Cost of Living | Queensland Theatre

All images: Morgan Roberts

“A play about class and the human condition” (Martyna Majok)

Cost of Living is the winner of the 2018 Pulitzer Prize for Drama and was also nominated for four Tony Awards for its smash-hit run on Broadway. The Australian premiere is written by former caregiver turned playwright Martyna Majok and is a new co-production with Sydney Theatre Company. 

As I wheel to my seat, this reviewer is reminded of the groundbreaking theatre productions that Queensland Theatre has been hosting lately. The anticipation for Cost of Living is palpable and is yet another addition to its excellent 2024 Season lineup with a focus on diverse storytelling. 

To herald the introduction of Cost of Living, the cast and theatre assistants enter in a single file, criss-cross the stage and use the simple but effective set design to spotlight their alternating exits. It’s a powerful moment and sets the scene for what is about to unfold.

Cost of Living tells the story of two people who each have a different disability and the role their caregivers play in their respective lives. Appearing on stage across a series of intriguing scenes, the audience is introduced to two couples. John (Dan Daw) is a wealthy, successful PhD student with cerebral palsy who needs assistance with his daily activities. He is animatedly interviewing Jess (Zoe de Plevitz) for a role as his carer. Ani (Kate Hood) on the other hand has an acquired spinal cord injury and is vehemently opposing her estranged husband Eddie’s (Philip Quast) offer to help her out when her carers are unavailable. Eddie is an unemployed truck driver and is desperately trying to reconcile with his ex-wife, Ani. We are introduced to this pair engaging in a heated argument punctuated by very many expletives. 

All images: Morgan Roberts

Through a series of interchanging, stirring vignettes and over a rollercoaster ninety minutes, John and Jess embark on what seems at first to be a solid carer/support worker relationship. John is patient and forthright as he guides Jess through his support needs. The two develop a trust. Meanwhile Ani reluctantly agrees to allow Eddie to help her out with her daily routine. There is much lightheartedness as the two reminisce about their past. Their musings are punctuated by bitter sweet moments in which the estranged couple grudgingly acknowledge Ani’s reality as a person with a disability.    

As the two couples' carer/clients relationships begin to unravel, traits emerge that test their boundaries about assumptions, tolerances, compassion and the very essence of the human connection.

Praise, praise and more praise to Martyna Majok for her unflinching script that has been touted to be ‘one of the best pieces of new writing to emerge from the US in the last decade’. Additionally, Majok’s extraordinary piece of writing highlights the importance of interdependence within the realm of the disabled lived experience and highlights the nuanced power dynamics in a carer/client relationship.

Priscilla Jackman joins forces with co-director Dan Daw who is mesmerising in his role as John and who, like the other three cast members, commands attention with their vibrant on-stage personas. It should be noted that Jackman has been relentless in pursuing the idea of staging Cost of Living in Australia for the first time when she first stumbled on the script in 2019! These two powerhouses of the theatre world have crafted a production that goes beyond how a disability is perceived putting the focus front and centre on the interdependence of individuals, both disabled and able bodied.

All images: Morgan Roberts

Kate Hood (Ani) and Philip Quast’s (Eddie) genuine on-stage connection is palpable as they navigate this new found dynamic in their relationship. Quast’s feelings of guilt and loneliness are wonderfully juxtaposed against Hood’s feisty, rebellious nature and acerbic remarks. Zoe de Plevitz (Jess) is convincing as a woman who is uncertain about her future while having to juggle multiple jobs just to stay afloat. In contrast, Dan Daw (John), as her employer, is assertive, self-assured and oozes confidence. These four seemingly disconnected characters whose lives are at a crossroads are nothing short of spellbinding in their respective roles. 

Set designer Michael Scott-Mitchell’s interchanging, moveable set design and contemporary props heightened the drama and added to the ambience. Two standout moments in the play where the creative props added significance to the unfolding scenes must be mentioned here. In one particular scene, a shower arrangement takes centre stage. When John turns the handle, water gushes out of the spout while he showers and simultaneously converses pleasantly with Jess. Similarly, in another, Ani languishes in a vintage bath overflowing with bubbles. Eddie gently helps her to bathe. The abundance of laughter is ever present, perpetuating the feelings of light-heartedness and whimsy about the couple. These hyper realistic scenes received many gasps from the rapt audience. 

John Rayment’s lighting enhanced the different moods and nuances of the overall production while Guy Webster’s soundscape impressed with its soaring string music ensembles that became the prelude to the different scenes. 

Dialect coach Gabrielle Rogers did an excellent job of ensuring that the American twang was expertly delivered without any hint of an Aussie accent. Due to the nature of the production, particularly the involvement of disabled actors, NJ Price’s role as movement/intimacy coach was integral to its successful and convincing delivery. 

As mentioned earlier, Brisbane is the home to the first mainstage production of this powerful play in Australia. Notably, there is a 50/50 ratio of disabled and non-disabled actors on the accessible stage at any one time, and almost the same ratio represented amongst the creative team - another first.

All praise to Queensland Theatre on this rewarding, compassionate, uplifting, memorable night of yet another stellar production. Cost of Living most certainly captures the very essence of storytelling at its finest!

‘Cost of Living’ plays at Queensland Theatre’s Bille Brown Theatre, South Brisbane until 13 July 2024.