Relationships with parents can be tricky. Maybe distance occurs as the child becomes an independent adult. Or, a bad pattern from long ago keeps families from becoming close. But, events may force us into some relationship maintenance.
That’s the setup for Day For It (written by Sally Q Davies and Anna Lindstedt) – winner of the 2024 Queer Playwriting Award Showcase ‘People’s Choice’ award.
For many years Peta (Roz Hammond) has been a keen bushwalker, often with her family. For some time, this company hasn’t included daughter Kelly (Lindstedt), now 25 and out of the family home.
Given dad’s sporting injury, Kelly has leapt at the chance to accompany Peta on a six-day walk. Here’s a chance to tell mum a secret, if she can hold her nerve, and manage some increasingly sore feet…
This world-premiere season of Day For It gave its performers a deal of family friction to work through, with Hammond and Lindstedt making a convincing mother-daughter pair.
Τhe story shows them managing an amount of strained history as Kelly, lacking mum’s technical gear, and maybe enough encouragement when younger, struggles to share Peta’s love of the great outdoors.
As many scenes had the duo walking or standing on the trail, having a tent in view throughout was somewhat distracting. This was about the only snag in Davies’ direction, which ensured scene changes were crisp, and which effectively used a screen to show the walk’s progress.
The sound design of bush noises created the sense of a remote setting, one where little could distract the pair from having some neglected conversations.
One could quibble that there was the odd line (such as when Peta accuses Kelly of “picking” at things, and that’s why she had no friends, or an accusation of homophobia) that didn’t match the trail trodden by the characters before us.
Mostly though, the characterisations were convincing, such as through Lindstedt’s (somewhat frustrated) effort to assert independence. Being both a child and a mum, Hammond’s Peta gave us a believable portrait of a woman contending with multiple layers of family discord.
Day For It claims to continue the path of works like Please Like Me. By having dramatic scenes balanced by more humorous times, it seems a worthy contribution to the dramedy genre.
Day For It
Studio Theatre – Gasworks Arts Park, Graham Street, Albert Park
Performance: Wednesday 5 February 2025
Season cancelled due to cast illness
Information: www.midsumma.org.au
Image: Day For It – photo by Anne Nygard
Review: Jason Whyte