A clever debut from an exciting new playwright.
SAVIOR, written by Happy Feraren and produced by Griffin Theatre Company, is a sharp and ambitious satire. Directed by Kenneth Moraleda and touching on themes of humanitarianism, saviour complexes, technology, online dating, and corruption, it is a smart and engaging production.
Feraren’s script focuses on Michelle (Chrissy Mae Valentine), a project officer in the Philippines. A typhoon has hit Tacloban, and the locals need relief. But her best friend Janna (Chaye Mogg) is more concerned about the typhoon of aid workers she’s matching with on Tinder, using Michelle’s photos. One of those matches is Joshua, later revealed to Joe (Michael Whalley), Michelle’s hunky boss and a “digital humanitarian”. As Michelle and Joe navigate a complicated web of environmental catastrophe, money smuggling, disaster assistance and sexual tension, they are forced to grapple with the realities of corporate humanitarianism and whether being a saviour is more important than acting in one’s self interest.
Feraren’s script, her playwrighting debut, cleverly deconstructs the concept of saviourism. While white saviourism is one target, Feraren goes beyond this, asking who really benefits from charitable relief efforts and the power imbalances within them. In particular, SAVIOR‘s story structure brings these questions out. The play steadily escalates its stakes and satire, revealing new layers of hypocrisy and self-deception while still maintaining suspense. The result is a work that forces difficult truths to come to light.
It is also an incredibly comical script. Littered with bizarre acronyms, great puns, and Waray, a regional language, the humour is everything from whip-smart to ridiculous. As satires go, it is one of the best around.
The production also features strong cast performances. Chrissy Mae Valentine captures Michelle’s frustrations well, whether such frustrations be with the ego-driven nature of corporate humanitarian aid work or the tension between her and Joe. Whalley as Joe delivers a wonderfully exaggerated caricature of the white saviour, with the Jesus-type look to match. He gets Joe’s earnestness, self-importance, and blind spots and is responsible for some of the show’s biggest laughs. The chemistry he and Chrissy create is incredibly funny.
Equally strong is Mogg, who combines cutting sarcasm with real intelligence as Janna. Her dry humour and sharp timing is on point. Mark Paguio nearly steals the show outright through a series of cameo appearances as Jobert, a field officer in Tacloban City. Each of his moments, comic or serious, lands with precision, injecting fresh energy and unpredictability.
Photo credit Brett Boardman.
The production itself is thoughtfully realised. The design (Hailley Hunt) is adaptable, facilitating the play’s rapid shifts while reinforcing its contemporary themes. Moraleda’s direction keeps the satire clear and focused, successfully navigating the script’s tonal transitions and overcoming some pacing issues.
Ultimately, Savior is incisive. Feraren’s script questions modern humanitarianism and saviour culture without resorting to easy answers, and is all the more better as a result. It is a play that entertains first, provokes second, and makes its observations effectively.
