Timely Play With Tempo

When Stephen Albert stood on a desert hillside claiming to be "king for this place" a shiver went down my spine.

This is just one of many magnificent, dignified and spine-chilling moments in Deckchair Theatre's new production King For This Place showing at Fremantle's Victoria Hall, originally a theatre and which could become Deckchair's new home.

The company asked Nyungar elder Richard Wilkes to officially launch and bless the space before Neil Murray's first play opened with a blast of rock music and a very drunk whitefella swearing his guts out as his Falcon hit a roo.

After whitefella Lenny (Phillip McInnes) is rescued by a group of Aborigines, humour and gentle, reasonable wisdom take over.

This is a timely play about reconciliation which should be staged in State and Federal parliaments.

Murray, better known as one of Australia's leading songwriters, has a natural ear for dialogue.

It is clear he has a great theatrical contribution to make.

He is lucky to have not only a great cast - Kelton Pell, Trevor Jamieson, Melodie Reynolds and Sher Williams-Hood - but also an inspiring creative team.