Selected Short Bites
Alaine Beek’s play manages to be historically responsible, educative, psychologically credible and entertaining to boot.
The Australian
Point of No Return is a naturalistic piece, an exceptionally well-made play, and Beek directs it like a screenplay.
The Australian
All the actors are set challenges, none more stratospheric than the guard’s scene with his mongrel dog. Phil Cameron-Smith’s performance has an eye-of-the-hurricane focus.
The Australian
As a teacher, I felt the whole event was worth about a month’s worth of teaching.
Janice Drew, St Francis De Sales College Leeton, NSW
Sensational! Shocking and brilliant. Great theatre. Powerful, well-polished performance with impeccable acting. Transcendence of stagecraft into actual belief which is extremely rare. I still live in fear of Hawkins and weep for Ardy. Makes 'Lord of the Flies' seem like a sopish English high tea. The thing is this: nothing has changed. There is no limit to the cruelty one human, given power, will inflict upon another.
Stephen Masters
Alex Roe was tremendous in the role of Bones, giving a compelling, grounded performance of a complicated man.
Australian Arts Review
Phil Cameron-Smith gave a brilliant performance as Hawkins, a dark, percussive character trying to survive as much as his charges are.
Australian Arts Review
A powerful story. A totally enjoyable and sometimes confronting performance, I loved every moment.
Nigel Sutton, Director, NDS Productions
Every character’s journey through the drama is crafted with aplomb by Ms Beek to create a compelling, moving and sometimes humorous story that is a triumph of the human spirit.
Andrew Blackman, Director, Complete Works Theatre Company
The dialogue is heartfelt and funny, the tension palpable, and the onstage action often surprising and fierce. Although the situation is outside most people’s direct experience, the audience can easily identify with the characters and become totally engrossed in the world that is being created before them. This is a truly beguiling piece of writing that also translates effortlessly onto the stage.
David Tredinnick – Actor, Writer.