Not quite the norm
Norm
and Ahmed meet one night, apparently accidentally, at a bus stop.
Norm stops Ahmed to ask him for a light. But Norm is looking for
more than a lit cigarette. He strikes up a conversation with Ahmed,
which Ahmed at first reluctantly participates in. But as they
talk, both men let down their guard. For one of the men it will
be to his detriment.
Norm & Ahmed is a fascinating exploration
of the inner landscape of the ocker Aussie male of a certain generation.
Norm is traumatised by his Vietnam War experience. He’s
not too good at expressing his feelings and has a racist streak
a mile wide. But as the play progresses, he seems to be a good
bloke who’s reaching out the only way he knows how. Like
Ahmed we are wary of Norm at first, but the more he talks the
less threatening he seems.
Ahmed is a student who hopes to take his education
back to his country after he graduates and help people less fortunate
than himself. He is an idealistic and sensitive man whose experience
in Australia interacting with locals has been less than positive.
But Ahmed is an optimist. He has hope and it’s this hope,
combined with his idealism, that allows him to sympathise with
Norm and see the best in him.
The set is simple and appropriate for the intimate
performance space – a bus stop sign, an aluminium bench
and a trash can. Norm is dressed like a bikie and Ahmed wears
traditional Muslim attire.
Norm & Ahmed is independent theatre
at its most compelling. It’s proof positive that all good
theatre with a message requires is a talented cast, a well written
script and a competent director. This production of Norm &
Ahmed has all these qualities. Besides, the interaction between
Norm and Ahmed is so captivating, so well written, there’s
no need for anything else. It would only be a distraction.
Laurence Coy as Norm is perfectly cast. He’s
like a big cuddly pussycat, but watch out – all cats have
claws. Ahmed also has an air of menace. His idealism could pass
for fanaticism. And in the current political climate, this makes
him a potential terrorist. Add post-traumatic stress disorder
to Norm’s baggage and talk of revolution to Ahmed’s
and you have enough tension to push this play to its inevitable
conclusion.
Alex Buzo first wrote Norm & Ahmed
in 1968. In light of the War on Terror and, closer to home, the
Cronulla riots, Buzo’s play continues to be enormously relevant.
Unfortunately nothing much has changed in the last 40 years when
it comes to racism, man’s intolerance of others and his
willingness to lash out first and ask questions later, if at all.
It’s a testament to Buzo’s insight into
the male psyche and social mores that this play is as relevant
now as it was when he first wrote it. It tends to prove the adage
that the more things change the more they stay the same.
Norm & Ahmed is a classic whose resurrection
is a very timely reminder of the problematic and dysfunctional
social and cultural attitudes that create issues that need dealing
with – racism, homophobia and social inequities. Perhaps
Norm & Ahmed has a role in addressing these issues.
Norm & Ahmed rings true because it reflects the world around
us back at us and makes us see things differently and assess them
in a new light. Now that’s powerful stuff.
Philippa Wherrett
