Griffin Theatre Company has long been at the forefront of championing new Australian work and this season is no exception with SAVIOR playing in its debut season. The tragicomedy follows Michelle (Chrissy Mae Valentine), who works for an American NGO called Savior. As she attempts to develop all aspects of her life, with Tinder and her relationship with her best friend among the things at the forefront, she meets Joe (Michael Whalley) on Tinder, who also happens to be her boss at the NGO and what follows is a comedic but still serious interrogation of the white saviourism often embedded within charities and NGOs, as Michelle gradually discovers that Savior is not really doing the work that it could or should have been doing.

The play is exceptionally well acted, with Valentine, Whalley Chaye Mogg and Mark Paguio all doing a fantastic job of bringing out the satire in their characters. Whalley is especially good as Joe, playing into the stereotypes and satire of the character without ever seeming contrite or overwrought, while Paguio steals the show with an impassioned performance as Jobert, bringing a huge amount of humour to what can otherwise be a deeply serious role. The acting consistently elevates the material, accentuating both the comedy and the emotional weight underneath it.

The play is also a very clever exploration of white saviourism, with the humour acting as a mask that makes its difficult themes more accessible and palatable. This is a credit to writer Happy Feraren, who does an exceptional job in her debut play of balancing satire with sincerity. Where the production falls slightly short is in its structure as the play jumps around so much that it can occasionally become difficult to follow, with too many storylines squeezed into an 80-minute runtime. The Tinder storyline in particular feels less focused compared to the larger NGO and charity narrative which at times distracts from the stronger central themes rather than deepening Michelle’s arc. Even so, the play remains engaging and very well constructed overall.

Kenneth Moraleda’s direction ensures that the comedy remains evident throughout the show, while the set design by Hailley Hunt is genuinely impressive, with the reveal of the infinity pool proving one of the production’s standout moments. Usually, productions in the downstairs theatre at Belvoir St Theatre can feel relatively stripped back in set and production but this work felt highly considered and remarkably polished with a clear amount of effort and budget going into the staging. Feraren joked after the show that this was a rare time that she had seen Filipino actors on an Australian stage outside of Miss Saigon and, while this was tongue-in-cheek, there is a genuineness about the representation in the production as well as storytelling (but the helicopter scene towards the end certainly appeased the Miss Saigon lovers in the crowd). Combined with BROCKMAN’s lighting design, all of the production elements showed just how polished and technically accomplished this show really is.

Overall, this is an excellent production and a hugely impressive debut from Feraren. With exceptional acting and a thoughtful exploration of a difficult theme, SAVIOR manages to tackle white saviourism without losing its humour or emotional core. Structurally, there are moments where the play feels slightly overambitious for its runtime but the strength of the writing, performances and direction more than compensate. There was a genuine joy in the room on opening night and there is little doubt that SAVIOR has a great future beyond Griffin as the play reaches larger audiences. Another winner for Griffin Theatre Company.

Rating: ★★★★1/2

SAVIOR plays at Belvoir St Theatre until 14 June. For more information, click here. 

All photo credits: Brett Boardman