My palms hurt. As in “I need to run cold water over them” hurt.
At some point tonight, or maybe multiple points, my fists were clenched not with fury but because I was completely overcome with emotion during the final rehearsal of Dogfight. Unbeknownst to me, my fingernails were digging into my palms and it was only at the end of the performance that I realised what had happened.
There will probably be a song or some dialogue that will make you flinch too. For me, it should have been the due to the sound effects towards the end of the show. Instead, Dogfight was sprinkled with moments that gave me pause for thought about my own life and decisions.
Briefly, Dogfight starts with a group of marines who are about to head out for one last bender before sailing off to Vietnam. A mix of testosterone, bravado, alcohol, and bad language culminates in a confronting tale about misogyny, friendship, loyalty, heartbreak, and the futility of war.
Director David Sidwell has taken the tough storyline and created something beautiful. Yes, truly. It is beautiful. That sounds weird given the premise but the staging, the costumes, the band, the lighting, the sound, the hair and makeup, the props…it is all simply beautiful. But it is the cast that smash this one out of the ballpark, particularly the marines.
Dogfight has only ever been staged in New Zealand once before. It is one of those fly under the radar shows that deserves all the accolades in the world. Written by the guys who gave us Dear Evan Hansen, The Greatest Showman and La La Land, Dogfight is a reimagining of the 1991 film starring River Phoenix.
Hamilton, you need to see this one. There are moments of light relief. It’s not all doom and gloom. You will laugh out loud. You may cry. You may flinch or clench your fists so much that you need to run your palms under cold water when you get home. It is worth it though. Like I said, it is beautiful.
Dogfight opens on Friday 29 November 2019 for a two-week season at The Meteor.
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