions of others.
Or perhaps it’s a story about the unbreakable bond between a mother and child and the sacrifices people make for those they love.
Honestly, it could be all the above, and while for many that creates a nuanced and interesting narrative, for others it adds layers of complexity that ultimately detract from the underlying purpose.
THREE STARS (OUT OF FIVE)
Oil will run until 16 December 2023.
For more information and to buy tickets head to the Sydney Theatre Company website.
Reviewer attended on 14 November 2023.
Photos: Prudence Upton
