Theatre Review: Counting and Cracking

Counting and Cracking: the story of connections, political troubles and finding a home away from home, made its way to the Birmingham Repertory in a celebration of culture and identity. To have the opportunity to bear witness to one of the only UK showings of this remarkable performance outside of the Edinburgh International Festival was truly an undeniable experience.

The story focuses on a single family, spanning multiple generations. Whilst we first are introduced to our characters in the year 2004 in Sydney, Australia, this story begins much earlier than this. The beginning transports the audience on numerous occasions back to Sri Lanka and the civil war that plagued the country. This is facilitated through frequent flashbacks to a younger Radha (Nadie Kammallaweera) and the life she had to leave behind.

We commence with Radha and her son Siddartha (Shiv Palekar) in the midst of scattering the ashes of her am-ma (mother) in the Sydney harbour, her final connection to Sri Lanka. At the same time, there is this internal tension brewing within Siddhartha.

I was constantly in awe at the skillfulness of his writing and the witty nature

Tension between his identity as both an Australian citizen and his Sri Lankan heritage. When he meets Lily (Abbie-Lee Lewis), a law student from the Indigenous Australian tribe Yolngu, they bond as they share stories of their culture and beliefs. However, it is the return of Siddhartha’s father, who was thought to be dead for 21 years that sets the trajectory for the rest of this play. We see how he navigates his way back home and how his family deal with this newfound knowledge.

As the debut play of writer S. Shakthidharan, I was constantly in awe at the skillfulness of his writing and the witty nature he instilled in all his characters. He dealt with at times quite uncomfortable themes; those of death and loss just to name a few, whilst at the same time sprinkling an abundance of humour throughout. There were so many moments of pure comedy that aroused simultaneous bouts of laughter from the audience, and I myself was not exempt from this. Whilst at the heart of this performance we have a very personal story, its multi-layered narrative allows it to resonate with multiple identities.

Its multi-layered narrative allows it to resonate with multiple identities

One thing I cannot fail to mention was the use of a sitting band present on stage throughout the entirety of the performance. There is something about the use of live music in theatre that excites something in me as an audience member. So, for this to be a traditional Sri Lankan band composed of leading musicians, some with over 20 years of experience, truly transformed us into this constructed reality. This, alongside the integration of both Tamil and Sinhala with the help of a translator, made for some dynamic and moving moments.

The intention and purpose behind every decision was clear. One moment, in particular, was with the engineer drilling a hole in the wall, as another cast member sprinkled sawdust on the ground. Little moments like this, whilst small in its nature, had a significant effect on the production of the performance.

As the cast members took their final bow it was accompanied by a rightly deserved standing ovation from the audience. Looking at the individuals on either side of me and their reactions to what we all witnessed together, I am continuously reminded of the power of storytelling.