Sydney Theatre Company’s new production of Amy Herzog’s 4000 Miles marks the second time this comedic-yet-tense finalist for the 2013 Pulitzer Prize for Drama has appeared on the Sydney stage. With a focus on struggle, resilience and change in both the personal and generational senses, the play explores the evolving relationship between 21-year-old Leo (Shiv Palekar, The Tempest) and his 91-year-old grandmother, Vera (Nancye Hayes).
After Leo’s cross-country cycling trip goes terribly wrong, no one is more surprised than Vera when he turns up on the doorstep of her Greenwich Village apartment in the middle of the night. Over the course of this one-act drama, the pair navigates grief, identity, generational differences, and the weight of the past.
Kenneth Moraleda’s direction brings out the play’s delicate balance of humour and emotional depth, ensuring that each moment feels intimate and impactful, and a sense of the love and care between Leo and Vera is quickly established. However, something about this play left this reviewer wanting more.
[Nancye] Hayes is a dynamic performer...with fantastic comedic timing
Although both Leo and Vera’s motivations remain uncertain, one thing is made clear: both protagonists are staunchly counter-cultural ‘lefties’. But this doesn’t mean they always see eye to eye. Leo is an impassioned young Obama-era ‘woke-ist’ who’s critical of the 'institution' – although his girlfriend Bec (Ariadne Sgouros, Belvoir’s The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time) is quick to point out the problems with his outlook – and Vera is a vehement old school communist.
Their ideological contrasts are apparent, but the play could go further to interrogate these differences. (That could be intentional though – after all, how often do people actively engage in deep critiques of their own belief systems in daily life?)
Perhaps my biggest issue with 4000 Miles is the way it has aged in the 14 years since it debuted. I envision packs of Millennials in fedora hats, vests and colourful jeans rocking up to a small indie New York arthouse for the play’s off-Broadway debut in 2011, and becoming instantly smitten with this plot-but-no-plot performance. However in the year 2025, the script itself feels slightly superfluous, always skimming the surface of its potential without ever truly diving deeper.
This is a story that relies heavily on what remains unsaid – whether that’s Leo’s inability to express his emotions, or Vera’s faltering memory. The result is more of a character study than a typical narrative, as the play relies on expressions, body language, and subtleties of tone to move the performance forward, which is no easy feat for the actors tasked with it.
Returning to STC after a two-decade absence, Hayes is a dynamic performer who cleverly balances the vulnerabilities that come with Vera’s advanced age with fantastic comedic timing. Whilst the performance starts off a little stiff, Hayes quickly takes up space, comfortably exploring the nature of ageing and loneliness with a strong and consistent New York accent.
Palekar’s performance is quite a contrast to Hayes’, and his character’s emotional cues are a little more difficult to read. Leo is introduced as an eerily happy, almost manic character. While we do come to learn that Leo is processing a traumatic experience, his mannerisms still come across a bit too exaggerated and eager. The American accents also occasionally slip, creating an awkward variance in tone.
Shirong Wu (White Pearl, A Fool In Love) is the bolt that interrupts the static pacing of the performance – as Leo’s fling, Amanda, she masterfully plays with her limited time on stage to showcase her character’s animated nature. Wu jolts from flirty to rageful to annoyed in record time, providing much more insight into Amanda’s motivations than perhaps any other character on stage.
Jeremy Allen’s set design is meticulously constructed. Before the performance even begins, the looming bookshelf and the array of books scattered across the living room inform our perception of Vera. The apartment feels like a home, with the doilies in the fine china cabinet, a corner study desk, and floral teacups. Kelsey Lee’s lighting brings the set to life, balancing the cool tones of daylight and the warmth of an afternoon with the homey glow of the living room. Lee seamlessly blends two forms of stage lighting simultaneously without overwhelming the set design. The transitions of time are smooth, and serve as some of the clearest signals in the performance.
The staging tells us a lot about who Vera is, however there are no obvious clues to tell us where we are. The pink and green wallpaper against the checkered fabric sofa gives the impression of a cosy cottage or a small suburban house, rather than a rent-controlled Manhattan apartment.
This production of 4000 Miles is an interesting exercise in how a ‘hipster’ play with off- Broadway roots holds up today, on the stage of one of Sydney’s leading theatre companies. Impactful moments of strength and vulnerability shine through, as Moraleda’s robust direction wrings the most it can out of Herzog’s angsty platitudes. Audiences will be left with their heads tilted, and lips pursed.
4000 Miles is playing at STC's Wharf 1 Theatre, Walsh Bay, until March 23. Tickets are on sale over here.
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