Me and my crew

What is this play?

Playwright: Timberlake Wertenbaker

Written: 1988

Setting: Australia

Our Country's Good is the story of convicts and Royal Marines sent to Australia in the late 1780s as part of the first penal colony there. It follows Second Lieutenant Ralph Clark's attempts to put on a production of George Farquhar's restoration comedy The Recruiting Officer with a cast of male and female convicts. The play shows the class system in the convict camp and discusses themes such as sexuality, punishment, the Georgian judicial system, and the idea that that it is possible for ‘theatre to be a humanising force'. I like this idea as it shows attempt with some of the guards to find different ways to teach the convicts, not just beating them with a whip and hoping for the best.

Initial reactions

My initial reaction to the play Our Country's Good prior to reading it, was that I thought it seemed boring and very intellectual with it's themes and subjects of law and society and I find plays like those hard to engage with. After reading the play, I still think this although the elements of comedy within it are actually quite funny so I think it's a good balance.

I like how there is an evident parting between the convicts and the guards in terms of their history and their way of life but at some points their paths cross and their emotions get caught up; Ketch finds it hard to instigate the hanging of Liz although his job is to punish criminals for their wrong doings.

My favourite character is probably Mary. Her past and her innocence is enough to like her and sympathise with her as an audience member. She wears her heart on her sleeve and she's not loud and mouthy like the other women in the prison. Dabby is a favoured character of mine too, I sort of see myself within her. 

I think this play has potential and although my part isn't relevant it will be interesting to watch the process of Sarah Niven's Our Country's Good.