WHEN THE RAIN STOPS FALLING - THE AUSTRALIAN REVIEW

by Murray Bramwell | March 03, 2008

A keenly anticipated work has been unveiled at the Adelaide Festival.

In 2004 the Extinction Project began with Brink Productions' Chris Drummond, distinguished visual artist Hossein Valamanesh, writer Andrew Bovell and a strong interest in Tim Flannery's book The Future Eaters. It has all led to When The Rain Stops Falling, a spellbinding saga of four generations reaching forward to 2039, and Alice Springs, which now has tropical rainfall and fish falling from the sky.

But the turbulent climate change is only a backdrop to the weather the estranged characters take with them through lives of silent regret, abandonment and emotional incomprehension.

These are Bovell signatures, familiar from Lantana, and even bolder here, where coincidence is a magical expectation and predestination the road most travelled. Those closest to the characters cannot connect; only random encounters and events bring on revelations. Elegantly designed by Valamanesh in pale tones with screens, simple furniture, and sparing use of video projections by TheimaGen, the production, deftly directed by Drummond, places its focus directly on the excellent performances in duets mostly, with Bovell's unerring dialogue gradually disclosing mysteries and misunderstandings. The cast is strong, and Carmel Johnson, Neil Pigot, Yalin Ozucelik and Paul Blackwell are outstanding. We cannot easily predict the changes in the world's weather but the forecast for Bovell's finely observed, splendidly crafted play looks bright indeed.