The Dead Devils of Cockle Creek Review: Cut & Run Productions

I'm a sucker for sharp, gutsy Australian writing. So, I quite easily fell in love with The Dead Devils of Cockle Creek by Kathryn Marquet when I first read the play a couple of years ago. Now, freshly emerged Cut & Run Productions are producing this show at Pip Theatre at a moment where themes of climate, ethics and responsibility feel more urgent than ever.

The play pulls together four unlikely characters in a shack in remote Tasmania. Over the course of one evening, we witness beliefs and convictions collide into a mix of conflict and unexpected truths.

Images by Jasmine Prasser

At its core we have George Templeton (Michaela Faux), an environmentalist whose work and life passion is to save Tasmanian Devils against extinction. George resides in the shack with local ranger (and local pot-head) Harris Rob (Jett Robson), whose goofy livestream cameo tells us enough about him before he even opens his mouth. We get a glimpse at the duo’s dynamic, strong from the outset, before realising this isn’t just any night saving the devils…there’s a dead (somewhat) Irish hunter Mickey O'Toole (Matthew Filkins) the bathroom. Throw in a MAGA hat, a dose of One Nation devotion, and ignorance for what’s actually in a chicken nugget and you’ve got conversations that are just bizarre, uncomfortable and wildly entertaining.

The premise is gripping from the beginning and the script strikes a fine balance with its characters, making them likeable and morally ambiguous. You never quite know who to trust, or what outlandish thing someone is going to say next. Characters and relationships like these are a treat to delve into and each of the actors invest detail into their performances.

Michaela Faux captures the heart of George and anchors the team well. Her struggle to convince those around her of what feels urgently obvious: the need to care, to act, to just take a bloody science lesson, resonated deeply. While George’s outbursts were more restrained than explosive and raw as I had hoped, Faux was able to bring a grounded approach to the character. Their dynamic with Harris is notable from the outset. Jett Robson crafts his unhinged Harris with physical comedy and heightened facial reactions. He is instantly likeable, like an annoying younger brother, until he crosses a line that makes you wince. Robson’s characterisation was fully believable and offered a fresh take that was just a great watch.

Matthew Filkins was tasked with portraying Mickey, our murderous captive. While tied down in the same spot for most of the play, Filkins made sure we never forgot about his presence, and commanded focus well. Filkins brought some golden comedic moments, but we were really missing darker and more threatening character choices to strengthen the climax of the play. Though, I must commend Filkins' storytelling approach, where he delivered the monologues brilliantly.

A particular shoutout goes to Malika Savory as grade 10 Girl Scout, Destinee Lee. Destinee enters later on in the play, but Savory commands attention as if she has been there the entire time. Giving us cliche at first, with repetitive hair touching and frequent use of the word “babe”, Destinee’s character gradually reveals far much more depth. By the end of the play, the weight of her role becomes a striking contrast to where we first began. I didn’t anticipate how much I’d love this character which is a credit to Malika Savory. Savory is absolutely magic on the stage, effortlessly winning our affection and making the reveal of her layers absolutely jarring and downright sensational.

Images by Jasmine Prasser

Dark political comedy is a difficult tone to master. The direction by Darcy Jones lead us toward a far more lighter approach in style that worked, but needed some more fine-tuning to really capture and fully realise those ending scenes. There were some really interesting moments where the sound design (Hannah Page) worked to complement the atmosphere. I am not sure if some audio was pre-recorded or if the space echoed the live voices but the result was really fascinating and immersed us in the space. Unfortunately, the sound wasn’t as consistent throughout the whole play where, towards the ending, auditory elements were quiet and undermined the tension of the key moments. This, along with some stage business that worked against the story, sometimes broke the illusion and pulled us out of the realistic world of the play. Despite this, the production mainly succeeded in engaging us in a believable setting, supported by the lived-in set design dotted with pops of colour.

Cut & Run Productions have dedication and talent that is sure to make a mark on the independent theatre scene. Undertaking both production and performance roles is no easy feat, and these artists are rising to the challenge and bringing vital stories to the stage.

4 Stars

This production of The Dead Devils of Cockle Creek was performed at Pip Theatre, Friday 11th July.