Road to Nhill

I'm saddened to hear negative comments on this beautiful ensemble piece by an amazing assemblage of senior citizen actors and others not so old. I doubt that many beyond Australia will get their hands on a copy as it's rare even on home ground. You definitely need an eye for subtle hints at all the subtexts in this investigation of a minor crisis in the life of a sleepy town in the middle of nowhere.

I just loved the subtle manipulation of the situation by the bachelor farmer to try and get a foot in the door for a formal courtship of one of the lady bowlers involved in the accident - and her squirming to try and get out of it without offending the poor lummox.

His neighbour the pig farmer is too interested in perching like a crow on a fence watching the inept antics of the various emergency services crews around the 'wreck' to actually do the one useful thing he's been asked to - and take one of the old dears in to the hospital for a check-up.

There are so many apparent inconsequentialities which weigh heavy on the minds of these townsfolk that you don't wonder at all that they should have ended up where they are. It's all as God intended.

My only niggle is in the rather peculiar choice of gamelan music (abruptly cut off for God's voice-over) in the opening credits. All else is quite consistent with the setting and mood of the play.