Cutty's Blog

Sunday 17th September, 2006

I wasn't sure what to expect when I bought my ticket to this show. I'm a big John Schumann fan. Have been since I first heard the Caught in the Act album from Redgum back in the 80's.

I had heard the Lawson album and was very impressed. I wasn't sure what Max Cullen was going to bring to the table. Well, I was extremely impressed.

Max took us through Henry's life in monolog, from his birth in a small tent in a selection at "Eurundry" through time in the bush, his ill fated marriage to Bertha and love affair with Hannah and struggle with the demon drink. It was a powerful and at times emotional performance.

These were interspersed with John Schumann's versions of Lawson poems and stories put to music. At times I felt some of the song's didn't really fit at the point they were presented but for the most part there was a blending between the Lawson story and the subsequent. John has done a magnificent job of capturing Lawson and putting it to music. I love "Glass on the Bar". I hadn't really known what "To Hannah" was all about but it was very powerful in the context of Max's monolog on Lawson's vexed love for Hannah and her death before he could make good on it. "The Shame of Going Back" fitted in nicely after the explanation of Lawson's feelings on his return from England and his travels in the bush to Sydney.

John has put together a great band of musos for this show and the sound was mixed very well. I could hear both the lyrics and all the instruments which is uncommon these days.

Brian Matthews has done a wonderful job of crafting Lawson's words for Max to recite. The final section in which Lawson explains what it means to be Australian, about mateship and pride in your country had me in tears. And the emotion didn't stop till well after I left the theatre. To me that shows just what an amazing and powerful piece this is. It should be taken on the road to the other states.

I heard Max on the radio the other week and he commented that the producers had offered to stage special performances of Lawson for SA schools. Max lamented that the schools had failed to take up the offer. What a sad day it is when such a magnificent and educational show is ignored by our teachers. With so much US culture invading our children's minds this was a great chance for them to learn about one of our greatest writers and poets and to experience the music of one of our great songwriters. I only wish my own kids were old enough to appreciate and experience this work.

I learnt about Lawson at school, but that was 20 years ago and time has erased some of those memories. This was a great refresher course on the life of a national treasure.

Well done to Brian, John, Max and the Vagabond crew. You have done Henry proud.