Written by David Mamet, presented by Brisbane Powerhouse and Troop Productions, produced by Ruby Newport and directed by Keiran Brice, American Buffalo shines a light on the unwritten yet understood rules of “stand up guys,” the personal ties that bind and hinder their business relationships, and honour between thieves in pursuit of their American Dream.

Set in mid-70s Chicago, in a junk-riddled re-sale shop, the set (designed by Georgia Greenhill) was fantastically eclectic.  Overflowing with every cheap, well used, bizarre, unwanted, and quirky item you could imagine, Greenhill and her assistants have done a tremendous job in the Visy’s small space. On opening, the young lackey Bobby (Jackson McGovern) is apologising to Donny (Ron Kelly) the proprietor, for abandoning his lookout post and coming back to the shop.  Donny is taking him to task, albeit in a mentoring fatherly way. Convinced the buffalo nickel he recently sold could be worth at least five times the $90 sale price, Donny is planning for Bobby to rob the customer’s home.  When petty thief, con-man, and poker buddy Teach (Derek Draper) drops by and gets a whiff that something’s going down he manipulates Donny into second-guessing his choice.

Chicago accents aren’t easy and the actors have worked hard. The characters different personality traits are physically well conveyed.  Kelly is measured and calm with his movements, McGovern shrinks into himself and scratches at himself like an ice addict and Draper twitches and moves even when sitting. As the paranoid and impulsive Teach, Draper’s constant leg jiggling was hard to watch for those who hate people with restless leg syndrome. Initially, his performance was slightly down, but he settled in and morphed in Act Two.  With a honing of focus he took control; his Teach was like an angry panther, not twitching but prowling.  In Act One, my gaze continually turned from him, but now my eyes were drawn to him like a magnet.  My plus one commented that his performance and look reminded her of Kevin Dillon’s Johnny Drama in Entourage, and funnily I’d been thinking the same.  Unfortunately, Draper didn’t appear at curtain call, which is a shame as he deserved his applause. 

I wanted to put my arm around McGovern and take him home for a good feed, shower, and a detox.  His Bobby was so believable that it was affecting to watch.  Even in his off-focus moments, his character was interesting and fully invested. Kelly’s skilful performance of Donny grounded the play, and gave us a fully realised character. You could see the cogs turning in his head, as he pondered his moral dilemma. The duality of his character was apparent and the slow build of his anger at the end was spot on.

The sound (Shane Kumar) is minimal. We hear the occasional cop car passing (which freaks Teach out no end) and the ring of the old bell on opening the door. The lack of sound highlights the vacuum in which these characters exist. These are marginalised men, living inside a bubble of their larger community as clarified by Teach’s line: “I go out there every day, there’s nothing out there.’’ Similarly minimal is the lighting (Tim Gawne).  Taking place over one work day that stretches into the late night, there are not many opportunities for creative lighting. Much of Gawne’s work here will go unnoticed.  When everything is so natural I soon failed to notice it. It’s a job well done.

Act One gave us an insight into how men with low incomes, little hope, no family ties, and vacillating friendships negotiate their lives.  We see how they speak and interact: mainly with humour and an undercurrent of suspicion. The language is natural, with lines overlapping, sentences being cut short, and sometimes just a “yeah” that said everything. 

Act Two showed how these men keep score when their loyalties are tested. The pace picked up, the audience was quieter and invested in the outcome. We weren’t disappointed.  The men’s desperation and aggression, as inevitably their house of cards falls, is not easy to watch but you won’t be able to turn away.  By the time the play closes (as it started) with Bobby apologising to Donny, you will have had an interesting journey and definitely lots to talk about.

On opening night, Brice has given us a worthy example of Mamet-speak, albeit with room for growth.   I’m hoping American Buffalo gets the chance for a second run. Thanks Troop Productions for adding to the diversity of Brisbane theatre, and challenging yourselves with Mamet.  Can’t wait to see what you do next!

Lisa Bingham