AWAKE Queen's Theatre Until 03 Mar 2012 Review by Tony Busch A man with amnesia and no ability to make new memories and a woman who is dying from her inability to sleep. Written and directed by Fleur Kilpatrick, “Awake” is a pair of stories woven around the harrowing effects of flawed brain chemistry. The simple setting – a ring of tea-lights, three chairs and two window frames – becomes the battleground for two families unlucky in the lottery of life. First we peer into the lives of musician Glen and his wife. Glen woke up one morning with a headache then suddenly his brain erased his past life and destroyed his ability to make new memories. Why? No-one knows and no doctor can help. Justin Batchelor is superb as the amnesiac, living from minute to minute as if he has just woken up and has never experienced life before. His attempts to make sense of what is going on around him hold special significance for anyone who has had experience with dementia and his panic and anguish is painful to behold. Kristina Benton is his wife, Ellen, who for five years has maintained a loving patience as she explains over and over again what has happened and what is going on, a task made all the harder to bear because she knows there is no escape. Together they create a tenderness that is truly breathtaking. Next we peer into Ester’s private hell. Isolated on a drought-stricken farm, she is the victim of Fatal Familial Insomnia, a condition, passed on through faulty genes, in which her brain refuses to shut down to allow her to sleep. Again, no-one knows why and no-one can help. Unlike the loving relationship of Glen and Ellen, Ester’s family is dysfunctional. Her brother has shut down emotionally through his inability to confront the possibility he might also have the condition, and he and Ester’s son rub each other raw. Joanne Sutton is wonderful as Ester; her monologues on her bucket-list and her experiences in Sydney, where she goes to consult a specialist, are superb. Justin Batchelor does double duty as her brother Nate in another fine characterisation and Alex Roe is her son, unable to cope when his mother withdraws into herself without apparent reason. It is given an extra dimension through the clever use of songs, written by Kristina Benton and performed live by the cast in gorgeous, tight harmony, and the judicious use of atmospheric soundscapes. Kilpatrick has achieved something very special. Her ability to draw warmth and humour as well as pain and pathos from these scenarios, and her direction of four very fine actors, has created a very rich and satisfying theatrical experience and one which I would urge everyone to see. Rating: 4.5 stars (out of 5)