How far would you go to fit in? Does the old adage ‘what happens on the mine stays on the mine’ apply when families are in trouble? Is blood thicker than water – or at least molten iron ore? FIFO – Fit In or F**k Off is a gripping three-hander detailing the struggles plaguing FIFO workers. It explores isolation from society, families, and friends, drug culture, feelings of displacement, and twists the notion of hard work and good money – chewing these concepts and heartliy spitting them out onto the red soil that serves as a fitting backdrop to the trials and tribulations of three Aboriginal Australians.
FIFO is a world premiere collaboration between Yirra Yaakin Theatre Company and Goolarri Media Enterprises – their first foray into stageplays, and hopefully not their last! Written by Melody Dia after she attended the Goolarri Media Indigenous Writers program in Broome, the play highlights the disenfranchisement felt by people who no longer feel welcome in either world they inhabit. Jono (Trevor Ryan) vacillates between his Aboriginal connection to the land – his father urges him to stop this mining lark and protect his native areas in a National Park – and the systematic destruction he unleashes with every stint he does on the mines. Mining companies are notorious for digging up sacred sites, but Jono reflects that this might be the only way he can get close to them. Bobbi Henry as Jono’s wife is a victim of the lure of credit cards and a particular lifestyle that is synonymous with the FIFO big bucks. She gets further and further away from her roots only to come full circle when she is grounded once again in her hometown. And Janey (Marlanie Haerewa) struggles with drug abuse and the hedonistic element of having no fixed address and plenty of disposable income.
This drama is played out on the beautiful set designed by Neil Sheriff – which captures the heart and essence of Broome and manifests it onto an intimate, yet vast stage. Sheriff has managed to harness the unique colours and lighting in the Northwest and distill it into the perfect backdrop – the subdued nature of which provides a constant reminder that land is integral to its people. The actors move about the three-levelled platforms as the big trucks would a mining site – they load up and push carved boxes up ramps in a move reminiscent of construction, they sit on stylised rocks, hewn from the land itself, and they are bordered by stunning led light panels that meander across the set like a scar – Henry even references this homage to the waterways that course across the orange land like veins in an elder’s hand. The audience is instantly transported to Broome, and those who have the advantage of seeing the show there will see their landscape and identity incarnate.
FIFO is an intuitive collaboration with Director Eva Grace Mullaley clearly in synch with Dia’s script. Her connection to the work shines through in the clever opening scenes – each character essentially monologuing about their particular issues. Janey opens procedings with a raucus stand-up comedy set, complete with laugh track, it’s clever and punchy and full of relevant humour – ‘how do you know if someone works FIFO? Don’t worry, they’ll tell ya!’ Then Jono begins with a brilliant piece about his schedule, filled with comedy and a darker thread that evokes almost military precision, camaraderie, and a sense that other people just can’t understand what it’s like to be branded FIFO. After that, Mary is talking to her manicurist – Henry gets the rhythm of talking to another person rendered silent in the show. She cheekily waits, but not for too long as it is a monologue, and regales her manicurist with tales of her flippant spending. Mary is a hilarious character, and one that seems to be struggling the most – she acts blasé about her spending but you can see a dark cloud overcome her face momentarily as she racks up the bill. Henry performs the hell out of this role. Mullaley’s direction sees these three characters remain frozen in isolation as each actor delivers their monologue. When they inevitably converge, the emotional payoff is stronger as they had all been together but separate – a painful reality for many families enduring the one week home, four weeks away.
Working on the mines is a pertinent and apt metaphor for many of the issues faced by Aboriginal families – whether in the past or present. Mining companies ravage the land and deny people of their own culture. Families are split up and parents unable to connect with their own children properly. Drug culture is rife on the homefront as well as in the mining communities, and families are torn apart by drug abuse. But perhaps the richest vein Dia has mined is a sense of identity. Who you are is intrinsically bound up with what you do for work, where you live and who your family is. FIFO – Fit In or F**k Off tears apart each of these identities and scrutinises them beyond recognition. It’s a sharp and intelligent examination of who we are and how we express ourselves. It stretches the tension felt between these two states – home and away – and doesn’t give up until something snaps, exploding in a fierce burst of emotion. One thing is for sure, though, once the dust settles, we can all see who is standing on which side of the chasm.
Review | Laura Money
PERTH SHOW
WHEN: 13 – 24 October | 2pm & 7pm
WHERE: Subiaco Arts Centre | SUBIACO
INFO: Tickets $26 – $40 | Duration 90 mins | No interval | Recommended 15+ | Warnings: Coarse language, drug references, suicide references, drug paraphernalia, smoke, haze, high pitched frequencies that may cause discomfort and sexual references
LINK: https://www.ptt.wa.gov.au/venues/subiaco-arts-centre/whats-on/fifo/
BROOME SHOW
WHEN: 29 – 31 October | 1pm & 7pm
WHERE: Gimme Club | BROOME
INFO: Tickets $26 – $40 | Duration 90 mins | No interval | Recommended 15+ | Warnings: Coarse language, drug references, suicide references, drug paraphernalia, smoke, haze, high pitched frequencies that may cause discomfort and sexual references
