The Ritual Slaughter Of Gorge Mastromas

Red Stitch has gone from strength to strength over the past couple of years, and their most recent offering, expertly directed by Mark Wilson, carries the strongest ensemble cast we have ever seen on that small St Kilda stage.

The piece follows the life of protagonist Gorge Mastromas from birth to old age, through an adolescence of passive goodness (or is it cowardice?) and into an adult life of unscrupulous acquisition and bountiful financial and romantic success, built on a Jenga tower of lies.

At its heart this text is a morality play, and Gorge’s allegorical representation of corporate consumerism certainly isn’t subtle – but the blunt, bold message shouts loud in our current political climate where lies are respected above kindness and you can buy yourself a seat in Parliament. Richard Cawthorne is outstanding as Gorge Mastromas, playing the crudely representative role clearly without losing the innate humanity (despicable, yes, but unfortunately very human). Elizabeth Nabben is as strong as ever, and 2015 Red Stitch graduate Jordan Fraser-Trumble is an absolute treat on the stage. The script is a bit long in the second half, but from beginning to end it was perfectly delivered, masterfully directed and above all else culturally relevant and on point for what an Australian audience needs to be seeing right now.

Red Stitch Theatre to 7 Mar