MELBOURNE: A playwright has turned his journey with disability and his pursuit of independence into a comedy-drama.
A staple of the St George community for 35 years, Connells Point resident Ash Walker is bringing his personal comic drama The Unburdening to the Sydney Fringe Festival this September.
Written by the NIDA-trained playwright and electronic music producer, who also releases music under the moniker Relevant Elephants and recently dropped his fourth album, Relevant DA IV, the play draws directly from Mr Walker’s life experiences as a writer living with cerebral palsy.
The Unburdening captures the poignant journey of the character Ash finally flying the nest, a choice Mr Walker describes as the biggest decision of his life.
“Moving out of home is a challenge for anyone,” Mr Walker said. “It’s especially difficult when you have a disability, in my case, cerebral palsy. When you’re physically dependent on your parents to prepare your meals, wash your clothes and make your bed, you become emotionally dependent on them too. You cling to them, almost as if they are your security blanket.”
After years of hesitation, financial anxieties surrounding the disability pension, and fear of losing his independence, Mr Walker made the leap in 2014.
“Equally, when your son is physically disabled, you automatically fall into the role of carer. You view yourself as someone who is both physically and financially responsible for them. If I had a dollar for every time I heard my dad worry ‘What will you do when mum and I die?’ I could have bought the apartment myself,” he said. “The idea of moving out of home would freak me out. I’d get paranoid that I wouldn’t be able to look after myself, or that I couldn’t afford to live on my own on the disability pension.”
The resulting play follows Ash and his father searching for an apartment, navigating their evolving relationship with sharp humour and immense heart. Mr Walker penned the scenes one by one as the real-life dynamics unfolded.
“I wrote the scenes from the play one by one as conflict between dad and I happened. It felt more like journalism than playwriting – which is why I decided not to change the character’s names,” he said. “Throughout the writing process, I was conscious of trying not to make dad the villain of the piece. Everything he does comes out of genuine love and compassion for Ash. This is the most truthful portrayal of dad and makes for a more nuanced and well-rounded character.”
In a deliberate artistic choice, the stage character of Ash does not have cerebral palsy. “There were two reasons for this. Firstly, I didn’t want the play to be pigeonholed as a play about someone with a specific disability; I wanted to speak to universal themes like a son’s desire for independence, and a father’s need to care for his son,” Mr Walker said.
“Secondly, my disability is the immediate thing people notice about me, so I wanted to ask ‘Can you have the “real” Ash without cerebral palsy?’ At times, I’ve thought the answer to that is a definite ‘Yes.’ At other times, I’ve realised my disability affects every area of my life and has shaped my views in profound ways. One thing I do know is that it’s a delightfully provocative question for the audience.”
Directed by Luke Visentin and starring Connor Crick alongside Harrison Collis Oates, The Unburdening runs from September 22 to 26 at Erskineville Town Hall as part of the Sydney Fringe Festival.