The play is set in Australia in a convicts camp. Several deportees are serving their sentence on this blasted, backward island, and indeed a few are set to face the rope and be hanged. The piece is described as and intended to be an "Epic Comedy", however hybridises realism (a few of the characters), with many Brechtian techniques; the use of ensemble, caricature, sound effects made by actors / physical theatre, the use of a narrator etc. etc. The term "realistic Brechtian theatre" is in itself an oxymoron, due to the fact that a Brechtian play will aim to emotionally disengage an audience in order to make them think and react "politically". We therefore have some potentially wonderful relationships (Duckling and Harry) that actually develop, juxtaposed with some dreadfully unfunny two dimensional idiots (pretty much the rest of the cast). I, as an audience member therefore felt somewhat confused as to what I should be feeling; am I being made to laugh at these colonial baboons and revel in the satirical mockery of an absurd British concept, thus drawing from the theatre a loathing for the Empire and expansionism as Brecht will have wanted, or should I engage with the characters? Should I observe their progression and take note of how this microcosm changes them and their relationships, enjoying their highs, crying with them at their lows? In short, should I leave the theatre in irrational tears, or with reasonable questions? That then begs the question, how should the characters be played? How can our protagonists be played as 2 dimensional caricatures in order to convey a political message, when half the script is writen emotionally charged? Harry and Duckling's relationship for example is wonderful, and Duckling has always been played well. But how can we enjoy this moment of emotional theatre when Robbie Ross comes screaming and shouting like a madman in the next scene? Should the actors therefore involve themselves with the characters so to speak, or play them as ludicrously as possible?

This piece fails to either leave a political message on the audience, or have an emotional impact on them. It doesn't merge elements of theatre, it merely confuses them, the final product being an incongruous and disjointed piece of abysmal theatre.