Max Cullen in Faces in the Street: A Salute to Henry Lawson - a proven craftsman of the highest order

The genre of the one-man show has been problematised by postmodernism. Post-Freudian commentary demonstrates that the unified ego position of the sole male character is seen to negate the contradictions brought up by the unconscious. Postcolonial thought also draws attention to the racism in those literary forms which fail to acknowledge the forces of imperialism. Feminist approaches to performance, too, remind us of the all too frequent absence of the female voice and parallels the dramatic male protagonist with the phallus, symbolic of patriarchy. The one-man is the aesthetic of a single viewpoint.

Postmodernism, on the other hand, invites to embrace pluralism and a range of meanings. It is surprising then that the one-man show is applauded and perpetuated within popular culture exemplified by our love of stand-up comedy. ABC’s Triple J radio, for example, in its choice of studio guests perpetually forces some new male comic down our aural throats. Further, in a conservative economic climate, the one-person show is cheap. Pluralism is all well and good but a large cast is a funding body’s nightmare. It is not surprising then, especially for touring schedules, that symphony orchestras are replaced by chamber music, for example, and the work of the single performer is promoted.

Faces in the Street does not only prompt discussion of the politics synonymous with the aesthetic of the one-man show. The content, too, is awkward .White Australia is stuck in the middle of post-colonial discourse as it is, paradoxically, both the underdog of Britain and the oppressor of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. The work of Henry Lawson is located at this cultural juncture. Lawson was a regular contributor to The Bulletin, which was central to the evolution of an Australian culture separate to that of Britain. Lawson looked beyond loyalties to a single colony and to the British sovereign. Lawson was inspired by Australia’s unique landscape and human characters – indeed – the faces in the street. However, his egalitarianism and that of The Bulletin was that of white men.

Faces in the Street apparently takes its name from Pip Wilson’s 2006 biography of Louisa and Henry Lawson. Cullen’s script deals with Lawson’s birth in the goldfields of New South Wales, his childhood on a poor selection in Mudgee and his deafness. Faces in the Street, too, recounts the feminism of his mother, Louisa, and her publication of the newspaper The Dawn. We learn of his failed marriage to Bertha and his alcoholism. The poignant narrative is underlined by Cullen’s sensitive delivery of a selection of Lawson’ writings.

Faces in the Street reveals important aspects of Lawson’s life and is an appropriate vehicle for the performance of Lawson’s work. However, the production is in dire need of a director. Cullen is an accomplished actor but his authentic delivery of Lawson’s poetry too often resembled that of his character’s prose such that it was difficult to distinguish between published literature and direct address. Unfortunately, too, the lighting design was a dog’s breakfast. Not only did the audience have to endure every primary colour in the rainbow which paralleled neither the setting nor the mood of the performance. In addition, the lighting changes were as subtle as gold miner’s pan slammed on one’s head.

As visual punctuation, the lighting changes were totally insensitive to Max Cullen’s carefully structured script and thoughtful performance. The intimacy of the space of Street 2 was an appropriate choice for the staging of Faces in the Street but the lack of stage depth meant that the back lighting was ineffective. Instead, the blue lights clashed with the sepia tones of Cullen’s set and did little to fulfil the function of rear lighting – to enhance the three dimensions of a live performance.

Despite, or because of, the discursive and visual concerns of Faces in the Street, it is a sheer joy to watch Max Cullen perform. He is nothing less than the real deal. Every gesture is inhabited. No utterance or physicality is delivered without authenticity. He is a proven craftsman of the highest order such that one can reluctantly forgive the political and aesthetic implications of the production. It is worth it, just to be in the presence of one of Australia’s finest actors.

It is for this reason that Canberra audiences are grateful for The Street Theatre. Its Artistic Director/CEO Caroline Stacey has her finger on the pulse, not only regarding the best local talent. Stacey also knows which performances to import. Faces in the Street, then, is a worthy inclusion in The Street’s 2010 season.

Henry Lawson is a praiseworthy figure in our history. However, the fact that the audience members of the Canberra performance of Faces in the Street were pre-dominantly white-haired suggests that a postmodern critique of the production is not a mere academic exercise. The sensibilities of twenty-first century Australian culture means that it is not sufficient to celebrate an historical literary male icon in the absence of cultural and engendered diversity. Nevertheless, I could watch Max Cullen perform ‘til the cows come home, the gold comes in or until egalitarianism is fulfilled beyond the narrow ideal of the Aussie bloke.

Credits