The Almighty Sometimes by Black Swan State Theatre Company

Alison van Reeken (as Renee), Harry Gilchrist (as Oliver), ‘Ana Ika (as Anna)
Photo Credit: Daniel J Grant

I didn’t know what I was walking into with The Almighty Sometimes. I’d read that it was an award-winning mental health drama, and… that’s about it.

Going in with no expectations can be a good thing – and in this case, it made Kendall Feaver’s harrowing debut script all the more impactful.

A vaguely eerie, yet ethereal blue-toned stage greets us upon entry. Then, out of the shadows, paediatric psychiatrist Vivienne (played by Amy Mathews) begins to read a disturbing passage written by one of her young patients, Anna (‘Ana Ika).

Anna has recently turned 18 – and most of her childhood and adolescence has been characterised by severe mental illness and constant medications. She lives with her widowed mother Renee (Alison van Reeken) with whom she shares a tense, often codependent relationship.

At the start of the play, Anna begins an awkward new romance with her former schoolmate Oliver (Harry Gilchrist). She also starts to question the medical decisions that have been made for her up to this point. Before long, Oliver finds himself deeply entwined in Anna and Renee’s world… and it’s a lot. Perhaps too much.

It would be remiss of me not to give kudos to all four actors for their incredibly believable performances. This production is not for the faint of heart. It’s a raw, confronting, and potentially trauma-triggering experience. (That intermission in the middle is a good breather.)

But it’s also heartwarming and funny. And worth it.

The Almighty Sometimes, directed by Emily McLean and presented by Black Swan State Theatre Company, is on at Subiaco Arts Centre until 5 July.

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