Our Country's Good

AND THEY DID..............!

Our Country's Good is a 1988 play written by British playwright, Timberlake Wertenbaker.

The play's first production was at the Royal Court Theater in London.

 

The story is a matter of historical record. It concerns a group of Royal Marines and convicts in a penal colony in New South Wales (Australia), in the 1780s, who put on a production ofThe Recruting Officer by George Farquhar, directed by 2nd Lieutenant Ralph Clark.The play shows the class system and violence in the convict camp and the idea that it is possible for « theater to be a humanising force » that has the power to transform even those whom society considers unredeemable. Many of the military officers, as Major Robbie Ross, were against this idea. With Governor Phillip's sanction, Ralph and his players overcame a severe adversity to realize the production of the play.

 

The action is sometimes interrupted by short speeches from an unnamed Aboriginal Australian, who charts the British settlement's effect on the indigenous populations : curiosity, confusion, and finally fear and illness.

The young actors had to perform roles with strong personalities and complex,far removed from their world, but they are able to capture that story that touched them and they worked hard for this great result. All have played fair and gave life to their characters be it an enlightened man, like Governor Philip (Charlotte Slater), an officer convinced of his superiority of race and cast, as Major Ross (Lefa Mondon), a captive rebel like Liz (Eugenie Lawson), sweet as Mary (Agathe Pervier), love as Duckling (SelenaChalet), combative as Dabby (Manon Ardeois). The public could only beshocked by the harshness of officers, Tench (Constance Levy-B), Dawes(Leanne Gaury), Johnston (Emily Trémoureux), Campbell (Louise Parsons),Faddy (Coline Bedel) all well drawn, which semi defended slavery of prisoners, each with their arguments or no argument, such as Captain Campbell and his strange humour. The evolution of Captain Collins (Constance Armangaud) was finely expressed. Finally, we must salute the remarkable performance of Ralph (Quentin Carlier), a character on stage all throughout the play, or opportunistic careerist at first, then convinced of the benefits of this theatrical adventure. We laugh at the Reverend Johnson (Taipei Dlamini) conscious of good character in the camp. The madness of poor Harry (Pierre Thierry), the Midship, was poignant. The male prisoners were real figures: Ketch (Guillaume Dubert), despite his executioner, Sideway (Pauline Legal) the flexible pickpocket passionate about theater, Wisehammer (Delphine Dubert and Coline Bedel) the reader of dictionaries, Ascott (Emilie Trémoureux) who finds peace in acting, Black Cesar (Kaohsiug Dlamini) lost on these shores. And we will long remember the Aborigine (Taipei Dlamini) shouting his helpless distress.

The play opened with a moving song led by Charlotte Slater followed by the chorus of others actors, and immediately after the lashes suffered by Sideway.
The simplicity of the decor consists of several cubes arranged in stage showcased the sinister threat of rope hanging the unfortunate prisoners. Thus was realized on stage the two poles of the debate that carries the show: to punish or educate the scene.

Julien Gely was to be governed and organized a set of lights which outlined the action steps.
Finally the costumes prepared by Mrs. Chalet served the acting and brought harmony of colors and shapes.

One can only admire the quality of this show, to celebrate this wonderful evening and congratulations to all those who participated.