★★★★★ 0/5

Wakefield

Striking, unconventional -and one of the finest, most original local dramas produced in years.

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I am so grateful I stuck with Wakefield.

If I’m honest I was undecided after the first episode…. not that it wasn’t well-performed, nor striking in its style and landscapes. But I just couldn’t work out what the hell psych nurse Nik (Rudi Dharmalingam) wanted.

Sure he’s the most efficient of the staff at the Wakefield psychiatric hospital, perched precariously on the edge of Katoomba’s Blue Mountains ridge. The young Indian-Australian can’t seem to shake a musical ‘earworm’ “Come on Eileen” from his head but his patients need him focussed as they deal with another day.

Episodes are divided into Chapters that tell the story from one individual’s perspective -whether patient or staff- beginning with corporate financier James (Dan Wyllie) who is trying to secure high-powered deals from inside his ward. There’s young mum Ivy (Megan Smart) recovering from post-natal depression; and talented sketcher Tessa (Bessie Holland) who is suffering from agoraphobia and unable to connect with her weary mother (Helen Mitchell).

Yet as Wakefield unravels over its 8 episodes it is clear that Nik has history that is weighing heavily on his mind. There are numerous flashbacks to his childhood in canefields, parents arguing, tears… all of which are juxtaposed against his sister’s upcoming Indian wedding.

Meanwhile the staff at the hospital all appear to have their own problems -a not flippant take on the notion of inmates running an asylum, perhaps. Acting Nursing Unit Manager Linda (Mandy McElhinney) is at risk of missing the top job, while Collette (Felicity Ward) is like a boat in search of a romantic harbour, psychiatrist Kareena (Geraldine Hakewill) finds herself constantly conflicted, and Pete (Sam Simmons) appears to hate his job altogether.

Kristen Dunphy’s script never takes the safe nor linear path in seeking to portray mental health, often rebounding on itself in some post-Rashomon circle. The whole series is like a jigsaw of mystery, emotion, sanity for the viewer to navigate. This makes the series a discerning choice for audiences…. if you’re looking for broad appeal TV, signposting its destinations and turning points, it isn’t this.

But along the way you will be moved by some extraordinary performances from the likes of Harriet Dyer, Ryan Corr, Colin Friels, Wayne Blair, Harry Greenwood, Victoria Haralabidou, Kim Gyngell. Mandy McElhinney’s passive aggressive Linda (who frankly, could have walked off the set of Wentworth) is the best work I’ve seen from her. Felicity Ward is a standout in a dramatic role.

But Rudi Dharmalingam (who has the Aussie accent down pat) is arresting, dynamic, sometimes smouldering, as the nurse trying to help his patients whilst dealing with deep-seated issues and a demanding family. Directors Jocelyn Moorhouse & Kim Mordant even inject song & dance into this bold work, with Dharmalingam forced to perfect tap dancing for his role. The collision of ideas and visuals is sometimes exquisite….

It’s hard to see how this will not win multiple nominations, for writing, direction, performances, cinematography. The cast is a shoo-in for Equity’s ensemble award (you heard it here first).

The crescendo of Wakefield is deeply affecting, visually striking, superbly performed.

Wakefield is one of the finest and most original local dramas produced in years.

Wakefield screens 8:30pm Sundays on ABC (all 8 episodes now on iview).

10 Responses

  1. This is one of the most extraordinary series I’ve ever watched. It deserves every accolade coming it’s way. Rudi will no doubt become a mega star. I hope they do a second series. The last episode was unexpected and challenging in the way that only truly excellent drama can me.

    1. Wow! I was absolutely floored by this production. So innovative, challenging as well as entertaining. Such quality television and I do hope the rest of the world gets to see Australian television at the highest calibre. Truly one of the greatest achievements in Aussie TV.

  2. Rudi was good in The Split, so we might give this a go. I can see this getting picked up in the UK and there is always the chance that Netflix may come knocking for worldwide streaming rights.

  4. It’s brilliant. I watched the first two, wasn’t sure if another six eps were worth it. They are. It just keeps getting better, more involving, more emotionally gripping. Watch it.

  5. I was already hooked after the first episode, so watched the rest on iView. Agree with everything you said, David. Loved the little ‘Bollywood’ interludes, amazed at the performances of every single character. Great to see all these Australian actors and comedians together. Did not recognise Bessie Holland as Tessa, after seeing her on Fisk in ep 4, lol.

  6. Okay. I’m heading back to Wakefield this afternoon. I was always going to but I found the first episode so intense I was a bit scared to return! So happy to read such a great review from someone who knows!

  7. Absolutely agree. I, too, was uncertain after the first episode, and so glad I stuck with it. It was an extraordinary piece of work, and the cumulative whole is still bringing tears to my eyes some weeks after viewing it. Kaleidoscopic, engrossing, tender, moving, sweet and funny, and gut-wrenchingly sad – really, one of the most interesting things I’ve watched in my lifetime. Amazing work by all involved.

  8. What a fabulous series. I agree that Felicity Ward is a standout and also agree how it juggles that idea around the staff’s mental health struggling just as much as the patients.

    The final episode was so intense, and I kind of like that it ended a little abstractly without a full closure of what happens to some characters.

  9. Agreed, I’ve binged it on iView and it’s brilliant. I really hope it manages to find a global audience, it easily stands up to anything produced elsewhere in the world.

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