Our Country's Good
Our Country’s Good is a play within a play that challenges the class system and inspires the audience to rethink how we treat those less fortunate than ourselves.
The 2 hour 45 minute play tells the tale of a group of criminals during their banishment from England to Sydney in the 18th Century. Written by British playwright Timberlake Wertenbaker, this updated production is a thought-provoking comedy with strong political themes guaranteed to test your views and values. The 1991 version won six Tony nominations and has since been reworked to fit a more contemporary style, fitting to our ever-evolving modern world.
This quality play has been directed by Rachel O’Riordan and is currently showing at the Lyric Hammersmith in London. The Lyric is a non-profit theatre, running since 1888 and is quite humble and unassuming from the outside, however as soon as you enter the auditorium the usual buzz of a fully working theatre is apparent. This theatre works with a lot of new writing and lower budget productions, making it a great place to witness something special.
The set design by Gary McCann consisted of realistic trees, scattered sparsely around a dusty sand dune stage, replicating what we now call Australia. I particularly enjoyed the curved platform, separating the actors at times and visually transporting us to a remote, deserted spot in the outback.
The costumes used were a controversial blend of both extremely current and traditional attire, oxymoronically presenting the discord of events to follow. By blending very modern costumes and props with traditional language and clothes, it adds an interesting and potentially polarising affect. With that said, I think audiences will resonate with the characters with the disjointed and relatable fashion, even if personally a traditional take is more favourable.
The play intensely starts with us witnessing an uncomfortable series of lashings. It’s a brave beginning and immediately informs the audience of the dark themes and discomfort to expect going forward.
Admittedly, the actors seemed nervous at the beginning of the show and worried me with some slight ‘over-acting’ - however as the play progressed this was toned down and thankfully, a more realistic style was adopted.
One stylistic choice that was a highlight throughout the show were in the scene changes. Each change included intense, upbeat music as the characters onstage transformed into animalistic shapes scuttling over the stage. Not only did this nod to the fact the criminals were being treated more like animals than fellow humans, these tribal flashes also remind the viewer of the innate impulses few within us all that drive us in our decisions.
The talented cast consisted of Catrin Aaron, Jack Bardoe, Ruby Bentall, Nick Fletcher, Oliver Hubard, Harry Kershaw, Simon Manyonda, Naarah, Aaliyah Odoffin, Nicola Stephenson and Finbar Lynch. Ruby Bentall stood out as a true star with her impressive multi-rolling throughout.
There were some questionable accents during the piece and definite playing up to the audience in parts, which needs some attention, although overall the cast did an excellent job at keeping the long play engaging.
Even though ‘Our Country’s Good’ thoroughly explores darker themes, the light hearted humour of the writing and the simply storyline keeps it pleasant and easy to follow.
Evidently, Wertenbaker’s well crafted vision brings to our attention the effects on the indigenous populations by the deportation of convicts during that time. As an audience, we are shown important insights of the negative repercussions caused by the new arrivals in addition to the inhumane treatment of the convicts. It continually poses the hard questions - How IS the best way to punish and rehabilitate law-violating citizens? Is capital punishment effective? How can the fate of one imperfect man be decided by another?
With parts being recently rewritten by the original playwright to create a much more contemporary stance, we’re taken on a journey of deeper understanding and empathy.
Like all great political writers, Timberlake knows exactly what she’s doing with this script. By tackling sensitive topics like poverty shame, abuse, bipolar disorder, power PTSD (and other gritty, relatable issues) we are forced to consider discerning questions about how we interact with others. Her jovial play does a commendable job at highlighting the distinct hypocrisy within the class system of the 1700s - and the similarities today’s society also possesses.
Altogether a full 4 stars are well deserved for an entertaining night at the theatre. You’ll no doubt walk away after at points having felt amused, uncomfortable and questioning traditional beliefs.
This show was reviewed on the 11th September 2024 at the Lyric Hammersmith Theatre, London where it runs until 5th October 2024. Tickets available here: Our Country's Good - Lyric Hammersmith
Review written by Lauren Atkinson
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Photo credit: Marc Brenner
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