Earlier this millennium Paul Rothwell was Wellington’s Neil La Bute, creating a copious amount of work which both genre-hopped and always contained a twist. The Blackening premiered on stage at BATS Theatre in 2009 and was produced for radio the following year.

Prodigal eldest child Mel (Jed Brophy) returns to his grandparents’ orchard after his high flying job. He’s been away a long time and had left history that will be reckoned with. History and identity are branches from the same tree here as everything is not what it seems and no-one’s story is safe. There are a number of resonances here including Man Alone, The Cherry Orchard, Texas Chainsaw Massacre and Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf weaved together into a New Zealand setting.

Rothwell’s writing has always been dependent on perceptions, the revelation of secrets and the ensuing consequences.  One of the pleasures is that these consequences are always high-octane. As the story unfolds, or as their stories fall apart, there’s a thrill in piecing this all together that is so satisfying while being horrific at the same time.

The ‘blackening’ is a term relating to a fungal rot that destroys apple orchards. The apple iconography runs through all aspects of the play: the apple of Eden holding knowledge of sin; the need to burn the orchard to destroy the sickness; which son is the apple of the parents’ eye; the apple never falls far from the tree.

Broody, the youngest brother (an empathic and heart wrenching delivery from Julian Wilson) fell out of a tree whilst watching for Mel’s return and sustained a head injury that leaves him unequipped for life. Dan (a somewhat restrained performance by Phil Grieve) is the middle brother who has steadfastly remained to look after not only the abusive grandfather, now relegated to a shack out the back, but also the orchard and Broody. Jed Brophy’s Mel is spot on – Brophy has always sat perfectly in the ‘gidday mate’ acting genre and is perfect for this role, which he created in the original stage production.

The creative team in front of the mics (presuming the actors are behind the mics?) of producer Jason Te Kare, and engineers Phil Benge & Phil Brownlee support and direct the action admirably. Having been adapted from a usually visual genre, there is the odd expositional clanger in the writing and there are moments when we need to work out how much time has passed. The diagetic soundscape however is brilliant and the use of distance supports the various locations the play takes us to. 

This was recorded in 2010 and has Rothwell’s feel for theatre of unease all over it. It also has a certain misogyny too. It’s a very ‘Kiwi male’ play and all females are silent or bitches – in both senses of the word.

This is a good thriller though I find the ending ambiguous if not unclear. It was only looking up the original dates that I discovered the stage ending which then makes this ending make sense.

Best heard late at night while it’s awful outside. Sweet Dreams. 

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