Extremities: Emmy Award-Winner William Mastrosimone’s Controversial Psychological Thriller is Brought to Life at Space Theatre – Review

Space Theatre, Wed 24 Nov. The opening scene of Extremities is really disturbing. It has to be for the rest of the play to work. We have the dubious pleasure of being witness to a home invasion where a man terrorises the lone female occupant with intent to rape her. The scene is mercifully cut short when she is able to turn the tables on the intruder and subject him to her own brand of terror. Her flatmates eventually return home and can only see that she has a man captive, and who is in a very bad way. He comes on all endearing and sensitive to the flatmates but we, the audience, have seen what the intruder is really like and can enjoy the physical punishment the victim dished out – he deserved every bit of it. But what happens next? Call the police? Release the intruder? What would the police or a court of law conclude? It’s quite possible the victim is more likely to be charged. And there’s the rub. A woman has been violated and has no recourse to any meaningful legal course of action. She appears to the outside world as the criminal. If there are no other witnesses and no physical evidence of the intended rape she has no case. The salient point is of course that this kind of scenario must be played out many times in scenes of domestic violence around the country. Adam Tuominen is superb as the threatening, manipulative intruder. Rachael Wegener as Marjorie takes a while to warm to the role of now being in command (perhaps she’s still in a state of shock?) but once inflamed by her doubting flatmates she becomes quite a convincing tyrant. Stephanie Rossi as Patricia is amusing as she tries to adopt the social worker perspective to solve their dilemma. Bottom line: when a man of normal stature decides to physically terrorise a woman the law of nature determines that is it is a very unequal contest. Feminism matters. Extremities is disturbing and enlightening. Thankfully there is some dark humour to lighten the mood but it leaves many questions unanswered – deliberately so. Extremities continues at Space Theatre, Adelaide Festival Centre, at various times, until Sat 26 Nov. Book at BASS on 131 246 and bass.net.au. Click HERE to purchase your tickets. Extremities supports November's White Ribbon Day.