Hir by Taylor Mac is a sharp, biting satire that delivers a gut punch to conservative societal tropes. In this tight and clever kitchen-sink, single set, four-actor play at the New Theatre, director Patrick Howard gives us a piece of theatre that is both entertaining and thought-provoking. Modern American society, war, money, gender, and family are all torn apart while identity, belonging, trauma and redemption are all questioned.
Dishonourably discharged from the army, Afghanistan veteran Isaac returns home to find his family and childhood house in chaos. His abusive and controlling father, Arnold, has had a stroke and now relies on his wife, Paige, who is finally asserting her revenge on the patriarchy after a lifetime of oppression and shame. Meanwhile, his younger sibling Max is exploring “hir” identity, desperately seeking a way to belong.
When PTSD and waning male privilege clash with clown makeup and plans for radical communes, “home” bursts apart.
Jodine Muir plays the mother, Paige, and gives us a character reminiscent of Parker Posey’s Victoria Ratliff from White Lotus, but with a much harsher edge. Paige is an incredibly complex character, and Muir’s subtle performance highlights her desperation and trauma driven by a relentless desire for revenge.
Rowan Greaves’ portrayal of stroke victim Arnold is equal parts pathetic and tragic. As the play opens, we find him dribbling, sitting in a chair, wearing a nightgown, clown wig and clown makeup and find out that Paige has been humiliating him since his stroke rendered him severely disabled. As the narrative continues, the audience’s sympathy is very quickly called into question. The way in which director Patrick Howard uses playwright Taylor Mac’s biting dialogue to control the audience’s perception and actually spin it 180 degrees is incredibly clever, and Thursday’s opening night audience was lapping up being held at the mercy of plot revelation after plot revelation.
The character of Max is played by Lola Kate Carlton. Max has recently come out as transgender and identifies as non-binary, using the pronouns “they/them” or “hir/hirself.” Carlton’s portrayal is sharp, passionate, idealistic, and sometimes surly, reflecting the typical teenage experience (and looking vaguely Troy Sivan-esque) while also navigating their gender identity. Max is a catalyst for change within the family, challenging the traditional gender roles and power dynamics established by their parents.
Finally, the “straight” character, son Isaac, played with a gruff confusion by Luke Visentin, is very believable trying to impose order and control, both on his surroundings and within himself, while also struggling with the changes in his family and his own past trauma.
The small ensemble cast is close-knit and works very well together. Their timing is flawless, as is their delivery of the sharp, and at times verbose, dialogue. Victor Kalka’s set is beautifully detailed, while Xan Holden’s costumes help explore the complexities of gender.
Thursday’s opening night audience was taken on a roller coaster of contradictory emotions. What begins as a conventional family drama is broken wide open, resulting in an insightful, relevant, and challenging genderqueer piece of theatre.
Hir is written by Taylor Mac and directed by Patrick Howard. It is playing at the New Theatre, Newtown, through to 2 August.
In his past lives, Damien was a drag queen and musical theatre actor. He made his stage debut as a fat cow in a school production of Joseph in 1984. He holds a BA with a major in drama from the University of Newcastle. He is completely obsessed with musical theatre – especially Broadway divas.
Since relocating to Sydney at the beginning of 2024, he attends every musical he can get to and lives with his partner and grumpy 12-year-old poodle.
His claim to fame is that he once met Patti Lupone in New York and she was nice to him.