Blue Sky Theatre’s Arrivals and Departures is an intelligent, touching, and at times laugh-out-loud production that slowly reveals the rich inner lives of two seemingly mismatched strangers, brought together in a train station under peculiar circumstances. Alan Ayckbourn’s play might begin with a brisk, almost comic pace, but as it unfolds, it gently peels back layers of memory, loss, trauma, and resilience.
While Barry Hawkins (Nick Fagan) apologises to Private Esmé “Ez” Swain (Emily Currie) near the end for not really getting to know each other, the same cannot be said for the audience. We get to know them intimately — not just through their conversation, but through cleverly staged memories. This unique structure gives us access to key moments and people from each of their pasts, gradually revealing how they became who they are.
Fagan delivers an affable and warm Barry — a cheerful man who sees the good in everything, at least on the surface. As his story unfolds, we come to see how his trusting nature was exploited, his life turned upside down, and how his buoyant personality masks deep sorrow. Currie’s Ez is a sharp contrast: guarded, prickly, and initially difficult to warm to. But through flashbacks, we see the roots of her defensiveness and begin to understand her fear of connection. Their performances are emotionally grounded and nuanced, and the final moments between them are profoundly moving.
There are moments of farce and absurdity — particularly in the deliberately terrible “acting” by the anti-terrorism squad who are pretending to be ordinary passers-by. Their clumsy dialogue and awkward behaviour hit the perfect comedic note. These interludes serve not just as comic relief, but as a stark contrast to the very real and often painful memories we witness. Joshua Coldwell, as Acting Major Quentin Sexton (squad leader), captures his character’s pomposity and misplaced authority, making him both laughable and oddly familiar.
The ensemble take on multiple parts and are adept at shifting characters. Zoe Battersby nimbly shifts between roles. Her portrayal of teenage Esmé conveys her emotional defensiveness and was right parts bristling and caring, giving teenage Ez a poignant complexity. Steve Marvanek earns laughs with his hammy delivery as “husband” Shane Hughes and shows range as both the dignified Charles Stagmore and warm-hearted Jess Fox. Gabe Mangelsdorf and Leighton Vogt also juggle roles with flair, moving from grounded flashback scenes to comically exaggerated characters the squad adopts during the operation.
Rachel Dalton shows restrained emotion as Hilary Stagmore and later embodies Barry’s disapproving mother-in-law. Claire Keen impresses in two contrasting roles – Ez’s anxious mother Nadine and the sly Lily Gill. Finty McBain and Paul Pacillo bring weight to key moments in Barry’s and Ez’s histories, while Millie Fagan provides authenticity and heartfelt glimpses into the characters’ early lives.
Director Dave Simms keeps the production crisp and clear, with a minimalist set that supports — rather than distracts from — the layered storytelling. Jack Kendall’s lighting is effective throughout, especially in the final scenes. The sound design (also by Simms) gives us just enough ambience — evoking the train station early on, then used more sparingly, allowing the growing connection between Ez and Barry, and the unfolding of memory, to take full focus.
Costume design by Vicki Burrett deserves a special mention. It enables the ten ensemble actors who portray thirty roles to make rapid, seamless, and convincing transformations. Kudos to Stage Manager Heather Jones and the cast for keeping everything on track.
Arrivals and Departures explores grief, trauma, and the myriad of ways people cope with life’s unfairness. It reminds us – gently but powerfully – that we can never truly know what the stranger beside us has been through. But this isn’t a heavy or sombre play – it’s often very funny, thanks to Ayckbourn’s sharp dialogue and the cast’s deft delivery.
This South Australian premiere is a thoughtful, tender, and thoroughly entertaining production that deserves to be seen — and felt.
