Various Characters Review
“Where are you from?”
“I’m from Cabramatta!”
“No, I mean, where are you from?”
Featuring Maliyan Blair, Kate Bookallil, Georgia Da Silva, Tony Goh, Nashy MZ, and Tate Wilkinson-Alexander and directed by Victor Kalka, Šime Knežević’s 2025 play Various Characters approaches with care and confusion the condition of Australian multiculturalism. A coming-of-age tale of multiple teenagers living in socially turbulent mid-2000s Sydney, the play never fully realises its focal point, nor answers the many questions it raises before the curtains close. Nevertheless, the show was an entertaining watch, propped up by good old laconic comedy and strong performances from a strong cast. Despite its thematic indecisiveness, Various Characters is a thought-provoking play and a window into an Australia that once was and, perhaps, even persists today.
From the get-go, I noted the cozy space of the Flight Path theatre and the simple stage design. The initial tension between characters was somehow made humorous and warm. The cast made it easy to find the deep misunderstandings between characters personable somehow. As well as this, the beginning few scenes give us great moments of dark comedy (I assure you, Milé is an excellent driver).
As the rest of the characters were introduced, I noticed various motivations and apprehensions oozing from each individual, contributing to an engaging, albeit inconsistent, ensemble dynamic. Moments of subpar acting were compensated for throughout the show — whether that was through the chemistry between the actors or rollicking moments of situational comedy. The play captures well what it’s like to live young. Boris’s attempts at young revolutionary love were both fun and painful to watch. I felt that the play took its time with the “main plot”. The throughline — the loosely connected group of friends harbouring Nina as she reckons with somewhat contrived parental issues — was an attempt at facilitating the coming-of-age story that the play so wished to tell. Whilst each of the teenagers do experience personal growth over the play, the coming-of-age aspect of the show was muted and so the examination of multiculturalism caught my attention.
Whilst the core theme of the play is initially crystallised in Boris’ admonishing of the insistent question “Where are you from?”, it is during the market scene that the play fully focuses in. It aims, fires… and skims the mark. The dialogue between Raoul and Greta unveils a deeply interesting question: to what extent do we identify with our familial heritage – Irish, Vietnamese, Croatian, etc. – over our uniting, all-encompassing “Australian” identity, and when/how/why does the balance shift?
Knežević seems to suggest that in times of instability, social decay, and even personal crisis, we rely on a more comfortable ancestral culture that we feel no responsibility for shaping. Through Greta’s Croatian patriotism (inflamed by Raoul’s blasé, frank inquisition) and insistence that “we’re all from somewhere”, the play does an excellent job of examining old world convictions and prejudices and the subtle ways in which they have shaped and continue to shape Australian identity. Unfortunately, this was about as developed as this theme became.
The play cleverly incorporates nostalgic elements: references like the monorail, LAN parties, and classic 2000s youth fashion fondly resonate with those who were around for them. Even the washed-out brick courtyard stage design fleetingly evokes an Australian childhood in the early mid-aughts. These references were quite underdeveloped overall, but that in itself took off the rose-tinted glasses of the audience. Not only this, but the play leans into the more serious topics of the time, such as Australia’s involvement in Iraq, which consumes the final portion of the play. This is no nostalgic period piece — rather, a sincere look at the questions of Australian identity that persist in the present.
The end of the protest scene is undoubtedly surprising. We see a police officer. He wanders up. We expect violence, and yet… we get curiosity? The ever-present inquirer reveals himself once more. We expect points to be made so that we can judge them as interlocutors. Just when we think that the play is going to say something about police brutality, it’s almost as if the police badge comes off, the hat is held in one hand to the chest, and the other hand is held out in a peaceful greeting. It is both refreshing and thoroughly confounding. With Raoul’s scenes in particular, the play gets so close to making a point. Finger on the trigger, the trigger remains unpulled. The ending epitomises this. There is a moment of Miller-esque reminiscence, the briefest, most fleeting hint of tragedy… then cut to an unsatisfying black.
Though the core of the play remains underdeveloped, it was nonetheless an entertaining watch, and raised themes and ideas I won’t soon forget. Well done, Knežević.
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Various Characters is playing at Flight Path Theatre in Marrickville from the 7th to the 17th of May. The production runs for 80 minutes without an interval. Tickets are $35 for GA, $30 for concession card holders and $20 for First Nations. Tickets are available here