Local hotbed for independent theatre, The Motley Bauhaus, this week brings us Crows from The Persona Collective. Written by Robert Lewis and Ryan Enniss, and directed by Callum Bodman, Crows presents a tale of eight Melbournians whose lives interweave with each other in unexpected ways.
Entering the theatre at the back of the Motely Bauhaus, the stage is set with four chairs in front of a telephone pole, with four thick black wires hanging down to the floor. When the cast takes the stage, they are each adorned with a large crow mask on their heads. This initial image, created by designer Georgia Mason, is incredibly striking and sets a fantastic tone for the show.
Crows is made up of a series of eight monologues performed by a cast of four actors: Annaliese Cartwright, Ben Goss, Chloe McKeon and Jalen Ong. These individual monologues come together to form an intricate tapestry of events as the characters impact each other’s lives in unexpected ways.
The narrative is thematically rich. Characters reckon with toxic masculinity, social anxiety, and the unescapable traumas of their past. The production manages to explore these ideas while maintaining a darkly comedic tone. The prose-like structure of the script regularly dishes out cleverly worded remarks in the face of unusual, awkward, and sometimes terrifying situations.
On opening night, some cast members struggled with the wordy script, with some lines dropped or fumbled. These moments broke up a script that has an incredibly addictive flow to it, but should be less common as the season proceeds.
Aside from this, the cast wield the sharp, wordy script incredibly well. Ben Goss’s opening monologue fully grounds the audience in the world of Crows as his character navigates his crippling anxiety. Jalen Ong has a light-hearted touch to his monologues, exploring familial trauma and toxic masculinity.
Chloe McKeon’s turns are the most harrowing, exploring sexual assault and domestic abuse. Annaliese Cartwright’s performances leaned heavily on broken relationships and social paranoia.
All this subject matter is incredibly complex and heavy. The audience is always able to laugh along, though, thanks to how well the topics are handled.
While not performing a monologue, the other three cast members haunt the speaking actor in their crow masks. This effect lends to the show’s distinct atmosphere without completely distracting from the performance.
The script for Crows would probably be a fantastic read. By its nature as a series of monologues, however, there are certain unique challenges apparent in adapting it to the stage. Halfway through the show, when the performers began their second round of monologues, it wasn’t immediately clear that they weren’t playing the same characters as previously.
Costume design is minimalist, which places more emphasis on the performers to distinguish their dual roles. At times, the differences in physicality or speech are subtle, leaving it to the writing to signal a new character.
With the eight-monologue structure, teamed with such a minimalist design, the narrative becomes difficult to follow as it jumps through multiple perspectives at different times.
One moment we are in the Collingwood Bunnings paint aisle. The next we are at the Melbourne Zoo. And at the end we are in a forest in the middle of the night. There are moments throughout where there is a sudden and beautiful clarity where one story intersects with others, and the larger tapestry becomes visible.
At times though, the narrative is dizzying and disorienting, and the audience doesn’t really know where or when they are in relation to the rest of the story. There may be a greater message or climactic moment to Crows that is buried beneath the confusion.
Crows is a thoroughly entertaining dark comedy brimming with sharp and witty prose. At its strongest, it delivers a raw tale of people dealing with inner demons and traumatic pasts with a humorous yet delicate touch. At other times, it trips over itself as it struggles to communicate its complex and thoughtful narrative.
Crows runs to 15 November at The Motley Bauhaus. 118 Elgin Street, Carlton Vic 3053.
Tickets: https://www.eventfinda.com.au/2025/crows/melbourne/carlton
Website: https://www.themotley.com.au/
Socials: https://www.instagram.com/themotleybauhaus/
Images supplied.
