The Sum Of Us

By Mark Kearney

The Sum Of Us

My first experience with The Sum of Us came from a chance, late night screening of the 1994 film adaptation on television a few years ago.

It was one of those increasingly rare occasions when you stumble across something worth viewing after 11pm when I found a young Russell Crowe as Jeff, living with his father, Harry (Jack Thompson) and engaged in the daily grind of suburban domestic routine. 

In the wake of the death of Jeff’s mother, they were as much a source of agitation for one another as they were support, fighting over table manners or what was served for dinner.

Oh, and Crowe’s character was gay.

That’s what’s so remarkable about The Sum of Us, written by Academy-award nominee David Stevens (he wrote the screenplay for the brilliant Breaker Morant.)

The fact that the lead character is openly gay with his father’s support is almost of no significance to the story, an afterthought even.

Despite being the source of much of the humour in the piece, this story could easily be about a straight child and their parent and still elicit the same universal themes : a desire for love, acceptance and connection.

In that way, The Sum of Us was ahead of its time, and proves an interesting counterpoint to the more renowned gay-themed Australian film of 1994, Priscilla Queen of the Desert.

Finally, HIT Productions have brought us the Australian Stage Premiere of Stevens’ work. Here, devoted widower Harry is played by John Jarratt (Wolf Creek, Better Homes and Gardens) and son Jeff is brought wonderfully to life by Neighbours alum, Patrick Harvey.

Over the course of the play we witness them both embark on new relationships as well as facing a final, sucker punch of a challenge to their own bond.

Patrick Harvey is hands-down the knock-out star here. His Jeff radiates warmth, thanks largely to Harvey’s affable and quick delivery of lines. But he also imbues the character with a yearning that lurks just underneath the surface, telling us that he is missing a vital ingredient for achieving contentment.

I left the theatre with a massive crush on him and perhaps herein lay my only criticism of his performance : that handsome, gentle-natured Jeff was single required some suspension of belief on the audience’s part!

Jarratt’s role is demanding and his performance inconsistent. His strongest moments come in tandem with Harvey; they share a very real chemistry which is joyous to watch.

When left to his own devices, Jarratt looks a little uncertain, especially in monologue. These speeches still resonate emotionally, though, especially his final words to the audience.

Jarratt was a late addition to the cast and with time I am positive his performance will grow in strength.

The supporting cast play out their roles well. Glen van Oosterom as Greg, the object of Jeff’s affections, gives an appropriately nervous performance in the first half before returning in Act Two with a more assured presence.

As Joyce, Nell Feeney looked every inch the conservative, wary love interest for Harry. While her eleventh hour revelation is shocking, it is not altogether unexpected from the character she’s created. 

Shane Gurton’s design for the show is simple and elegant. Excluding the final scene, the entire show takes place in the men’s lounge room.

It was suitably outdated, evidently missing a woman’s touch in the absence of their beloved wife and mother. The cast performed some unnecessary scene changes though, moving furniture around the stage in full light and in character to create more playing space for the following scene.

One fixed setting with cast working around set pieces would’ve been less distracting and not hindered the performance.

Costumes by Adrienne Chisholm were a mixed lot and caused some confusion about the era and setting of the piece. Perhaps hung up on the 90s film version, I found Jeff’s modern clothing (and the cordless phone) in discord with the show, just as references to the Footscray Football Club and Jeff’s entry in a rugby jersey were inharmonious.

Overall, though, I was engrossed by The Sum of Us and the daunting running time of 145 minutes (with an interval) slipped by without me once glancing at my watch. This is credit to the cast and creatives above.

It’s exciting to note that the show will tour until November this year, not only visiting capital cities, but regional, rural and remote theatre venues across Australia. I hope its message of acceptance and unconditional love finds many ears as it travels the country.

If there’s anything we can always use more of, it’s understanding.