Staging is an essential convention required for a thorough understanding of its" characters and issues. As drama is purposely written for enactment, its" characters and themes are best expressed through performance. Play writer Michael Gow applies different staging techniques to his first most successive play, "Away". The movement, timing and expressions of the characters are all important aspects to the different interpretations made by the audience. Its" issues are predominantly projected through the interaction between the characters and their methods of articulating their thoughts. Lighting determines the tone of the situation and highlights the character of importance in that particular scene. Mendelssohn's music plays a significant role in introducing the setting of the atmosphere to the scene. Costumes represent the character's personality and emphasises their state of emotion. However, Gow's most powerful convention was the device of a "play within a play".
Pausing and silence in between the lines suggest hesitation and tense awkwardness in the human relationship. However, silence may also state the character's abnormal human mind as in the case of Coral where she is ignorant of Gwen's remarks and attempts of starting a conversation.
Gwen is introduced to the audience as a talkative arrogant mother but her silence in the fourth act signifies the transformation of her character. Moreover, she is the one who lead the thunderous applause in contrast to her constant complaints in the first act. Her transformation is evident in these contrasts of actions. The repetitive deliberate pausing between Roy's lines in his speech identified his hesitations. .
The main theme of reconciliation in the play is illustrated by the various approaches by the characters. Roy appears " forlorn, alone. He looks around vacantly" (V,ii). When Coral offers him her shells, we can see that he accepts it as he " buries his face in the shells He kisses the shells and her hands".