Mark Barkley

A Kind of Belgium Mark Barkley

"I feel like a kind of Belgium, y’ know. Always invaded. They’ve set up their trenches and wires and they take it in turns to rush over the top and try and put a flag in me. I’m getting loved to exhaustion."Would you sit on a fence and watch an invasion take place? Right on your doorstep? When both the invaded and the invader were close to you?Ray Rance (a real estate agent), Leo Crowshaw (a restaurant proprietor) and Lynne Fleming (a hair salon operator) work in a shopping precinct that’s been hit hard by financial downturn but is set to enjoy a recovery as a boutique tourist area. A property acquisition is about to take place. Jodie Crowshaw, Leo’s daughter, stumbles on to hidden dealings and must confront family and friends to pursue what she believes is just and right. The story is seen through the eyes of Kane Boon, a street spirit, who was killed in the act of a robbery. His spirit is tied to a place which is about to be besieged and in defence of this space, he seeks to redeem his family name.“A Kind Of Belgium” was first presented by La Boite Theatre Inc in association with their Springboards 2000 program at La Boite Theatre, Hale Street, Brisbane, on 17 July, 2000.