'In Do Not Go Gentle… Scott’s ill-fated Antarctic expedition is a metaphor for the elusive journey of five elderly people facing the final leg of their travels in an aged care facility. Scott’s passage across the Antarctic, as he confronts a landscape of ice and perilous weather, powerfully parallels their courage and inevitable defeat. Yet with unbroken spirit, this funny, angry, defiant group grapple with the big questions of life as they rage against the dying of the light. The Berry Man is a searing indictment of the consequences of war, with the humour and fragile, flawed characters that are a trademark of Cornelius’ writing.' (Publication summary)
'"The Berry Man" is about growing things: potatoes, berries, babies. It's about how hard it is sometimes. It's about growing up - taking all the elements of the past and letting them go, like scattering seed. It's about carrying secrets to the grave. It's about endless talk of the past and tiresome quests for resolution, and whether silence is sometimes the better way. It's about fighting for king and country, about manhood, about being hoodwinked, about an enormous change passing you by, about being left alone and hapless with no clue to how to fix oneself, to deal with anything, to be able to move on, to grow.'
Source: www.nationalplayfestival.org.au/ (Sighted 20/01/2009).
