Venue: SBW Stables Theatre (Kings Cross NSW), Nov 1 – Dec 14, 2019
Playwright: Rita Kalnejais
Director: Lee Lewis
Cast: Amy Hack, Rebecca Massey, Bardiya McKinnon, Sarah Meacham, Guy Simon, Matthew Whittet
Images by Brett Boardman
Theatre review
Basti and Rdeca meet one momentous night, and quickly fall for each other. What makes Rita Kalnejais’ rom-com First Love Is The Revolution unusual, is that its female lead is a fox, literally. Kalnejais’ play takes the star-crossed lovers trope to new heights of absurdity, for a story about nature and our interactions with it. The young rebels must walk away from their respective backgrounds, to establish for themselves entirely new ways of being, should they wish to find happiness. The writing is imaginative and daring, extremely mischievous in its flirtations with notions of bestiality, but delicate sensibilities can rest assured that there is never any doubt about sexual consent from any of its characters.
Passionate and joyous, the zesty production is directed by Lee Lewis, who leaves no stone unturned, in her explorations of this idiosyncratic text, to deliver an experience full of tension and intrigue. Funny, intelligent and highly captivating, First Love Is The Revolution is as entertaining as it is meaningful. Designer Ella Butler’s work on set and costumes is remarkable for its exuberance and refreshing use of colour. Lights by Trent Suidgeest, along with music by David Bergman, are memorable for their flamboyant flourishes, appropriately and enjoyably exaggerated in intensified moments of romance as well as comedy.
The luminescent Sarah Meacham plays Rdeca, with exceptional verve and faultless instinct; an astounding talent able to convey thorough authenticity for even the most bizarre, in her portrayal of an adolescent fox. Fourteen year-old Basti too is made very likeable by Bardiya McKinnon, an intricate performer who brings depth and conviction to the role. Rebecca Massey is powerful as the fox’s mother Cochineal, deftly oscillating between silly and serious, convincing from start to end. Amy Hack and Matthew Whittet each play three roles, all of them deeply amusing, with Whittet’s surprisingly poignant turn as Basti’s father Simon leaving a particularly strong impression. A magnetic Guy Simon alternates between fox and hound in two separate parts, wonderfully humorous in both, but terrifying as the bloodthirsty dog Rovis.
When a child grows up to become their own person, apron strings should have to be cut, before a true self can be said to have actualised. Young love is often a precipitating factor that urges one to examine one’s background, in a process that involves rethinking and re-contextualising of circumstances, to attain a more individualised world view. Basti and Rdeca need each other, in order that a destination can be identified for their inevitable departure from home. Growth is painful at any age, but stagnation, although comfortable at times, is a fate worse than death.
Suzy Goes See 