Taylor Mac’ s HIR is a camp tour de force that screams for the audience to sit up, listen and pay attention.
When Isaac finds himself dishonourably discharged from the army, he returns home to find is quite orderly Californian paradise turned upside down. His mother is embracing a wildly untamed lifestyle, his sibling is no longer who they once were but becoming who they were always meant to be and his father is in a diaper and make up. Soon Isaac is schooled on why his world has changed and how it will never ever be the same again.
Mac’s writing is scathing – no one is safe as Mac strikes down every American happy family cliché with their venomous pen. Slick wit and vibrant turn of phrases makes the themes and political narrative all the more hard hitting. With an absolute lack of metaphor the work simply allows itself to be… to be raw, to be tough, to be vulnerable and most importantly, to be very relevant.
While the writing roars onto the stage, Patrick Howard’s direction seems to soften the edges and restrict the actors from fully embracing the chaos. While Howard does ensure a balance of humour and drama, the moments when the script calls for a theatrical gut punch, Howard’s directing pulls back and pushes against the need of the scene. Often this leaves the actors building to a moment that never eventuates or worse just limps into a crumpled mess on stage.
Jodine Muir is an absolute powerhouse and the driving force behind the work. There is not a moment when Muir isn’t burning up the scenes, effortlessly sliding from maniacal laughter to heartbreaking defiance, all the while remaining open and giving to the rest of the ensemble.
Luke Visentin brings a grounding depth to a character that could so easily be a clichéd jughead, leaning completely into the fish out of water vulnerability and overwhelmed with trying to live up to the hyper masculine ideals the world has thrust upon him.
Lola Kate Carlton and Rowan Greaves are the dark comedic hearts of the work, embracing the more caricature aspects of their characters without ever shying away from the polarising contradictions that make both frustratingly likeable.
Victor Kalka’s set is perfectly detailed and homely, rapidly allowing the audience to understand another layer of these people and their place in society. Holly Nesbitt’s stark and abrasive lighting makes it impossible to look away and Xan Hardman’s costume designs are heartbreakingly hilarious and add much needed colour to the bleak world.
With American politics rapidly infiltrating the rights of so many while seemingly at odds with it’s own people, HIR has never been more relevant nor more of a must see.
HIR
New Theatre, 542 King Street, New Theatre
Season continues to 2 August 2025
Information and Bookings: www.newtheatre.org.au
Image: The cast of HIR (New Theatre, 2025) – photo by Chris Lundie
Review: Gavin Roach