Sneakyville: The Review

Capturing the entirety of Charles Manson’s life and times in a single evening of theatre is no easy task. The tale has been told ad nauseam, through film, literature, TV and theatre in the forty-nine years since Manson and his followers began their cruel spree of torture and death. Yet over two and a half hours, playwright Christopher Bryant and director Daniel Lammin strive to take the audience on a tour through the dark recesses of the Manson family’s philosophy, beginning in sunny 1960s California up to Manson’s wretched final days in prison in their new show, Sneakyville.

Bryant and Lammin are adamant in that this is not a celebration of the bizarre phenomenon surrounding Manson and his mythology, it is an interrogation. A critique of his pop culture legacy, challenging our society’s infatuation with these macabre events as much as it challenges the fervent devotion of his followers. It is through these followers that Bryant introduces the audience to the world of Manson, a world of psychedelic narcotics and sexual freedom.

Through this initial focus on his followers, Bryant and Lammin dig into the mystique of Manson, his image as something more than a man. Any understanding we gather about Manson is hearsay, tales told from one character to another. And yet when we do finally come face to face with Manson, he is nothing more than a man. Charismatic and silver tongued but one of us – not a god and not a devil. It is a delicate tightrope to walk, paying service to everything that made his followers love and worship him so while also challenging that very notion of worship. Credit then to Bryant for keeping that tonal and narrative balance and to actor Will King for creating a portrayal that is equally frightening, enthralling and disappointing, just as he should be.

The rest of the ensemble do admirable jobs in a range of roles though particular standouts are Kristina Benton, bringing a mixture of steely eyed intensity and melancholic sensitivity as a former member of the family, and Grace Travaglia, capturing the dual sense of dread and fascination when confronted with a killer in a cage.

Lammin employs a wide variety of multimedia to enhance the theatrical experience to great effect. Smoke, strobe lighting and music paint a vivid portrait of the Summer of Love while the use of images and video nail home the severity of the Manson family’s crime in stark black and white. Each of these elements contribute to an engaging theatrical experience yet they can’t all distract from the play’s length. Sneakyville is a work of ambition, yes, but also one of endurance. Though issues of drag and pacing aside, Sneakyville is never anything less than a confronting and challenging piece of theatre, creatively staged and ambitious in scope and scale.

Sneakyville
fortyfivedownstairs, 45 Flinders Lane, Melbourne CBD
Till Sunday, 12 August 2018,
fortyfivedownstairs.com/wp2016/event/sneakyville