Book Review Written By: Christina Kyriakou
Position: Arts Journalist
Publisher: MASK by Arts Victoria
Dated: 30th June 2008

Darren R Brealey is a perceptive playwright. His ability to expose the flaws in the human condition hit home in this collection of one act plays, aptly titled Performing the Goat. The ‘goat’ in the title refers to the Greek tragos, meaning tragedy. While the plays are all relatively humorous, the real tragedy is that many of us will know someone like (or in fact relate to) the characters in this collection.

Brealey’s plays expose an array of character ‘types’; there’s the naïve, meat-pie-eating grease monkey apprentice, Colin and his all-knowing boss, Norbert in The Mechanics; the social-elite Narelle and her bestie Darlene (images of Prue and Trude from Kath and Kim come to mind) in Champagne Ladies; and the erratic, suit-wearing Corporate, Mr Green and his lackey, Carson, in The Stair.

Each play takes place in a common setting whether it is a multiplex cinema, a drawing room or a café. With minimal set and props required, and few characters to cast, these short one act plays are simple to stage. Perhaps not all entirely suitable for the classroom (the language and content is quite extreme in parts), Performing the Goat would make an excellent resource for many actor and theatre groups.