Racism and relationships

A powerful new play confronts the issue of racial prejudices among youth, SHIVANGI AMBANI-GANDHI reports.

Kristy Best as Mamta and Mathew Hyde as Frank in Alaska

From its premier in the Royal Court Theatre in London in 2007 to its recent showing in a small studio space of the Australian Theatre for Young People (ATYP), the themes of racial tensions and prejudice in Alaska are just as potent in both cities. “While it’s specifically very British, it is an extremely relevant play for Australian audiences,” says director Janice Muller, before citing the example of recent racially-motivated attacks on Indian students in Australia.

Set in Britain, the play centres around four young employees working at a kiosk in a multiplex cinema. 24-year-old Frank (Matthew Hyde) has dropped out of university to avoid mingling with the Pakis. Mamta (Kristy Best) is an Anglo-Asian 19-year-old who has joined the team recently, is eager to make some friends and is especially attracted to Frank. Emma (Hannah Levien) shows a marked loyalty to her friends, but has some questionable morals. And Chris (Andre Jewson) is a hopeless romantic, and yet his first instinct is self-protection.

From the moment Mamta enters the staff room, the audience knows the attitude this young woman is going to face at work. At first, assumed to be a customer, she is rudely told to get out of the staff room by Emma. Then the introductions don’t go to smoothly either: “What kind of name is that?” asks Emma. “It’s mine,” Mamta replies.

Despite the early hiccups, Mamta seems to be making her way around her colleagues – Emma is on friendly terms, and while sorting stale Maltesers, even Mamta and Frank share a moment of bonding and attraction. Just when it looks like things could just end up all well, Mamta gets a promotion and she takes to bossing over her old colleagues, which unleashes the wild hysteria in Frank.

But there are no simple answers in this production, that is, there is no good vs. bad. While Frank has his obvious racist views about the Pakis, even Mamta resorts to racial stereotyping of “gypos” and is absolutely cold-hearted when her brother beats up Frank.

“Mamta’s cold-heartedness – that’s obviously who she is. She is also someone who wants to get on in life no matter the cost and she is young, only 19, so she has a lot to learn,” says Muller.

While unravelling racial prejudices in young people, this production also heightens the loneliness and alienation faced by young people today.

“The play is very much about the need for connection and relationships, and how young people behave when starting to investigate who they are, what their identity is and, independent of their families and backgrounds, go about trying to connect with others,” adds Muller.

Alaska is critically, a play for young people, by young people. It was written by DC Moore as part of the Royal Court’s Young Writers’ Programme in London. In Australia, it has been produced by the ATYP, which produces work and classes aimed at children right up to the age of 25.

“Obviously this play is not suitable for small children, but we thought older teenagers and young people in their early twenties would relate to the content and relationships portrayed in the play,” says Muller. She is also currently a mentor for the ATYP Fresh Ink programme.

In 2003, Muller received the VCA’s Keith & Elisabeth Murdoch Travelling Fellowship which took her to work in Germany, Spain and India. “I lived for a couple of months in Mumbai where I worked with a local theatre company there called The Company Theatre. I just got involved watching their work, giving feedback and helping out where I could,” recollects Muller. “I am very fond of India, having travelled there previously and I have friends there too. I also met some very interesting writers and directors from India when I was attending the Royal Court residency in London in 2001, where I might add, I experienced racism first hand, while out and about with my Indian friends.”