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| Chris Asimos and Mason Gasowski in "Become the One" |
Directed by
Lyall Brooks. Composition and sound design by Tom Backhaus.
Presented by
Lab Kelpie at Belco Arts 26 and 27 May.
Reviewed by Bill
Stephens.
“Become the One” is the first play by
Victorian playwright, Adam Fawcett. It won the 2018 Playtime Award for new
queer writing, and has been remounted in 2022 for an extensive tour of Victoria. This short season at Belco Arts comes at the
end of that tour.
Thoughtful,
witty and entertaining “Become the One” explores a romantic relationship
between a high-profile AFL footballer and his openly gay partner, written from
the perspective of the partner.
Tom is a top
AFL player in line for a Brownlow medal. He lives alone in a trendy high-rise
apartment. When he finds himself attracted to Noah at their very first meeting,
he resists the attraction by putting on a gruff front. Noah, who is in no doubt about his own
sexuality, playfully tests the ground with playful banter.
Despite his
denials that “he is not gay”, Tom employs Noah as his cleaner, and very quickly
their relationship becomes passionate. Eventually Tom invites Noah to move into
his apartment, but on the condition that their relationship remain secret from
his associates, especially his mother and his adoring fans.
Although
Noah agrees to this arrangement and understands Tom’s reasons, he continually
questions Tom about the authenticity of his feelings. However when on the eve
of the announcement of the Brownlow
Medal when Tom announces he will give up his football career as proof of the
importance of their relationship to him, Noah is shocked and begs Tom to
reconsider his decision.
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| Chris Asimos and Mason Gasowski in "Become the One" |
Stylishly
directed by Lyall Brooks with the intimate scenes frankly and sensitively
staged, the play is presented in an attractive astro-turf setting which
cleverly evokes Tom’s luxury high-rise apartment complete with replica Eames chair.
Atmospheric musical links by Tom Backhouse cover the quick costume changes by
the actors to denote the passage of time.
These became a little confusing at Belco Arts as apparently the actors
couldn’t move behind the set so had to do a quick dash in front of the audience
to be on the correct side for their entrances.
Perfectly
cast, both actors gave compelling performances. Chris Asimos was perfectly
believable as Tom, the buff champion footballer fighting to understand his
sexuality but terrified it would become public knowledge. Similarly Mason
Gasowski’s portrayal made it easy to understand Tom's attraction to Noah’s
flamboyance while capturing Noah’s insecurity about the depth of Tom’s feelings
and difficulty in accepting that he had “Become the One”.
Photos supplied
This review first published in the digital edition of CITY NEWS on 28.05.22
