Our Country's Good: Based on the Novel the "Playmaker" by Thomas Kenneally

When this book was flopped in front of me and I was told we were going to study it - I could have cried. OCG is notoriously hard to study - not helped by the fact there appear to be no study guides - so I would actually have to make notes.

To be honest this play probably wouldn't have as much of an impact on an audience now as it did the the late 80's when it was published. In the 80's everyone was in uproar about the harsh Criminal Justice Acts Maggie was throwing through the 'ol HoCommons - today everyone is just resigned to them.

Nevertheless - it's still a thought provoking play, and it's sort of grown on me. Probably one of my favourite out of the plays we're studing (not hard considering one's Albee and the other is Shakespeare >_< ).

Eh, I gave it 4 stars because it's alright - I wouldn't recommend it for a bit of light reading - and I send my sympathy if you've found this page because you had to study it!

I grew to really enjoy (2/2 people found this helpful)

I worked as part of the stage crew for a college production of this and at first we were all unenthusiastic about it. However, personally it began to grow on me as I saw the actors rehearsing and they did a fantastic job of bringing it to life. I have now begun learning Liz's speech from Act Two Scene One as an audition piece!

A hybrid gone very wrong (8/20 people found this helpful)

Having seen this play last year, I can only now, on second viewing, appreciate the terrible way in which it is written. Being ignorant of certain theatrical forms, the first time I saw this piece, exactly this time last year, I could appreciate it (or rather, I couldn't) as an uneducated member of the audience as far as theatre was concerned. Now a year later I am able to explain why, in my opinion, Our Country's Good can revel in its own poo.

The play is set in Australia in a convicts camp. Several deportees are serving their sentence on this blasted, backward island, and indeed a few are set to face the rope and be hanged. The piece is described as and intended to be an "Epic Comedy", however hybridises realism (a few of the characters), with many Brechtian techniques; the use of ensemble, caricature, sound effects made by actors / physical theatre, the use of a narrator etc. etc. The term "realistic Brechtian theatre" is in itself an oxymoron, due to the fact that a Brechtian play will aim to emotionally disengage an audience in order to make them think and react "politically". We therefore have some potentially wonderful relationships (Duckling and Harry) that actually develop, juxtaposed with some dreadfully unfunny two dimensional idiots (pretty much the rest of the cast). I, as an audience member therefore felt somewhat confused as to what I should be feeling; am I being made to laugh at these colonial baboons and revel in the satirical mockery of an absurd British concept, thus drawing from the theatre a loathing for the Empire and expansionism as Brecht will have wanted, or should I engage with the characters? Should I observe their progression and take note of how this microcosm changes them and their relationships, enjoying their highs, crying with them at their lows? In short, should I leave the theatre in irrational tears, or with reasonable questions? That then begs the question, how should the characters be played? How can our protagonists be played as 2 dimensional caricatures in order to convey a political message, when half the script is writen emotionally charged? Harry and Duckling's relationship for example is wonderful, and Duckling has always been played well. But how can we enjoy this moment of emotional theatre when Robbie Ross comes screaming and shouting like a madman in the next scene? Should the actors therefore involve themselves with the characters so to speak, or play them as ludicrously as possible?

This piece fails to either leave a political message on the audience, or have an emotional impact on them. It doesn't merge elements of theatre, it merely confuses them, the final product being an incongruous and disjointed piece of abysmal theatre.

A play with enormous stage potential (3/3 people found this helpful)

After seeing some AS level dramas students perform this play it made me realise how much can be done with it. with minimal props and simple costumes they managed to turn this into a well produced play. The book provides excellent guidance, and the play itself is deep and has incredible potential for the stage.

an emotive masterpiece (6/8 people found this helpful)

"Our Country's Good" is one of the most emotional plays a person can read, perform or watch. Taking us through the journeys of both convicts and officers alike following their arrival as part of the first convict fleet to Australia, "Our Country's Good" takes the reader through a tumultuous journey of laughter, tears and anger in this beautifully written piece. Delving through themes of love, class and the civilising effects off the theatre, this is a truly amazing play and I would recommend it to anyone!

Our Country's Good: Based on the Novel the "Playmaker" by Thomas Kenneally

Timberlake Wertenbaker

Reader Reviews:

Whilst there's life there's hope (1/1 people found this helpful)

I grew to really enjoy (2/2 people found this helpful)

A hybrid gone very wrong (8/20 people found this helpful)

A play with enormous stage potential (3/3 people found this helpful)

an emotive masterpiece (6/8 people found this helpful)

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