This week, the theatre program from the department of English, theatre, film and media presents its latest production — Our Country’s Good, a 1988 play written by Timberlake Wertenbaker based on the true story of how British convicts used theatre as rehabilitation in colonial Australia.
The play is set in late 18th-century Australia when the British government began exiling convicts to the colony due to overcrowded prisons in England. In summary, Governor Phillip proposes that the convicts should stage The Recruiting Officer, a comedy, to provide less violent forms of entertainment. Cast far from their homes, the convicts find an escape from their harsh reality through acting, revealing the transformative power of theatre.
Given the differences between colonial Australia and modern-day Canada, I wondered how the actors approached their characters. Meaghan Rohleder, who plays Mary Brenham, highlighted the importance of understanding her character’s motivations.
“[Mary] is on this convict ship because she stole a candlestick because of someone that she fell in love with [who] convinced her to do [so]. So it’s all about just finding the reasons as to why she does certain things,” she said.
“Especially, with this time period, a lot of it is in religious standing. I know that she feels like she has sinned greatly. So there’s that whole battle within her mind of just trying to recover from that and trying to learn that she has worth as a person, as a lot of the convicts are going through that kind of battle.”
Despite the different settings, the play’s themes of English colonialism, first contact and dispossession echo the colonial legacy in Canada. Dr. Bill Kerr, the director of the production and an associate professor in the department, said this historical distance can help audiences see themselves from a different perspective.
“There’s a line by John Wisehammer that talks about what plays are like, and he says it’s better when it’s not here. It’s better when it’s distant. You can see more clearly. So I do think there’s that interesting sort of Brechtian technique, which is that we get to see ourselves more clearly, in some ways, by looking elsewhere,” he said.
“Had it been written now, the Indigenous presence and the Indigenous character would have a larger role […] We did some changes on our own, brought the Indigenous character, Killara, on stage more and more present and having more to do without adding lines because, of course, that’s not our right or ability […] But we can insist on the presence.”
When asked about the message of the play, Clifford Emelumba, who plays John Wisehammer, said he hopes audiences recognize the transformative power of art.
“I would like the audience to agree with an expression that humanity and rehabilitation can be fostered even in the most challenging or humiliating circumstance,” he said. “Theatre can give hope to someone, and it can give a sense of purpose.”
Rohleder also emphasized that Our Country’s Good shows that people can always redeem themselves, no matter their circumstances.
“It’s okay to be constantly learning because I feel like a lot of this play is that the convicts are in this state where they feel like they are at rock bottom. And so I think it’s just learning that there’s only up to go, like when you find those chances to move up in life and to learn and to be a better person, to take them,” she said
“It doesn’t matter what age you are, it doesn’t matter where you are in your life, at any point you can be a better person.”
Our Country’s Good will take place in the John J. Conklin Theatre on the third floor of the Taché Arts Complex on campus. Shows run from April 2 to April 5 at 7 p.m. with an additional 2 p.m. show on April 5. Tickets can be purchased at eventbrite.ca/e/our-countrys-good-by-timberlake-wertenbaker-tickets.
