REVIEW: The Placeholder

The ever-groundbreaking fortyfive downstairs presents this challenging piece from Ben MacEllen, following one man’s experience coming out as trans in his rural community’s women’s club. Steeped in devastating truth, the play explores the reactions of characters from different walks of life, set to the backdrop of Australia’s 2017 marriage equality plebiscite. 

Pat’s homely kitchen provides our meeting point for “Barb’s Bosom Buddies”, a group of women dedicated to honouring the memory of their founding member through raising money for Breast Cancer research. I would have loved the script to have explored this wholesome origin further, so that we could have known what these characters were fighting for; what they felt they’d lost.

Photo credit: Meagan Harding

Kitan Petkovski’s direction is a highlight in this piece, orchestrating ever-moving familiarity within Bethany J Fellows’ lovely set. I thoroughly enjoyed the way the space was reset between scenes, although I found that several of the final lines could have been given a beat to land before changes in lighting states pulled us out of the action. The audio-bites of real Australian media outlets and politicians were mostly very effective, though they didn’t always complement the tone of the scene. 

Unfortunately despite the fascinating premise and deeply important content of the show, I found most of the characters of the play lacked dimension, returning tirelessly to the same perspectives for the sake of causing contention. Each scene seemingly followed a formula of building to the same argument, until one or multiple of the characters decided to leave. Despite several justifiably relationship-ending fights, none of their cutting words held permanent consequences. I held out hope that after 2 1/2 hours something good would happen for this group; that empathy would prevail over differing beliefs. Instead, when presented with the opportunity to make the decision to leave the group or accept its members, the characters became distracted or backed down without making the call. 

And yet perhaps my frustration is the very design of this piece, and family means returning to the same argument until you agree to stop talking about it. The trans experience of having others decide and speak for you was at times expertly represented. And the archetypes of each individual were certainly true to real-life community members. I’m all for a network built on different perspectives, I just found it hard to connect with a chosen family where everyone was left feeling worse about themselves.   

Michelle Perera’s Helen was an endearing respite from the constant conflict of the group. In my opinion, a version of this show where Perera’s circle of energy is matched amongst the cast would fix the friction of tone in the piece. In an intimate space without mics, she never came across as presentational, nailing the personal setting of the play. 

I am a constant advocate for gender-blind casting in theatre, with a strong belief that the audience is smart enough to follow where directed. I was thrilled to know the character of Nathan (Nic in the program) would be played by a trans actor. That said, this production removed the element of witnessing Nate’s transition physically, and with it the opportunity for both the audience and the other characters to see him becoming who he is. Although it would be untrue to the external identity of a trans man to have to visually de-transition to play Nathan (with the potential for dysphoria around clothing/facial hair), Nathan is a character and his transition is literally the story they’re telling. Unfortunately this created further discord within the realism of the show, as it was notably the only element which required a suspension of disbelief.

The Placeholder is a play which sparks conversation, directing us towards the people in our lives who we can’t understand, or choose not to. Only we can decide whether the spaces we hold on to are nurturing the life we want to live, and everyone has a different capacity for abrasiveness in their friendships. 

Despite my confusions I believe this is a story that deserves to be told, and with further development could evolve into a deeply moving show that doesn’t need to rely on trying to invoke reaction. I hope the conversation continues. 

3 out 5 stars