True West @ Citizens Theatre

Domestic in content it may be but Sam Shepard’s emotionally charged tale about an American family is the stuff of epics.  A modern Greek tragedy, it’s also part western with the drama following fighting brothers who circle each other for one final face off.  

In the Californian heat, where crickets eat through the silence and coyotes scrap like siblings, two brothers meet again at their mother’s house after five years.  Hollywood is calling for the younger ‘good’ brother Austin.  His screenplay is about to be bought when elder, ‘bad’ brother Lee (drifter and petty thief) steals the deal away from him.

The fall out is full on. Jealousy and rivalry lead to violence and chaos. And yet there’s a sameness to each scene: these brothers are stuck on a relationship repeat. Lee gets aggressive and calls the shots; Austin backs down. There’s a perverse sense of pleasure with a role reversal, but relief turns to understanding when mum finally returns home and ignores it all.

It’s a tour de force performance from Alex Ferns. His Lee is domineering, wild and monstrous. Matching his commitment is Eugene O’Hare’s Austin. Neat and slightly camp, he excels as Austin turns the tables on his brother.  The final scenes are hilarious, absurd and intense.

While it’s framed in a beautifully filmic way, this descent into madness does not make for easy viewing. It is exhausting and uncomfortable.  After watching True West, I went home and ate some toast. After such craziness, it seemed the only thing to do.