I am about to have all my mental rules challenged whilst viewing THE REMOVALISTS:
Sergeant Simmonds (Steve Mouzakis) sits with his feet up on the desk nonchalant in his ‘quiet’ police station where, according to him, ‘nothing much happens’ because a crime could often be ‘too small’ to worry about or ‘too big’ for their office to deal with adequately.
Pacing about his desk opposite, newly arrived Constable Ross (William McKenna) straight out of training on his first day for work, looks puzzled.
The more experienced officer adds to his advice that he himself has never actually even made an arrest in his entire career! The Sergeant encourages the confused new recruit to follow his lead and learn what one could never learn in the Academy.
Enter sisters Kate (Jessica Clarke) and Fiona (Eloise Mignon) to report a nasty domestic abuse against Fiona’s husband Kenny (Michael Whalley). Fiona certainly has the bruises as proof which the Sergeant will closely inspect and Constable Ross will be required to uncomfortably photograph. Kate clearly demonstrates her care for her sister in speaking to the Sergeant about helping her sister file a medical report as evidence. The Sergeant takes the case and sits reluctantly at his typewriter….
After a few key strokes, rather than make an official police report, the Sergeant suggests to the women that he and Constable Ross attend Fiona’s home at a set time with a removalist (Martin Blum). They can help to move out the furniture that Fiona requires in order to leave her husband and set up in a new flat with their child on her own. Confident Kate agrees it is a good idea and Fiona hesitantly provides more information.
The Sergeant further explains that he ‘kindly’ takes it upon himself to ‘assist’ the community with their problems at a deeper level than simply understanding the instruction of any police training manual. Constable Ross has no option but to go along with it all.
The plan is made and the removalist is booked. Kenny is usually never at home on Friday nights, so Friday night it is. That particular Friday night though Kenny decides he will be at home and who should answer the door but him. After arguing with the removalist that he has the wrong home, one thing leads to another and soon enough the abusive husband Kenny finds himself a victim, of police ‘force’.
‘The Removalists’ somehow combines dark comedy with grim brutality and I certainly can’t judge such a scenario being depicted violently on stage, but this production has worn achievement for 50 years, so it obviously holds interest and relevance in order where it should. Law enforcement, like many other jobs, has its dark side. Law enforcement are people, people have emotions, people have control… sometimes…
Excellent are all the cast, but I particularly liked the young Constable character. McKenna needs to do the most amount of adaptations in his persona throughout the play. He’s very much believable in all scenes and his character will surprise you from mild-nervous to hot-tempered. A vision flashes before me of the character ‘Roy’ in TV’s ‘Cop Shop’ many years ago; could the constable’s temper have also been restrained?
Sharply all Australian too is The Removalists right down to the mention of FORD – plenty of ‘mate-this’ and ‘mate-that’, fights and negotiations. I was impressed mostly done with minimal foul language. In fact I didn’t hear much swearing at all – something I never feel is necessary to tell a story. This script does that exceptionally well.
I took my hubby along and he said the set reminded him of watching ‘Matlock’ back in the day. Again, the flip counter reminded me of ‘Cop Shop’. It is authentic 1970s.
There are tiered audience seats provided on the back-side of the stage if you want to be up very close to the action. I think that would’ve made me uncomfortable because there are parts in this play which are quite confronting, especially as a woman, but if you can handle that and want to be right in the midst, definitely try and book one of those chairs on the opposite side to the usual beautiful comfy seats of Melbourne Theatre Company.
Playing until 17 April 2025 in Southbank, ‘The Removalists’ will have an utterly engaged audience as it would be difficult to go see it and be anything else.
Please note the plot remains worryingly sadistic; a swept-under-the-rug topic that police I doubt want to see out there, but I must applaud the amazing acting and the fact that five of the ‘original’ cast came to join the last standing ovation on opening night. Such would tell me of the appeal to many who love the courage of the Arts’. I appreciate the same in any work I see on a dramatic stage.
Congratulations to Director Anne-Louise Sarks and her team on a successful season start for ‘The Removalists’ – a provocative power-play which was, decades ago, sketched in the mind of writer David Williamson after listening to a true-life version of what we saw tonight and seemingly shockingly is here to stay. (I pray not in the case of true-life.)
