Performativity vs. Authenticity
In Away, a particularly strong dichotomy is erected between performative pretense and authentic expressions of emotion, with one of the ultimate messages of the play being that one ought not to have any walls or performative masks put up in relationships with loved ones. If one fails to eliminate such performances, which Gow views as barriers to authentic communication and living, then the results will be disastrous. In the case of a married couple, consider Coral and Roy's failure at the beginning of the play to truly understand each other, which forces Roy to tell Coral to more or less "act normal" to fit it. Ultimately, the pressure of doing so without the opportunity to feel seen is what leaves Coral to first cheat with Rick and later flee to the beach from the hotel. In the case of a family's dynamic, consider also how Harry and Vic's lies to Tom about his health put an undue amount of pressure on their son to enjoy what little life he has left. This is ultimately what leads him to hastily proposition Meg and create distance in their relationship, which up until that point had only faced external pressures. In both cases, Gow encourages us through the experiences of his characters to drop all airs from our interactions and communicate with each other directly and honestly; otherwise, we risk leaving things unsaid or saying the wrong thing entirely.
Man in Nature
Another central theme in Away is that of man in nature. In the drama, nature is framed precisely as the "away" of the title, a kind of space away from the concerns of the everyday where one is forced to truly confront themselves outside of their workaday routines. Fittingly, it is nature that allows Gwen to come to a realization about Vic and Harry's true struggle (i.e., her walk with Vic on the beach), as well as to reconcile with Jim in Act 4 (i.e., as they step into the ocean's warm water). It is also a token of the natural that symbolizes Coral's growth out of her grief and emblematizes her reconciliation with Roy (i.e., the shells from the beach). Moreover, nature in the play goes beyond this accessory role, also playing an active and participatory role in the action in the form of Act 3's storm. The storm not only echoes the internal emotional states of the central characters, but also introduces an element of the fantastic and sublime to nature (in the form of the fairies) and integrates Away into the same dramatic tradition as A Midsummer Night's Dream.
Youth vs. Age/Death
The tension between generations and, in particular, between youth and death are very pertinent in Away. Most central to the play's exploration of these themes are Tom and Coral, who are themselves, respectively, a youth at risk of dying and a mother struggling to cope with the loss of her young son. Through Tom's character, we see the ways in which death and knowledge of death force us as humans to erect artificial hallmarks of youth that one must embrace in order to consider life worth living (e.g., sex), as well as the measures we will take to ensure that youths get access to such hallmarks. From Coral's perspective, then, we see the opposite side of the equation: in watching Coral's affair, breakdown, and reconciliation with Roy, we see an embodiment of just how tragic it is when the young pass before their supposed "time." Together, these two characters frame a dialogue about youth and old age that forces us as readers to reconsider what exactly it is each generation passes down to the next, a well as what each subsequent generation hopes to break free of from past generations.
The Hollowness of Capitalism/Materialism
This theme is given more minor treatment in the play than other themes, but it is still very central to the play's core thesis. We primarily are given insight into this topic from interactions between Coral and Roy, as well as Coral's interaction with the other hotel guests at the beginning of Act 3. In telling Coral that their son's death was worthwhile in order to preserve the high quality of life in Australia, and in showing us Coral's rejection of this claim, Gow not only casts doubt on the value of Australia's participation in the Vietnam War, but also endeavors to show us that capitalism and materialist ways of life can never be compensation for the loss of a loved one. Carol's appropriation of this logic to make hotel guests uncomfortable, then, reinforces this idea and shows how much of a hollow platitude it is to say that one "paid the price" with their life in order to maintain a country's way of life. A way of life is not worth preserving, argues Gow, if one is not alive in the first place to enjoy that way of life.
Class Difference
Class difference is also important as a part of the themes explored by Gow in Away. Primarily conveyed through Gwen's prejudice towards Harry and Vic, as well as the exploration of Gwen's backstory, Gow's treatment of class difference paints a picture of snobs as insecure people who are trying to prove something to themselves. Gwen, after all, only acts as she does and looks down on Harry and Vic because she herself was once poor and struggled to get her footing. Rather than rendering Gwen as less palatable, however, such treatment makes Gwen a far more sympathetic character, and it also makes readers reconsider what other negative qualities in human beings might be driven by performative compensation. The theme of class difference thus also ties into Gow's broader themes of performativity and the difference between generations (since Gwen's behavior is largely fueled by the desire to do better for her daughter).
Australian Nationality
Nationhood and what it means to be an Australian are also central to Gow's drama. In Gwen's distaste for Harry and Vic, for example, we see how xenophobia, both on the part of individuals and the countries in which they live, arises only from deep insecurity and dissatisfaction with one's own station in life. On a more abstract level, however, one also has to consider what the three families have in common, and what actions each family takes simply by virtue of living in Australia. Specifically, consider that each of the families refuses to address their issues within the confines of the everyday, needing to escape into nature in order to confront their issues. Is this something that Gow considers an inherently Australian trait? Moreover, is the reason that Harry, Tom, and Vic have the most subtle family tension a product of their immigrant status? In other words, is the reason that they are the only family not outright refusing to address an issue that is glaringly obvious to all parties involved because they are not "completely" Australian?
Family Life
In attempting to truthfully render three families' responses to different struggles, Away is of course also a play about family and family life. Notably, however, while the play invests significant energy in showcasing these families' dysfunction, Gow chooses to end with the beauty and tenderness inherent in the family dynamic when all walls are torn down and interaction happens authentically. Each family faces their own issue, but by the end of the play, Coral and Roy learn to find strength in each other and move past their son's death. Gwen and Jim, too, learn to appreciate what they have with each other, and view this as enough of an improvement from a past marked by struggle and difficulty. Harry, Vic, and Tom, on the other hand, fail to ever be honest with each other: this is why they are the only family that is unable to cope with their respective issue, and why Harry and Vic exit from a different direction at the end of Act 4.
