Journey to the End of the Earth. "Last Cab to Darwin" by Reg Cribb. Pork Chop Productions. Dunstan Playhouse [review]

Abstract

It is not surprising that playwright Reg Cribb saw the story of Max Bell as ready-made for the telling. It has all the elements of a mythic quest with a sturdy, self-deprecating hero meeting a host of different characters as he travels a last time through his native land. Like Alvin Straight, the elderly American who travelled hundreds of miles on a lawn mower to visit his dying brother (a journey recreated in David Lynch’s memorable film, "The Straight Story") Max Bell is a codger who won’t take no for an answer. And the cast creates a procession of characters, stereotypes and oddballs - playing reporters, drinkers, backpackers, standers-by and salts of the earth.