Review – Impact
Impact is a one-man show about a young soldier returned from duty with the Australian Defence Force, facing his struggles with grief, ethics and resettlement back into everyday life in Australia.
Written and performed by Andy Davies (aka NightHawke) Impact presents stories of the frontline where brothers in arms are killed in the line of duty, and personal anecdotes from his school to untamed university adventures – all of which, he is proud to say, have made him who is he today. Constantly referring to his “Stupid Friend” (a dark, depressed part of his personality) he describes his experience with suicidal ideation in his pre-war life which lead to a close-call attempt at his life.
The audience is left to guess whether this is an autographical piece, and at times descriptions of his early years seem too dull to be fiction. Most of the childhood anecdotes seem unnecessary as the real interest lies in the battle within himself which unfortunately is allocated too little time to explore. The real impact is in the imagery conjured when illustrating his internal struggles and experiences serving his country. The story of the discovery under the rubble in the tsunami disaster zone in South-East Asia, well, that’s not leaving anyone’s memory for a very long time.
From the moment we walk in to when the house lights come up, Davies stands in the same place, arms behind his back, staring into the distance as if stuck to the spot. His boots and army back pack are discarded across the stage behind him in this suitable, shoe-box sized, all-black studio theatre.
Davies offers a rich performance which is disappointingly let down by the use of the script on stage, which he folds and unfolds under his arm as if readying a rifle. His strong, expressive voice, hollow eyes, sad face and bravado are testament to his acting ability, but why oh why he chose to bring his script on stage in a one man show is unfathomable – just wing it! I appreciate that this is a new piece lacking a director but no, just no, no, no!
Impact is a glimpse into the aftermath and personal philosophies of a young, male solder. A dramatic and poetic piece of theatre that evokes disturbingly powerful imagery as this angry, young man searches for peace of mind. With Aussie colloquialisms and self-deprecating humour throughout, there is something here for everyone.
If you are struggling with depression or thoughts of suicide heckler encourages you to seek help from trained professionals. You are not alone: Beyond Blue Department of Veteran Affairs “At Ease”
