Delightful, insightful and well-devised theatre from La Boite.

Steven Oliver’s heart-warming, hilarious and impactful script about family and mourning had me in giggles one minute and breathless the next.

It satisfied in every way.

The truly excellent performances from Benjin Maza, Lisa Maza, Roxanne McDonald, Ebony McGuire and Colin Smith produced a totally convincing and relatable on-stage family, just like any other.

Special mention to Benjin Maza who plays 17-year-old ‘Preston’ – a very talented and charismatic young performer, who one hopes will go far on stage and screen.

Roxanne McDonald’s sassy and wise-cracking ‘Nan’ stole the show.

Absolute magic.

The realism of this family unit is not just down to the outstanding ensemble but to exceptionally insightful scriptwriting and characterisation by Oliver.

I deeply appreciated the incorporation of Language, dropped in easily and naturally in such a way that the audience is made to feel welcomed and included.

Coming from an Italian family, I found my own tendency to smatter dialect in my everyday vernacular wonderfully mirrored by this Aboriginal family.

It makes one question why in a multicultural society such as ours, that our theatre doesn’t do it more – it’s a joy to hear.

Utterly spectacular were the video projections by Keith Deverell as was the lighting by the always brilliant Ben Hughes.

Completely atmospheric and otherworldly, the audience was completely transported between physical and ethereal worlds.

This is a show I’d recommend to anyone.

I don’t think it’s too often one can truly say that, but I think even the most green of theatre-goers would catch the bug from this one.

This is one not to miss this Brisbane Festival.

From the pen of Steven Oliver comes a vignette of family life unfamiliar to most, yet universally important in the telling.

From Darkness is set in the brief time frame of a family preparing for a dinner on the first anniversary of the death of Vinnie, son of Eric and Abigail, sibling to Preston and Akira and grandson of Nanna Lou.

The play explores themes of loss, guilt and isolation as the enormity of the occasion brings forth each character’s whirling torment, their own experience of the void left by the untimely death of Vinnie, and a search for spiritual connection beyond the grave.

Of particular significance, as a catalyst in a volatile storm of emotions, is the tension between Abigail and mother-in-law Nanna Lou.

The barbs and riposte escalate between the two in a torturous display, each lashing out, unable to quell the hurt and sadness.

Eric flounders between the two women, unable to settle their caustic conflict, as he buries his own sadness and loss.

Akira sullenly withdraws, however, in a beautifully rendered scene with Abigail, demonstrates another of the play’s major themes – resilience.

Preston meanwhile leads the exploration into a spirit world, which again reinforces the family’s challenge to survive and grow from this experience.

The onstage energy and presence of both Preston (Benjin Maza) and Nanna Lou (Roxanne McDonald) escalate the overall production to the next level.

Lighting engineer Ben Hughes has creatively transformed a static stage set into moments of intimate conversation, as well as juddering journeys into an ethereal awareness.

From Darkness is believable and poignant, at times difficult to watch as souls are laid bare, and yet witty and sharp in its commentary on modern Australia from a First Australian’s perspective.

Definitely a play worthy of its place in Australian storytelling.

I have never been to a show where I have experienced such a range of emotions.

Laughter quickly turned into sympathy and grief.

From Darkness is a fabulous Australian play I will be recommending to friends.

Theatre that deals with suicide can so easily head down a very depressing route.

From Darkness, however, balances beautifully the intricacies of a grieving family’s dynamic.

‘She went from shut your hole to close the gap!’ – grief has so many colours, as did this remarkably touching play, which skillfully juxtaposes the stark emotions that come with remembering loved ones.

You will laugh, you might cry and you’ll definitely gain some valuable insights into our First Nations storytellers – this is a must-see this Brisbane Festival!

It’s the anniversary of Vinnie’s suicide.

But this story isn’t about him, it’s about the people he left behind.

From Darkness takes place in a familiar-looking family home over a single evening as Vinnie’s family gather for a dinner in his honour.

There’s his charismatic twin brother Preston, his mature-beyond-her-years sister Akira, his overpowering mother Abigail, and the brash, smart-talking Nanna Lou (who was a personal highlight).

The characters feel fully realised the moment they step on stage, in no small part due to the spot-on casting and strong, authentic performances.

The performances are augmented by stunning videography that takes us in and out of the spiritual realm as Preston desperately attempts to help his family connect with one another as he lies in bed dreaming.

While dealing with the heavy subjects of guilt, grief, parental responsibility, spirituality and the disconnection between family, this work doesn’t wallow in despair, instead offering up many genuine laughs and a message of togetherness and hope.

I love shows that make me laugh out loud but I rarely find one that is able to make me seriously LOL but also think seriously and ponder the meaning of life at the same time.

From Darkness does just that.

From the outset, I felt like I was a part of the characters’ lives and found it easy to connect with the pain and the sadness of their situation.

The energy and performance from all of the actors were fantastic and the last line in the play has stuck with me and left me thinking about how to live a more connected life….

From Darkness comes light and sometimes the light is brighter because the darkness made it so.

I highly rate and recommend this show, especially to anyone who knows the hardship of going through a trauma and coming out the other side, better than before.

Imagine you’ve peered into your next-door neighbours’ home, dinner is cooking, the lounge is alive with family and conversation is flowing; audiences feel like a fly on the wall at Steven Oliver’s, ‘From Darkness’.

A raw, emotional and downright hilarious look at how one Indigenous family struggles with the loss of a member to suicide.

Set on the anniversary of Vinnie’s death, the family gathers for dinner, but tensions run high and emotions bubble over with family-driven confrontations and admissions of guilt.

The three generations of women offer a very complex relationship, all handling grief in different ways.

A worthy mention to Roxanne McDonald who played Nanna Lou, she executed amazingly her character with passion, rapid-fire comedy gold one-liners and no holds-barred-opinions on family (specifically aimed towards Lisa Maza’s character Abigail).

Maza also a notable mention of her ability to jump between a complex portrayal of emotional vulnerability to seconds later demanding attention with such passionate and intense deliverance of the amazingly written script.

A standout performance from Benjin Maza (Preston) who drove home the underlying themes of culture and beliefs.

His experiences of the supernatural, aided with beautiful projections, lights and sounds really transported audiences to a spiritual plane.

His well-scripted spiritual connections played a major catalyst for reconnecting his family and igniting the road to healing.

From Darkness unapologetically intertwines Aboriginal lingo and culture into a journey through how one family heals in the aftermath of suicide.

It’s been one year since Vinnie’s death and his family are gathering for a dinner to remember him.

Each of them has their own coping strategies but none of them seems to be working and they’re only serving to push the family further and further away from each other.

From Darkness is a show that takes a lot out of you emotionally.

The jokes and comedy are certainly present, but there is also a very heavy dose of dark and viscerally real themes revolving around suicide and loss.

It’s a taxing show to watch, but playwright Steven Oliver’s masterful ability to balance humour and darkness makes the show hard-hitting without feeling insincere or falsely saccharine.

There’s such an honesty and compassion to the show, and that underpins every single aspect of it.

If there’s one thing I can whole-heartedly applaud this production for it is its almost effortless ability to draw an audience into its world and its characters.

Empathy is the keyword with this show, and the masterful performances and intelligently crafted script allow the story and characters to shine.

Roxanne McDonald is perfectly cast as the sharp-tongued Nanna Lou, but the standout performance for me was Lisa Maza’s portrayal of the family matriarch Abigail.

Maza brings a heartbreaking honesty to every single word and movement she makes and it’s hard to not believe everything she does.

With an absolutely stellar cast performing at their peak and a script that crackles with heart and emotion, From Darkness is a show that needs to be seen.

From the Darkness, written by Steven Oliver, is the story of an Australian Indigenous family who are trying to hold their lives together whilst they deal with the tragic suicide death of a family member.

Due to the family tragedy, family members have become extremely emotionally disconnected and struggle to hold together as a family.

Spiritual forces play a part in the overall disconnection felt by all the family members.

The raw emotion of the story was superbly portrayed by the cast however, at times, the dialogue became verbally violent and overwhelming.

The heavy thread of the story was lightened by very small intermittent bursts of comedy.

A story of fixing connections in this world so that it doesn’t disrupt what is beyond.

I was unsure of what to expect from a play written by a man best known for his comedic writing and acting in television shows such as ‘Black Comedy’.

From Darkness was on a whole other level.

It is a story that is at once both dark and funny as it dives deep into the relatable topics of family politics, culture, grief, humanity and connectedness or lack thereof, told with Steven Oliver’s signature sangfroid.

From Darkness presents a modern view of an Aboriginal Australian family.

The fact that this was an all-Indigenous cast was not lost on me as unfortunately, it is something rarely seen in Australian theatre.

The play is set on the anniversary of the suicide of a family’s eldest son (Vinnie) and highlights the disconnect between family members.

Lisa Maza (Abigail), Colin Smith (Eric), Benjin Maza (Preston), Ebony McGuire (Akira) and Roxanne McDonald (Nan) give outstanding performances as the family struggling within themselves, and with each other, to come to terms with their loss.

However, From Darkness is about so much more than family politics and coming to terms with grief.

Oliver’s script focuses heavily on Aboriginal spirituality rather than any political statement and elicits a deeper reflection from the audience about modern Aboriginal Australian life.

Excellent lighting and video effects help the audience to realise the everyday spirituality of Aboriginal Australians.

From Darkness takes us (from the darkness from which we all came) further into the light of understanding and inclusion and leads us towards important connections.

Every detail of this play has been carefully considered and has a significance.

As was Steven Oliver’s hopes for the play, the audience leaves ‘feeling and thinking’.

I can’t recommend it highly enough.

From Darkness is a modern story of unresolved Sorry Business and intergenerational grief.

The narrative explores rejection, isolation, resentment, guilt, sadness, shame and anger.

The all-Indigenous cast beautifully portray these emotions as they speculate the cultural reasons for death and ultimately who (or what) is to blame.

Indigenous suicide is prevalent, but not often spoken.

From Darkness addresses the issue with raw honesty.

The experience is more ‘voyeur’ than ‘show’, adding an element of transparency essential to maintain authenticity.

Detailed staging, the multimedia and layout well supported a natural flow.

The cast captured the audience in comedic yet meaningful engagement, a power only found in humour.

The acting, at times, felt very ‘new’.

As the cast expressed their unique grief emotions, this felt very real, but out of balance with the dialogue.

The portrayal of ‘Nan’ deserves special mention; I was impressed by what appeared to be a very comfortable performance.

From Darkness is an intense and powerful theatre performance.

It is the story of a family dealing with the tragic loss of a family member through suicide.

The five family members (mother, father, brother, sister, grandmother) each have different perspectives and coping strategies to help them through the tragedy.

Guilt, anger, sadness, blame, denial, and isolation are very obvious themes.

Family interactions are strongly portrayed moving from disconnection to eventual reconnection and acceptance.

The performance is intense and is interspersed with a small amount of humour particularly in the early stages.

The stage design is very effective and depicts various areas of a family home.

The stage props include a lot of detail which creates a realistic and ‘lived in’ ambience.

The five indigenous performers have a strong stage presence with each playing a very significant role.

Their performance is excellent resulting in the expression of the very real roller coaster of emotions that are experienced when a family loses a loved one in tragic circumstances.

The transition from disconnection to reconnection and acceptance within the family is undertaken with subtlety giving the impression of occurring over a period of time.

The performance may not be for everyone simply because of the topic.

However, it is certainly a quality production and the performers are excellent.

Walking into the theatre you’ll find an absolutely beautiful set that takes you to another universe so easily.

The use of projection and lights are used so beautifully throughout the production to symbolise different spirits, and throughout the play, the lights and projection became their own character.

Although this show is listed as a comedy, it’s a very dark comedy with dark themes such as suicide and mental health.

Although there were funny moments to lift the dark mood that was created, I’m not sure if there were enough light-heartened moments to balance the pain and anguish felt by the characters and they shared their personal sides of the story of how they’d dealt with the suicide of a loved one.

There were both moments of beautiful acting as well as moments that felt incredibly rushed.

Specifically, when the word “blame” was being thrown around so easily, yet in real life, if you blamed someone for another person’s death, it would be an incredibly heavy and harsh thing to say.

This piece didn’t quite hit the mark with me, as I felt the first half of the play was all set up for a dramatic ending, but the dramatic ending never came.

In general, I think it’s an important story to be told and seen and would still recommend people to give it a go, but wouldn’t tell them it was a comedy.

On the anniversary of Vinnie’s suicide, the family gathers for a meal.

Grief manifests in a variety of ways.

Vinnie’s parents seem unable to talk about their feelings: Mum (Abigail, Lisa Maza) turning to drink, and Dad (Eric, Colin Smith) brooding over the horrendous experience of being the first to find his son.

Vinnie’s siblings appear to be retreating from the family: Preston (Benjin Maza) locking himself in his room, with 15-year old Akira (Ebony McGuire) staying glued to her phone.

But, if the rest of the family is finding it difficult to talk, Nanna Lou (Roxanne McDonald) — the feisty, funny and occasionally foul-mouthed matriarch — certainly overcompensates.

Steven Oliver (writer) has a wickedly funny turn of phrase and a strong stage presence.

The ‘voice’ of the writer comes through so powerfully in ‘From Darkness’ that I could imagine Oliver playing all of the roles; so, it’s just as well that the director (Isaac Drandic) has assembled a strong cast and fantastic creative support.

Keith Deverall’s videography work was a standout: compelling visual design that was both a work of art and also a vital means of communicating the dreams and spirit-world relationships which formed a central part of the story.

“R U OK?” Day seemed a perfect time to be sitting in the quirky (and fun) Brisbane Festival Theatre Republic space, waiting to see a play about a family coping with the aftermath of suicide.

I’m glad I saw it.

The interpersonal relationships were beautifully established and the messages about family, belonging, and the need to listen were carefully set up.

Go with an open mind, enjoy the occasional funny lines and come away reflecting on the importance of being with those who are close to you.

Or, in Preston’s words, “we need to remember us.”

How a person deals with grief is nothing but personal but in a production that has five people shouting and swearing at each other for at least half of it, I have to question the writing and directing.

This story may well be imitating real life but not all reality makes good theatre.

The writing was too simplistic to be interesting and I felt some scenes were not quite finished before a change in pace.

I could see and hear the performers acting and the small moments of spiritual connection felt contrived.

I did like the projected images of the spirits communicating with the brother, Preston, but I wanted to see more of an effect on him as they were happening.

As it was, it was just a figure sleeping in bed.

Everyone seemed to blame the mother for the breakdown in family connection but there was no obvious justification for it regardless of blame being part of the grieving process.

With some smart re-direction focusing on subtlety, the anger in this story will be more powerful and the words provoke true empathy.

2.5/5 stars.

I absolutely loved this production.

I felt the quality was high, the actors brilliant as they portrayed their roles unwaveringly.

The use of digital media mixed in with the traditional stage prop worked very well.

And the story itself evoked thoughts about our interconnectedness with one another, how we need to be more in touch with each other especially during very tough times.

They do this effectively without coming across preachy.

The venue itself was very easy to find, comfortable seats with plenty of spots with clear view of the stage.

I really recommend this production to everyone.

It is very much worth your while.

From Darkness deals with a family’s emotional state one year after losing their son.

Each family member deals with the loss differently, and each feels alone in his/her grief.

This show is funny, but it also allows you to think not only about the loss of a loved one but how unkind we sometimes are to the ones we love the most: our family.

Beautiful show that I can highly recommend seeing.

From Darkness will tax you emotionally.

Stephen Oliver has woven a contemporary tapestry of sadness, grief and loss interspersed with caustic humour and family dysfunction.

Joking and sarcasm serve as a salve for a family’s grief after Vinnie takes his own life.

Suicide is a taboo subject and watching this show felt voyeuristic – like watching the family implode through their kitchen window.

Set in a suburban home, Eric and Abby, daughter Akira and son Preston (Vinnie’s twin) and Eric’s mother are gathered for dinner on the anniversary of Vinnie’s death.

Through the prism of each family member’s grief, we understand what Vinnie meant to each of them and how they individually and collectively cope with his death.

Preston (Benjin Maza) is being visited by spirits, while his mother Abby (Lisa Maza) is coping with the help of a different kind of spirits.

Her husband Eric (Colin Smith) has all but shut down and is enveloped by guilt and sadness, while Akira (Ebony McGuire) has her own spiritual connection to her brother and her grandfather.

Nan (Roxanne McDonald) is Eric’s mother and through her caustic wit, she is laying blame on them all.

As an audience, we witness the family members trying to understand their humanity and how they misguidedly blame themselves.

At its heart, the play is honest, exhausting emotional voyeurism, as we watch them unravel almost to complete disaster and how their spirits play a part in saving this family.

From Darkness challenges us to think about death, how we deal with loss and why we need to talk more openly and honestly about suicide.

This is not a uniquely Indigenous story but a familiar one set in an Indigenous context.

It opens our eyes to understanding how ancient Aboriginal Spirituality and death interplay in our contemporary world.