''The Turning'' is a play written by

Bill McCluskey Bill(s) may refer to: Common meanings * Banknote, paper cash (especially in the United States) * Bill (law), a proposed law put before a legislature * Invoice, commercial document issued by a seller to a buyer * Bill, a bird or animal's beak Plac ...

, based on ''The Turning'', a publication of connected short stories by Australian writer

Tim Winton Timothy John Winton (born 4 August 1960) is an Australian writer. He has written novels, children's books, non-fiction books, and short stories. In 1997, he was named a Living Treasure by the National Trust of Australia, and has won the Miles ...

. It spans from 1970–2001 in

Western Australia Western Australia (commonly abbreviated as WA) is a state of Australia occupying the western percent of the land area of Australia excluding external territories. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Southern Ocean to th ...

, covering much of the life of protagonist Vic Lang.

Synopsis

In the 1970s, drug trafficking in the town of Angelus leads to the presence of Demons – corrupt police officers. The darkness underneath Angelus has a profound impact on the increasingly paranoid Vic Lang, son of honest police officer Bob Lang, and 'Slack' Jackie Martin, girlfriend of drugrunner 'Boner' McPharlin. The story of the Lang family and Jackie is extended into 2000, where the shadow that haunts Vic begins to have an impact upon his marriage to Gail.

Adaptation

The town of Angelus is an allusion to the town of Albany in Western Australia. Short stories from the publication ''The Turning'' that are adapted directly into scenes are: *Act 1 Scene 2 - Abbreviation *Act 1 Scene 3 - Damaged Goods *Act 1 Scene 4 - Boner McPharlin's Moll *Act 1 Scene 7 - Immunity *Act 2 Scene 7 - The Turning *Act 3 Scene 2 - On Her Knees *Act 3 Scene 5 - Reunion *Act 3 Scene 6 - Commission

Productions

The show was first staged at the

Playhouse Theatre The Playhouse Theatre is a West End theatre in the City of Westminster, located in Northumberland Avenue, near Trafalgar Square, central London. The Theatre was built by F. H. Fowler and Hill with a seating capacity of 1,200. It was rebuilt i ...

, Perth by the

Perth Theatre Company Perth Theatre Company was a live theatre company in Perth, Western Australia. History Perth Theatre Company was founded as SWY Theatre Company by graduates from the specialist Theatre Arts course at John Curtin Senior High School in 1983. Betwe ...

from 22 February – 8 March 2008. It was commissioned for the

Perth International Arts Festival Perth Festival, named Perth International Arts Festival (PIAF) between 2000 and 2017, and sometimes referred to as the Festival of Perth, is Australia's longest-running cultural festival, held annually in Western Australia. The program features ...

and was directed by

Steve Jodrell Steve Jodrell is an Australian director of theatre, film and television. He began his career in the theatre before moving into film.

, with set and costume design by Sam Hobbs, lighting design by Joseph Mercurio, composition by

Iain Grandage Iain Grandage is an Australian composer and music director, best known for his compositions for theatre, dance and concert. In May 2018, the Perth Festival appointed Grandage as Artistic Director. Early life Grandage initially lived in Brisbane ...

, sound design by Kingsley Reeve, image design by Jon Green, with Mel Cantwell as associate director and Anna Dymitr Hawkes as stage manager. ;Original Cast *

Reg Cribb Reginald Cribb is an Australian playwright and actor. Early life Cribb graduated from National Institute of Dramatic Art at the University of New South Wales in 1990 and his first play, Night of the Sea Monkey, was performed in 1999. Plays ...

- Ernie Lang / Drug Squad Detective / Motel Manager *Michelle Fornasier - Cleo Lang / Nurse / Daisy *

Caroline McKenzie Caroline McKenzie is an Australian stage and screen actress. She is a member of the theatre and dance faculty at the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts at Edith Cowan University. Television Her television work includes Ship to Shore, ...

- 'Nan' Lang *Samantha Murray - Carol Lang / Jemma *

Nick Simpson-Deeks Nick Simpson-Deeks is a NIDA-trained Australian actor of stage and screen. He is best known for his portrayal of Archie McMahon in the SBS drama series '' The Circuit'', Rhys Mitchell in Seven Network's ''Winners & Losers'', and James King in ...

- Vic Lang *Steve Turner - Bob Lang *Alison van Reeken - Gail Lang / 'Slack' Jackie Martin *

Jai Courtney Jai Courtney (; born 15 March 1986) is an Australian actor. He started his career with small roles in films and television series before being cast as Charlie in the action film ''Jack Reacher'' (2012). He has gone on to star in ''A Good Day to ...

- 'Boner' McPharlin / Ken Kenneally / Fenn * Pia Prendiville - 'Strawberry' Alison / Kathy / Melanie / Neve / Kalgoorlie Prostitute

References

External links

PIAF PageInterview of Steve Jodrell
{{DEFAULTSORT:Turning 2000s Australian plays 2008 plays