The Magazine of St Aloysius' College • 'Men for Others' • Issue XLVII ...

drama
Senior Drama Productions -
Abducting Jackie O
This is the third Dario Fo play that we have performed
at the College following on from the Year 11 Drama
production The Pope and the Witchdoctor in 2002
and the Year 10 co-curricular production Accidental Death
of an Anarchist in 2006. Dario Fo won the Nobel Prize for
literature in 1997 for his contribution to world theatre and
his plays are dominated by physical farce and swing a
satirical punch at our society. Originally titled Il Ratto Della
Francesca in 1987, the play was based on the actual
kidnapping of a rich Italian banker. When translated into
English in 1998 it became Abducting Diana, a satire on
the manipulation of society by the media.
Ciaran Tobin and Benjamin Rice.
In producing it in 2008 we gave it an Australian setting
and a new title so it could be relevant to the use of power
by the media to manipulate contemporary society. To do
this, Fo creates a media magnate figure who keeps outmanoeuvring
everyone around her. Millionaire media boss
Jackie O’Brien Robinson is kidnapped, but the ruthless
power monger proves more resourceful than her clumsy
abductors. Are things what they seem? Is it Jackie O or
David Boyd, Henry Tuckwell and Mitchell Bainton.
a paid double who is in charge? Who masterminded the
abduction? Who has the television rights to this premiere
media event? Into this cocktail of chaos and doubledealing,
Fo adds a ruthless, gun-toting mother, a fake priest,
kidnappers à la The Three Stooges, a deranged altar boy
and one kidnapper hiding in the fridge. No-one is who they
appear to be – all is deception and manipulation which is
Fo’s hallmark of farcical satire.
The outrageous nature of the play, the absurd characters,
the satirical elements and the bizarre plot lines attracted us
to the play as it is always a great challenge for actors to
play Fo. The biggest challenge we faced was justifying the
protagonist character being played by a male. With an
extra twist of impersonation, in a play full of impersonations
where nothing and no one is what they seem, this seemed
to work.
Benjamin Rice and Mitchell Bainton.
Benjamin Rice, David Boyd, Henry Tuckwell (behind) and Mitchell Bainton.
For most of the cast this was their first time in a
production, with only two members of the cast having done
drama before. Five of the cast came from the Drama Video
Course and Ms Zinkin, as the real Jackie O, had directed
but not acted before.
The rehearsing of the play turned out to be tougher than
anticipated. Although we shortened it to fit it into a double
bill programme, it was still a substantial production at one
St Aloysius’ College
A Jesuit School for Boys _ Founded 1879
aloysiad / page 38