Review by Kate Gaul
Amy Herzog’s Obie award winning play from 2010, “4000 Miles” is given a sumptuous revival by Sydney Theatre Company, directed by Kenneth Moraleda. It was last seen in Sydney as an indie production in 2014. The set up is simple: After finishing a bicycle trek across the US, from Seattle to New York, Leo arrives at 3am at his grandmother’s – Vera’s- looking for a place to stay. Leo has hauled plenty of baggage with him, which is unpacked over several weeks. Vera is a spirited elder who struggles with her aging body, failing mind and loneliness. An odd-couple-esque scenario ensues but never fear, these two travellers through life find they have more in common than once thought. There is a fascinating writers note on the STC website that explains Herzog’s inspiration for the play – based as it is on her late grandmother (an outspoken communist agitator).
What is striking to me is the notion of the 4000 mile distance that became a rite of passage for young Americans dating back to the 1960s and 1970s. Rather than slide into a life of comfort and consumption young people took to the road armed with copies of Walt Whitman, Rainer Maria, Rilke and Kahlil Gibran and commenced a meditative journey filled with the most heartfelt encounters that would soften even the most cynical amongst us. Strangers open homes to cook meals, provide shelter and advice. In his book “Walking to Listen” Andre Forsthoefel (one such seeker) concludes that there is only one story he needs to accept: his own. It was "the only way I was ever going to find peace, otherwise I'd be wandering forever, searching for an impossible something else." And so it is with Leo in this play. Having survived the brutal death of his best friend on the road he finds himself in limbo when arriving in New York and is confronted with a woman who understands death from a different point of view.
There’s the parallel story involving Vera’s cross-the-hall neighbour, an aging former actor. The two women call each other daily to make sure that neither one has dropped dead without anyone knowing it. The snatches of calls provide humour and eventually leads to a touching final scene that gently underscores Herzog’s theme of what constitutes community while ending the play on an elegant grace note.
The importance of rituals in our lives is bought home by Leo’s ex-girlfriend who spells it out for us as she encourages Leo to dip his front bike wheel into the Atlantic – as it’s customary at the end of a transcontinental bicycle ride to dip the front wheels into the opposite ocean. Herzog never really deep dives into anything in this 90-minute play but between the politics, the rituals, the communication challenges and generational divide it is diverting, unoffensive and occasionally funny.
Nancye Hayes (as Vera) is reason enough to go see this production. Her energy, precision and wry humour are sparkling gifts for the audience. One wishes she had better material to play with. Shiv Palekar (as Leo) never really convinces as the self-proclaimed hippy but is charming enough in this slight work. Ariadne Sgouros is deft and certainly moving as Leo’s erstwhile girlfriend. Shirong Wu is a bight spark of joy as a one-night stand in an hilarious scene where Vera’s books on communism more than dampen the sexy mood. Jeremy Allen designs a beautiful Manhattan apartment which looks incredibly neat for a space that has not been redecorated since 1968.
Perfect fare for a mid-week matinee.
