Boy Swallows Universe | Trent Dalton

The curtain rose on a boy held at knifepoint, police looking on, guns raised, frozen in time. And with that we were thrown into the life of Eli Bell. Over the two hours that followed, we bared witness to an increasingly unbelievable, somewhat true story of a boy who is best friends with convicted killer, Slim Halliday, during an era of crime and corruption in 80s Brisbane. Trent Dalton’s Boy Swallows Universe was fast-paced, tragic, heartfelt, fantastical, and fun.

This image: David Kelly. Cover image: Supplied.

Eli Bell, played by Joe Klocek, narrated the story as it happened. At first, this felt overly expositional, but as the events unfolded, Eli’s unique way of thinking drew me in. Klocek rarely left the stage and held the audience’s attention well. His asides were fun and I wanted him to play more with the audience. It was jarring to watch the 26-year-old play a 12-year-old boy, for the first ten minutes or so, but I sunk into it.

The actors captured the characters magnificently. Tytus Broz, played by Anthony Phelan, was the classic Slavic villain. His accent was spot-on, and I could have believed Phelan was Polish, if it weren’t that he played Slim, too. The transition between characters was so seamless that I only figured this out during the bows. Several of the other actors were double cast and I was wowed by their versatility.

Queensland Theatre crafted a world that rang true to the novel. Bich Dang’s house was as I had imagined it, a tasteless mansion bathed in yellow streetlight. The banquet scene was vibrant, erupting with karaoke and flecks of light from disco balls, decked out like a typical Asian Australian restaurant and crowded with folks dressed in their Sunday best, which meant anything from a tailored white suit to a Hawaiian shirt and thongs.

Image: David Kelly

The set transformed over and over again. A pier, an auditorium, the inside of a dunny, the winding spiral staircase of a clocktower. Projection championed as the main creative tool, with brilliant photorealistic sets that took us under the steel beams of the story bridge and striped brick arches of Boggo Roal gaol. The projections gave close ups of the actors’ faces during intense emotional scenes. This made the show feel more like a film. I enjoyed this when the actor wasn’t present, like when Lyle Orlik, played by Anthony Gooley, appeared through the dunny seat. However, when the actors were also on stage, my eye was drawn to the image instead of the performer.

Boy Swallows Universe swelled with questions of masculinity and manhood. My favourite moment was when Lyle took Eli outside to tell him off for having a go at his mum. The emotional beats in this scene were masterful. I could feel the claustrophobia of the suburbs. For me, the heart of the show was Eli’s exploration of what it means to be a good or bad man. He had a spectrum of role models of varying morals. An alcoholic string-bean of a father haunted by guilt, an earnest stepdad who is rough around the edges, a retired criminal with endless life lessons, and then….

Image: David Kelly

Teddy Kallas. I give him a perfect score on the toxic masculinity scale. I was absolutely disgusted by this character. Played by Andrew Buchanan and clad in a wife-beater and thick moustache, Teddy would turn on a dime and was relentless. I was terrified every time he stepped on stage. I wanted to boo him. I do wonder if the act of domestic violence was necessary. The other acts of violence in the show leant on metaphor and suggestion, but this moment was not artful, just barebones horrible to watch. It is important that these things are not erased or obscured, but I found it difficult to focus on Eli as the central character after that.

Despite heavy themes, there was playfulness and humour.

The actors were constantly playing, dancing together through scene transitions, playing pretend and fighting like ninjas. Eli’s childlike mind shone through, viewing everything as a game. I particularly enjoyed the chaos of the hospital escape sequence and the clever staging of the Boggo Road escape. The show was long and these fast-moving scenes consistently brought the energy up. Moments of comedy were woven throughout the drama. Strangely, I found that my friend and I laughed at different points to the rest of the crowd. I wondered if we were the target audience.

Watching Boy Swallows Universe, I felt connected to my city and curious about Brisbane’s thick history of corruption and crime. The show was quintessentially Australian and seems fit to become a staple in high school drama curriculums. I was astonished by Queensland Theatre’s ability to bring Dalton’s world to life. Flicking through the program gave me an appreciation of how many creative hands have contributed to this work. I am interested to see where it goes to next and how it will be received outside of Brisbane.