Seeds of doubt
The
Seed is about a family reunion of three generations. Grandad
has IRA connections and his son Danny is a veteran of the Vietnam
War. Danny’s daughter Rose is a writer at a loose end since
quitting her job. Rose’s current project is her family history,
but her Dad is not co-operating. But her Grandad is. He tells
Rose all sorts of stories. The more time the three spend in each
other’s company, the more the past rises up to haunt them.
But it’s the future that concerns Rose. It will also concern
her father, because Rose’s Grandad has some plans for her
that Danny won’t like.
The Seed won actress/playwright Kate Mulvany
the Philip Parsons Award. This is The Seed’s second
reincarnation. It played downstairs at Belvoir Street last year.
It was so popular it earned a season upstairs in 2008.
The Seed is a very personal work for Mulvany,
who wrote and stars in the play. She says it’s the only
play she’s ever written where she keeps revisiting it after
it’s in production. This comes as no surprise when you discover
that the play is based on her family history.
It all began when Kate found herself explaining
to the wardrobe department that she only has half a ribcage on
one side and telling boyfriends that because she was born with
cancer, she cannot have children. Naturally people asked her questions
and Kate found she answered a lot of those questions with “I
don’t know”. In an effort to find out why she is the
way she is, Kate had to delve into her family history.
Kate knew her father had been exposed to Agent Orange,
because that’s how she got sick. What she didn’t know
was that he was a £10 Pom who was conscripted by the Australian
Army at the age of 19 and sent to Vietnam. When he returned he
was denied Australian citizenship. The Vietnam Veterans were denied
many rights other returned servicemen automatically enjoy, like
a welcome home parade and RSL membership. But worst of all was
the lack of care for the returned Vets and the Government’s
denial that the illnesses suffered by them – both mental
and physical – and the illnesses suffered by their families
– spina bifida, cancer – were a direct result of their
tours of duty in service of their country.
The Seed explores how the damage done to
soldiers who have seen combat effects them and their families.
What it doesn’t say is that what effects the soldiers also
effects the community – the Vietnam Veterans community as
well as the community at large. Because this isn’t just
one family’s story. Mulvany talked to the families of many
Vietnam Veterans during her research. They all had very similar
stories to tell.
As you might expect, Mulvany’s familiarity
with the material informs her character, giving a great depth
to her performance. When Rosie talks about how alienated she feels
as a result of Danny not telling her his story and how she feels
when she sees people with children, it’s incredibly moving.
But the entire cast give excellent performances.
Danny Adcock as Danny is very meek in the first act, but becomes
a real firecracker in the second act. It’s a powerful transformation
and contributes to the riveting escalation in the play’s
final scenes. Martin Vaughan is revelatory as the narcissistic
Grandfather with a hidden past who warps those around him with
his toxic emotional bullying.
The Seed has to be one of the most powerful
original Australian plays to hit the stage this year. Belvoir
is proving to be fertile ground for Australian playwrights.
Mulvany’s insight into the issues being explored
and the way she plays with the light and shade of family relationships
shows great wisdom and no small talent. Mulvany has been described
as an emerging playwright. After seeing The Seed in its
most recent incarnation, there can be no doubt in anyone’s
mind that Mulvany is no longer emerging. She is fully fledged.
And she is a force to be reckoned with.
The Seed is a must see. Don’t miss
it.
Philippa Wherrett
