There are fascinating elements of mystery and psychological thriller folded into the relatively benign premise of a young soldier returned from war, seeking an apprenticeship, from an older portrait artist.
It has similar tensions that you’d find in the writing of Harold Pinter (The Caretaker) and subtle shades of Jean Genet (The Maids), which is quite an achievement for a relatively short piece of work.
The actors, Jack Stokes as the returned soldier and Lee Bainbridge as the senior artist, present completely believable, well sustained characters. Between these two characters many tense moments occur as the status of power shifts between them.
Moment by moment, tensions shift and keep the audience guessing, particularly about the true motives of the elder character. If you have a keen eye, you’ll notice slight emotional manipulations that suggest something untoward may be about to happen, until the constant repetition of these manoeuvres reaches a peak.
I’ll offer no spoilers because, it seems to me, much of the entertainment value of this production comes from the sense you’ll feel and the predictions that will form in your mind.
There are clues to be found in the meticulously arranged set and sound design, which evokes time and place extremely well. Once the hidden desire of the portrait artist is revealed, it really is difficult to predict what will happen next; when this story reaches the final moments, Stokes employs cool wit to provide the audience with a satisfactory ending; but be warned, there are many layers to the journey that are disturbing. You may find yourself reflecting on some of the insights you’ve been witness to, which may cause some flesh crawling after the event.
It is a terrifically well realised piece of theatre that will appeal to anyone who enjoys a mysterious emotional thriller.
Deserving of five stars for its genuine surprises and craftily restrained performances. By the end you may indeed find yourself shellshocked.
Shellshocked is at Adelaide Fringe until 23 March at The Arch at Holden Street Theatres. Get tickets here.
