The Sinclair family live on Struggle Street. Patriarch Errol (Peter Carroll), once “the fastest SP bookie in town”, is an irascible old-school bookmaker whose gambling obsession has long overshadowed his responsibilities as a husband and father.
His wife has died, his grown sons once spent time in foster care, and although age and ill health have caught up with him, he still shuffles around the family home in trackie daks, tethered to an oxygen machine, cigarette and beer in hand, clutching a form guide and trying to persuade younger son Jimmy (Andre de Vanny) to place one more bet on the ‘dogs’.
Jimmy, however, now works for Arnold Denny (Marco Chiappi), one of Errol’s old rivals, a source of resentment that continually simmers beneath the surface. Older brother Cess (Justin Rosniak) has pinned his hopes on A Boy Named Sue, the greyhound he has painstakingly trained for the prestigious Winnebago Classic. With $75,000 in prize money on offer, the race offers the brothers a rare chance to change their fortunes. But before the big event arrives, everything begins to unravel.
Comedy or tragedy?
The Dapto Chaser may be billed as a black comedy, but by the time the curtain fell, I felt it could also be described as a tragedy interspersed with some wonderful belly laughs. Mary Rachel Brown’s play is rich with authentic Australian humour, yet beneath the laughs lies a deeply affecting story about family, regret, loyalty and the stubborn hope that tomorrow might finally bring a better life.
Designer Simone Romaniuk’s set perfectly captures the family’s modest circumstances. The dated television, transistor radio, battered fridge, threadbare carpet and scattered rubbish tell us almost everything we need to know before a word was even spoken.
Brown’s ear for Australian dialogue is exceptional. The language is earthy, colourful and unmistakably authentic, filled with larrikin humour and working-class vernacular that drew regular laughter from the opening-night audience. Yet the comedy never disguises the play’s emotional weight. As obstacle after obstacle confronted the brothers, my own anxiety grew alongside their desperation as the hope of a better future slipped further from reach.
Exceptional cast
The cast is uniformly superb. Having acted in more than 260 professional productions, 82-year-old gem Peter Carroll once again demonstrates why he remains one of Australia’s finest actors. His Errol is cantankerous, exasperating, funny and unexpectedly vulnerable. Justin Rosniak (Packed To The Rafters; Mr Inbetween) is equally compelling as Cess, capturing the dignity and quiet desperation of a man whose lifelong dream of escaping poverty finally seems within reach. His lament to his brother, “We’re tarred and feathered in it, Jimmy. Poorness,” perfectly encapsulates the family’s struggle. Andre de Vanny brings warmth and restraint to Jimmy, while Marco Chiappi provides strong support as Arnold.
In my opinion, nothing and no-one hit a bum note in this outstanding Ensemble Theatre production directed by Anna Houston. The opening-night audience rose as one for a thoroughly deserved standing ovation. And although Sue never appeared on stage, he was so vividly alive in our imaginations that we were cheering for him, too.
The Dapto Chaser
Ensemble Theatre, Sydney
Until 25 July, 2026
ensemble.com.au
