There are almost 5,000 recovering alcoholics in the Alcoholics Anonymous program in Australia. Brendan Cowell introduces us to its latest member, Ruben Guthrie.
Brendan Cowell writes with a concern for the state of Australia alcoholism as well as a personal knowledge of the pitfalls and stark realisations that come with taking a year off the booze.
Toby Schmitz plays Ruben Guthrie, the slick wunderkind of the glossy advertising world. His finessed timing and mannerisms give Ruben an easy coolness and accessibility, even as he slips seamlessly between extremes of vulnerability, love and anger.
We join Ruben’s metaphoric descent after a failed attempt to fly from the top of a building into a kiddies, wading pool. His arm is broken, his beautiful fiancé has left him, and the play commences in the confines of an AA meeting he has been dragged to by his mother. Despite this grim scenario, Ruben Guthrie is filled with comedic, drunken debacles, and we are left to question whether it is nervous laughter or just good, old-fashioned, Australian mateship.
As Ruben proceeds through the familiar twelves-steps, he discovers that his family and friends – far from supporting him – continue to feed the monkey on his back. His boss (played by Christopher Stollery), who is also on the wagon, needs Ruben’s creativity to keep flowing and encourages his drinking; his best friend (Torquil Neilson) with his failed New York expedition conjures drunken Ruben to help him forget; and his mother (Tracy Mann) just wants her son back.
The timing of Ruben Guthrie’s arrival at the Belvoir’s Downstairs Theatre is poignant, coinciding with high profile, Australian athletes being publicly disciplined for alcoholic excess. Cowell has an acute Australian sensibility that throws brutal truths in our faces and, despite the discomfort, we find ourselves thanking him for it.
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