Review: The Bleeding Tree (Southwark Playhouse Borough)

Review by Harry Bower

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Three women stand together. A mother and her two daughters are centre stage, with stunned expressions on their faces. A gunshot rings out. Wooden crates, red sand on the floor, and a harsh metal backdrop give way to our location; we are in rural outback Australia. Here in the isolation of a small town and close knit community something shocking but unsurprising has happened; these women have revolted against their drunken abusive man.  This is not a tale of how his killing happened but the process thereafter to cover it up, the complicity of the local community in the ongoing abusive behaviour he exhibited, and of the strength and bravery of the oppressed.

The Bleeding Tree is unlike anything else I have witnessed on stage in recent times. Like a strange but fascinating creature I sat captivated for the full hour, open-mouthed at times, silent in my twisted entertainment at others. This is the UK premiere of Angus Cerini’s award-winning play, a dark and funny but also quirky and unusual exploration of domestic abuse. 

Written with a poetic, almost lyrical quality, three women interact with three members of the community over three days, as they come to terms with their actions and process their warped grief. Lines are delivered in a staccato fashion. Repetition highlights the humour in the text while reinforcing the sense of shock and uncertainty felt by these characters in the wake of their actions. Sickening descriptions of the body and the death pale into insignificance when compared with the brutalities inflicted on this family. Cerini has somehow made it easier and more palatable to hear graphic details about a downfall rather than the crimes committed, and the piece is all the more compelling for it.

The three outstanding performers spend almost the entire three hours with tears in their eyes. Each feeling their way through intense emotional arcs, each working in tandem to convince the audience of their personal and collective plight. Mariah Gale as mother is so real you feel you want to reach out a hand to steady her nerves. Stoic and unmoved yet quietly vulnerable, she gives a performance of immeasurable quality, matched stride for stride by her co-stars. Elizabeth Dulau and Alexandra Jensen play sisters, each with a delicately distinct personality. The pair bounce off each other as real siblings do, giving performances which are both funny and moving. A wicked Aussie sense of humour emanates from all three who nail their comic timing. When each breaks from their own character to contribute to the collective effort to represent villagers or the man, they are equally as convincing if not more so.

Sophie Drake gives a direction masterclass and makes light work of Southwark Playhouse’s small space. Incredibly effective movement pieces eviscerates the man from this tale; there is no body bag, clothing, or symbolic prop here. As each actress represents a different character they do so either together, or independently of each other. This clever dynamic both stretches the extremely competent cast, and focuses attention on the girl or girls whose reactions are most relevant to the scene or subtext. It also ensures the audience are compelled to continue paying attention - this is a show which grips you from minute one and doesn’t let go.

The whole production is staggeringly good. It feels new. It feels polished. It feels, dare I say it, like a near perfectly formed piece of art. Every element gels together. Ali Hunter’s soft and delicate lighting design emanates the searing Australian sun. Asaf Zohar’s suspense-building soundtrack is atmospheric and dramatic but never overbearing, and always adds to the drama rather than distracting from it. Jasmine Swan’s set and costume design make us feel grounded in her Outback and never alien to it, even if the aesthetic does have a certain other-worldly feel. 

The Bleeding Tree is an incredibly affecting and powerful piece of writing which should be seen by as many people as possible. It is a fine example of theatre with a purpose, which feels both entertaining and important. More than that, it is a domestic abuse story which has been reclaimed by the brave women at its heart, and asks pertinent and uncomfortable questions of those who stand by and let domestic abuse go unchallenged. 

The Bleeding Tree plays at Southwark Playhouse until Saturday 22 June 2024. For more information visit: https://southwarkplayhouse.co.uk/productions/the-bleeding-tree/ 

Photos by Lidia Crisafulli