Monthly Archives: September 2023

Review: The Church Of The Clitori (Sydney Fringe Festival)

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Venue: Castlereagh Boutique Hotel (Sydney NSW), Sep 26 – 30, 2023
Creators: Malika Reese, Lillian Rodrigues-Pang
Cast: Malika Reese, Lillian Rodrigues-Pang

Theatre review
The Church of the Clitori by Malika Reese and Lillian Rodrigues-Pang, welcomes one and all to its place of worship, where the idea of the feminine reigns supreme, along with the gratification derived from the only human organ known for its singular purpose of providing pleasure. We are urged to revert to matriarchal forms of organising societies, where our values and beliefs relate more to the flesh and hence with a greater sense of sensual interpersonal connection, rather than cannibalistic modes of dealing with each other, such are our inclinations when men are in power.

The piece is careful to state from the outset that the clitoris to which it refers is about a mindset, an allegory for the Inner Goddess accessible by all persons, regardless of the physical manifestations their actual genitals may take. There is however an abundance of literal clitoral representations at the church, to ensure we make full use of the hour, to cleanse us of the persistent imposition of phalluses in our real normal lives.

Reese adopts the moniker of The Labias, while Rodrigues-Pang performs the part of the High Priestess, both humorous and warm in presence, as they assert their doctrine of enlightened womanhood, to a congregation that simply must relent to their insistence of cheery audience participation. Their presentation is amusing from beginning to end, sensitively considered but vivaciously delivered. It can feel rough around the edges, but the rawness it embodies is commensurate with its message of repudiation and subversion. The homespun aesthetic is almost essential, for a work that urges a retreat from capitalism, from colonialisation and white supremacy. It encourages suspicion about things that are too glossy and tidy.

Humans should perhaps stop aspiring to be like robots and other machines. We can be productive and efficient, but those should not be the core of our existence. For many years we have allowed an industrialisation and commercialisation of our worlds to extend incrementally into our souls, but at The Church of the Clitori we can reassess and rethink, and maybe make better decisions about, well, everything.

www.churchoftheclitori.org

Review: Banging Denmark (New Theatre)

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Venue: New Theatre (Newtown NSW), Sep 20 – 30, 2023
Playwright: Van Badham
Director: Madeleine Withington
Cast: Matt Abotomey, Emelia Corlett, Sarah Greenwood, Kandice Joy, Gerry Mullaly
Images by Campbell Parsons

Theatre review
Ishtar has to take time out from her PhD in feminism, because she is completely broke, and misogynist podcaster Jake is offering huge amounts of money for her help in earning Danish librarian Anne’s affections. Van Badham’s 2019 play Banging Denmark has only increased in relevance, as incels and pickup artists continue to gain prominence in our consciousness, with their figureheads now becoming big-time celebrities, and with dominant cultural personalities legitimising their abhorrent values and beliefs.

Director Madeleine Withington finds in her production, the real heart of the matter, which relates to how we could solve a problem like bigotry. Before we reach that concluding epiphany however, Withington delivers a work determined to entertain, taking full advantage of the marvellous absurdity in Badham’s often outrageous comedy.

Leading lady Sarah Greenwood’s staggering intensity as Ishtar delivers for the show its electric propulsive charge. That energy renders for the role an extraordinary passion that is simultaneously theatrical, yet true to the strident archetype to which it refers. Matt Abotomey is similarly flamboyant in his humour, unabashed with the hyperbolic physicality he brings to Jake, in a show that is never short of verve.

Costumes by Ruby Jenkins offer accurate depictions of these comical characters, along with a set that offers sufficient versatility to help conjure the various scenic requirements of Banging Denmark. Lights by Luna Ng are colourful and dynamic, gallant in their efforts to introduce a sense of liveliness to the staging. Daniel Herten’s sound design too is stimulating, able to sustain interest with its quirky approach.

It seems a natural instinct to wish to alienate those we deem despicable, to disparage and humiliate those intent on languishing in their indignant dedication to prejudice. We know however, that cruelty does little to persuade anyone to reverse their course of action. There is a surprising kindness to Banging Denmark that can feel unsatisfying in our current climate of ravenous viciousness and inhumanity, but there is no denying the truth, that hate solves nothing, that social fracture is ultimately undesirable, except for the very few who profit from those divisions. There is a part of us that tends to relish in conflict and bloodletting, but the better parts of our humanity understand that delicious as they may feel, wars are never what we want.

www.newtheatre.org.au

Review: An Ox Stand On My Tongue (25A Belvoir)

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Venue: Belvoir St Theatre (Surry Hills NSW), Sep 20 – Oct 8, 2023
Playwright: Jane Montgomery Griffiths
Director: Abbie-Lee Lewis
Cast: Jessica Bentley, Angela Nica Sullen
Images by Phil Erbacher

Theatre review
Helen and Clytemnestra do not have the best of reputations; both women are known for the trouble they had caused, to men of great esteem and importance. An Ox Stand on My Tongue by Jane Montgomery Griffiths reframes the sisters, so that their own perspectives of events can occupy centre stage, shifting from antagonist to protagonist, in what amounts to a feminist interpretation of ancient myths.

The intriguing two-hander is a modern, often obtuse play that makes a statement about the impossible demands placed on women, in a man’s world. We see Helen and Clytemnestra grappling with the notion that to survive, is often to be perceived as dishonourable, whether or not they abide by all the rules of the game. Those same rules apply to the opposite sex, but garner much better results, if one happens to be a man.

Direction by Abbie-Lee Lewis is uncomplicated, almost too simple in its approach, with a strong reliance on the charm of her leading ladies to sustain attention.  Actor Jessica Bentley’s presence is consistently authentic, giving Helen a sense of believability and naturalism that add to the contemporary tone being rendered. Angela Nica Sullen is more inventive with her portrayal of Clytemnestra, especially effective in heightened moments to give us the delicious drama associated with all things tragic and Greek.

The production is elevated by Kelsey Lee whose set and lights offer a captivating flamboyance appropriate to this exploration of beings royal and celestial. Costumes by Grace Deacon are commensurately glamorous, although not quite sufficiently finessed for the refinement it wishes to depict. Zac Saric’s sound and music are rigorously created, to underscore the show with intensity as well as intentionality.

It is only human to wish to be regarded with respect and dignity, but when one arrives at the understanding, that social acceptance often comes at an unfair price, one begins to consider relinquishing those needs to be admired. One simply stops caring, not about things that are truly important, but apropos the meaningless approval and expectations of people who matter little. There is no denying that we are social creatures, but our societies can be as malevolent as they are benevolent. Women are taught to care too much, so that we may remain subservient, always terrified of being thought badly of. Helen and Clytemnestra recall their mother training them to always try harder, but it occurs to us that their persistent misery only ever seem to be in service of those who never love them back.

www.belvoir.com.au

Review: Human Activity (KXT on Broadway)

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Venue: KXT on Broadway (Ultimo NSW), Sep 15 – Oct 8, 2023
Playwright: Katie Pollock
Director: Suzanne Millar
Cast: Karina Bracken, Claudette Clarke, Josephine Gazard, Atharv Kolhatkar, Phillip Lye, Mason Phoumirath, Trishala Sharma, Katherine Shearer, Madhullikaa Singh, Teresa Tate Britten
Images by David Hooley

Theatre review
Martin Place represents the most vibrant of our city life in Sydney, with the usual hustle and bustle of a central business district demonstrating the apparent health of our economy. In 2014 however, a terrorist attack at the very heart of that precinct cast a gloom upon the nation, making us see an abhorrent side to what constitutes community on these lands. Katie Pollock’s Human Activity is only partially about that regretful incident. Even though the play is set around the very time and place of the siege, not every anecdote in the work relates directly to that disastrous moment.

Several narratives run through Human Activity, with a plethora of characters occupying our attention. Director Suzanne Millar manufactures a sense of harmony for the divergent stories, creating a production that feels a unified whole, whilst allowing its fragments to speak independently. Within this collaboration between Pollock and Millar, is a palpable tenderness that demonstrates respect and love for those we live amongst, so that we may expand ideas pertaining to communal identities, and begin to dismantle divisive notions of us and them.

Production design by Soham Apte depicts a rigorous realism, with a set and costumes that enable us to delve into the familiar sights and scenes of our urbanscape. Benjamin Brockman’s lights introduce a dulcet poeticism to soften the edges of the metropolis, guiding us to the compassionate heart of Human Activity. Sounds and music by Jessica Pizzinga are rendered with sensitivity, moving us to the familiar streets of our geographical and spiritual nucleus.

Memorable performances include actors Trishala Sharma and Katherine Shearer who bring valuable dramatic intensity to two women whose lives intersect, finding common ground where it had seemed completely unlikely. Atharv Kolhatkar and Teresa Tate Britten too are dynamic, as workers on ground zero, disturbed but needing to gather the wherewithal to soldier on.

In cities, we walk past one another, unable to connect in an environment overwhelming with its sheer volume of activity. Yet we know that it is in these concrete jungles, that we are able to thrive and flourish. This is where so many of us can discover our best manifestations, away from parochial and conservative situations determined to hold us back. The city may not suit every sensibility, but it is the most inclusive of our societies, where every person may feel equally an outsider, yet able to locate opportunities, for the possibility of making dreams happen.

www.kingsxtheatre.com | www.instagram.com/nautankitheatre

Review: Is God Is (Sydney Theatre Company)

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Venue: Wharf 1 Sydney Theatre Company (Walsh Bay NSW), Sep 15 – Oct 21, 2023
Playwright: Aleshea Harris
Directors: Zindzi Okenyo, Shari Sebbens
Cast: Henrietta Enyonam Amevor, Clare Chihambakwe, Kevin Copeland, Masego Pitso, Cessalee Stovall, Darius Williams, Patrick Williams, Grant Young
Images by Pia Johnson

Theatre review

Racine and Anaia are heavily scarred, by cruel and neglectful parents who seem to know nothing about nurturing or caring for their children. Left to their own devices, the twin sisters can only understand the world as violent and savage, as we watch them embark on an odyssey of murder, in Aleshea Harris’ Is God Is. A revenge fantasy filled with wild imagination and scintillating humour, the play is both terrifying and hilarious, in its portrayals of wayward youth, unhinged femininity and recalcitrant Blackness. The United States have never looked so subversive.

Directed by Zindzi Okenyo and Shari Sebbens, Is God Is delivers delicious humour, keeping us on the edges of our seats with unpredictable characters, who prove to be truly and thoroughly intriguing. There is nothing normal about Racine and Anaia’s lives, and seeing things through their eyes, means a completely fascinating, and dangerous, experience.

Costumes by Renée Mulder conjure imagery of ruined innocence, offering a childlike perspective, but one in a state of decay, as a constant reminder of the story’s despairing centre. Mulder’s set design involves a protean structure evoking notions of home, establishing for the production a whimsical style that draws parallels with the much more wholesome fare of juvenile television programming. Lights by Jenny Hector help manufacture drama, but is somewhat lacking when required to convey a sense of macabre during key moments of repugnance, for this occasion of genre theatre. Sounds and music are effectively rendered, by Joe Paradise Lui, to ensure that we navigate the varying tones of the production, as it slips and slides ever so subtly between comedy and horror.

Henrietta Enyonam Amevor and Masego Pitso play Anaia and Racine respectively, both actors vivacious and charismatic, able to blend naivety with brutality, for their confronting depictions of civilisation in disarray. The troubling pair’s mother is performed by Cessalee Stovall, who guides us to the truthful core of Is God Is, without sparing us the necessary discomfort of having to acknowledge the pain in that truth. Also remarkable is Darius Williams, who as the grandiose poet Scotch, gives us some of the biggest laughs, in a fabulous acerbic take on youthful and misguided masculinity. It is a marvellous cast, with each individual leaving an excellent impression with the complexities they introduce, along with the sheer entertainment they manufacture, for this very dark tale.

It only makes sense, that the most audacious fantasies should come from the most marginalised. Young, Black women are routinely underestimated, diminished and shunned. Being the very antithesis and embodiment of that which is pale, male, stale and therefore most highly valued, their perspective from a position diametrically opposite to the hegemony, is what will reveal the most of our ills. Is God Is may not choose to engage directly or explicitly with all our social issues, but just to have art of this nature materialise, is an indication of our capacity to shift, and a reminder that culture is always malleable.

www.sydneytheatre.com.au | www.mtc.com.au

Review: Lady Day At Emerson’s Bar & Grill  (Belvoir St Theatre)

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Venue: Belvoir St Theatre (Surry Hills NSW), Sep 14 – Oct 15, 2023
Playwright: Lanie Robertson
Director: Mitchell Butel
Cast: Zahra Newman with Kym Purling, Victor Rounds, Calvin Welch
Images by Matt Byrne

Theatre review
Jazz legend Billie Holiday is performing at a bar in Philadelphia, several years after being incarcerated in that same city, and finds herself unable to maintain composure, as the worst times of her life come flooding back. In Lanie Robertson’s Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar & Grill, the diva unravels before our eyes, disclosing the innumerable traumatic events she had suffered, as a Black woman surviving 20th century America. She sings her songs to perfection, but is completely guileless in between numbers,  defenceless to a degree that is almost humiliating in her revelations. Such is the nature of art. It demands such honesty and vulnerability from the creator, that we witness her disintegrating even as she fulfils her destiny, as one of the world’s foremost singers of the modern era.

The tragedy is both heartbreaking and beautiful, under Mitchell Butel’s direction. Amidst the unbridled distress, is a star who retains her independence and agency, maybe not always making the best choices, but owning every one of them. Butel manufactures a theatrical glamour that helps us lionise Holiday, to see that we can celebrate the totality of her, that flaws in her biography cannot be divorced from her immense legacy, and that where she does flounder is indeed largely a consequence of social injustice, rather than of personal deficiencies.

Production design by Ailsa Paterson features an unpretentious slightly rundown setting, appropriately depicting a space that we should consider beneath a talent of Holiday’s magnitude. Her white gown is resplendent, on a woman who knows her worth, at least in commercial terms. Band members too are dressed with dignity, each one suave and sophisticated, in a story that inevitably confronts matters of class and race. Lights by Govin Ruben are transportative in their realism, accurately evoking a club and performance space of the period, although more heightened dramatics could improve our connection to some of the play’s more intense moments.

Prominent songs from Holiday’s oeuvre comprise the set list in this somewhat inadvertent jukebox musical. From his grand piano, Kym Purling leads a band of prime quality, for exceptional renditions of these historical pieces. Along with bassist Victor Rounds and drummer Calvin Welch, the trio gifts us a truly sumptuous experience of hearing these almost otherworldly compositions. The human voice is of course integral, and Zahra Newman’s proves astonishing not only in her mimicry of Holiday’s iconic tone, texture and timbre, she brings a power that is perhaps surprising to her interpretations of these numbers. As actor Newman is exacting and vivid with her storytelling, and in her strongest scenes, thoroughly convincing with the verisimilitude she is able to muster, to convey some incredibly lamentable details of Holiday’s life and times.

Billie Holiday was a descendant of slaves, and even though she achieved stardom, there was no escaping circumstances that remained cruel and deplorable for African Americans. Even as a musician of world renown, she was not protected from the abuse that women routinely endured, in both public and private spheres. In Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar & Grill we observe how she was wronged, again and again, so that we may ameliorate our feelings about a celebrity we wish to have done better. We are offered a reminder that the problem was the time and place in which she had existed, and that the artist was herself unreservedly immaculate.

www.belvoir.com.au

Review: The Visitors (Sydney Theatre Company)

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The Visitors is at the Opera House Drama Theatre from Sep 11 to Oct 14;
Riverside Theatres from Oct 19 to 21; and Illawarra Performing Arts Centre from Oct 25 to 28.

Venue: Sydney Opera House (Sydney NSW), Sep 11 – Oct 14, 2023
Playwright: Jane Harrison
Director: Wesley Enoch
Cast: Joseph Wunujaka Althouse, Luke Carroll, Elaine Crombie, Kyle Morrison, Guy Simon, Beau Dean Riley Smith, Dalara Williams
Images by Daniel Boud

Theatre review
Foreign boats have been making increasingly frequent trips to these shores, and our inhabitants are beginning to worry about their intentions. Seven clans have sent representatives to a meeting, to decide on a course of action; they must consider whether to be hospitable, or to demand the intruders’ departure. Jane Harrison’s extraordinary The Visitors can be thought of as a seminal work, undeniably important in its reflections about our final fateful days before colonialism.

Instead of abject despondency, which is an entirely appropriate attitude for this subject, Harrison’s play is dignifying, replete with intelligent humour, and often charmingly wistful in its depictions of an Aboriginal past. It takes us on a meditation of our history and its consequences, reaching a powerful conclusion that affirms and honours Indigenous sovereignty. There are endless themes we can explore in our art, but this issue of land ownership and of First Nations independence, must surely be paramount, in any of our discourse upon these terrains.

Wesley Enoch’s salient direction of the piece, makes the action feel as though it all happened just yesterday. The point being made is unambiguous and robust, and the show is emphatically inclusive of every viewer, in these pertinent investigations about the people we are. An outstanding cast of zealous actors demonstrate unequivocally the resilience and the indomitability of the communities that they represent so gloriously. Their chemistry is immaculate, in a show that speaks with a beautifully harmonious sense of solidarity. Especially noteworthy is Luke Carroll, who as Gordon, brings the production to a riveting emotional peak, so that we leave with absolute certainty about how we are to proceed, with out private and political lives.

Production design by Elizabeth Gadsby provides a juxtaposition of native and alien, in a way that inspires greater complexity to how we may choose to conceive of this iteration of the colonial experience. The unmistakably Western mode of dress is challenging, but valuable as a reminder of the hegemony under which we are conducting these discussions. The set pays tribute to the sacred quality of our landscape, persistent and eternal. Lights by Karen Norris take us somewhere ethereal, satisfying in the lyricism it evokes, to have us longing for a place that is magical in its simultaneity of being both distant and immediately accessible. Brendon Boney’s sounds and music are restrained to start, effective at facilitating our imagination of a precursive, more natural existence, but gains in intensity for the final minutes, to ensure our exhaustive investment into The Visitors‘ core intentions.

We may not be able to revert to a moment of origination, to undo every injustice, but we can always choose to forge better paths ahead. Our trajectory if left unchecked, will continue with its project of dispossession and division, exacerbating the many regretful situations we currently find ourselves. Humanity is capable of both benevolence and malevolence, and either way we choose to make our decisions, we must know that harm unto others, will always have unwitting reverberations that return to those determined to be callous and mercenary.

www.sydneytheatre.com.au | www.moogahlin.org

Review: Blaque Showgirls (Griffin Theatre Company)

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Venue: SBW Stables Theatre (Darlinghurst NSW), Sep 4 – Oct 21, 2023
Playwright: Nakkiah Lui
Directors: Shari Sebbens, Ursula Yovich
Cast: Mathew Cooper, Jonathan Jeffrey, Matty Mills, Angeline Penrith, Stephanie Somerville
Images by Brett Boardman

Theatre review
Chandon has been the star of the legendary Blaque Showgirls cabaret show for more than a few years, but her position is in threat of being usurped by the young and ambitious Ginny. Based on the 1995 cult classic Showgirls by Paul Verhoeven, Nakkiah Lui’s highly satirical Blaque Showgirls extends the tradition of stories dealing with the menacing ingenue, for a renewed look at dog-eat-dog capitalism through a feminist lens, examining the entrenched racism fundamental to the enduring dominion of a system derived from our colonial history.

The issues are serious, but the show presents them in deceptively silly ways, for a work of theatre that talks about our darkest matters without relying on painful enactments of trauma. Lui’s work is irrepressibly effervescent, but with sarcasm dripping from every line, it aims to create laughter as it fervently exposes the injustices suffered by those Indigenous to this land. Co-directed by Shari Sebbens and Ursula Yovich, we are treated to a modern farce, chaotic and messy in the best possible ways. Taking inspiration from the campy absurdity of Verhoeven’s film, the style of comedy in Blaque Showgirls is commensurately heightened, with a fierce denial of naturalism that almost seems to make a statement, about wishing to reject the venerated but bland aesthetics characteristic of whiteness.

Production design by Cris Baldwin is all tinsel, glitter and fake fur, playing with notions of taste to deliver a set and costumes that tantalise, and that challenge the meanings and representations of class, within an art form that is essentially Western by tradition. Verity Hampson’s lights are as playful as they are colourful, and along with rapturous sounds and music by Jessica Dunn, the overall vibrancy of this staging proves a joy.

Actor Stephanie Somerville brings an inconceivable authenticity to the scandalous role of Ginny, empathetic one moment, and dangerous another, we are left truly outraged by her antics. As Chandon, the arresting Jonathan Jeffrey brings not only excellent timing, but also marvellous indignation to his spirited portrayal of a discarded diva. Angeline Penrith is extremely compelling as Molly, in a ruthlessly biting performance that really gets to the heart of the entire exercise. Matty Mills as Kyle MacLachlan, and Mathew Cooper as True Love Interest, are both passionate and funny, in a show that takes its politics as seriously as it does its humour.

The people who do bad things in the play never recognise, much less admit to, the racism they enact and perpetuate. They might be able to acknowledge the failings of systems, but will not disengage from them, and will certainly not take blame for benefiting from them. They feign powerlessness, and argue that their absence during the origination of these problems, means they are not to take responsibility. They will not say that they want structural injustices to be preserved, but get hysterical at every little effort to change things. Even when the villains of the piece are unveiled at the end, they do not relent or concede. They relish in playing by the rules, even though the rules are demonstrably harmful. No wonder any attempt at amelioration is characterised as radical.

www.griffintheatre.com.au

Review: The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee (Hayes Theatre)

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Venue: Hayes Theatre Co (Potts Point NSW), Sep 8 – Oct 8, 2023
Music and Lyrics: William Finn
Book: Rachel Sheinkin
Director: Dash Kruck
Cast: Axel Duffy, James Haxby, Adeline Hunter, Jessica Kok, Nathaniel Laga’aia, Rebecca Ordíz, Matthew Predny, Daniel Raso, Katrina Retallick
Images by 

Theatre review
Six adorable children reveal their truest selves, as we observe their bids for the top spot, at their local spelling competition. Each faces their own set of challenges, not only in terms of the alphabetical contest, but also with their personal and family lives. Thankfully however, The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee never gets too serious. The musical is a joyful comedic work through and through, venturing into the quirkiest of spaces, to deliver an experience as zany as it is wholesome.

Directed by Dash Kruck, humour in the production is intricately and powerfully rendered for an uproarious experience that is sure to satisfy audiences of all stripes. Additionally enjoyable is an unmistakable sweetness to the storytelling that is never cloying, but always effortlessly touching. Kruck has created an endlessly amusing world, in which every moment is saturated with wonderment and delight. Choreography by Vi Lam adds further vitality to the show, facilitating visual dynamism through freedom of movement, yet always retaining integrity of its characters.

An appropriately colourful set design by Monique Langford depicts the tournament with accuracy, albeit with somewhat predictable and simplistic elements. Adrienne Andrews’ costumes divulge so much of who these people are, in succinct and eye-catching ways. Lights by Lucia Haddad are attentive to the plot’s many subtle shifts in tone, and are notable for offering energy and vibrancy that maintain for the presentation, a sense of consistent buoyancy.

Nine impeccable performers form the most delightful of ensembles, full of witty inventiveness to elicit our unbridled investment into every personality, every anecdote and every joke. The entire cast is unequivocally talented, but it is the generosity of spirit that is so evident in the production that makes the audience connect with such enthusiasm. The quality of singing too is top-notch, and together with a vivacious band under Abi McCunn as musical director, each whimsical song represents great entertainment, on this occasion of sheer theatrical bliss.

Only one child gets to win the battle, but every contestant leaves the contest enriched in immeasurable ways. When rising to real challenges, we know that victory is never certain. Having the courage, drive and inspiration to face daunting situations however, will always mean growth, which should be considered at least as gratifying as public recognition. As the kids of Spelling Bee are knocked out one by one, we find ourselves empathising completely with that feeling of devastation, but we have no fear for their recovery, as the formation of resilience had already begun, long before that fleeting moment of disappointment.

www.hayestheatre.com.au | www.srproductions.net

Review: Summer Of Harold (Ensemble Theatre)

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Venue: Ensemble Theatre (Kirribilli NSW), Sep 8 – Oct 14, 2023
Playwright: Hilary Bell
Director: Francesca Savige
Cast: Berynn Schwerdt, Hannah Waterman
Images by Jaimi Joy

Theatre review

Hilary Bell’s trio of short plays may not be terribly fashionable, with their shared fixation on the 80’s, and a seeming disregard for anything topical that may feel directly relevant, to the myriad trending social concerns competing for bandwidth. It does however pay attention to an older cohort of our population, the ones we have come to nickname “the boomers” who seem to have it all. Yet in Summer of Harold, Enfant Terrible and Lookout, we find these Australian lives to be much more than the privilege with which they are resentfully associated.

These characters are full of vulnerability, some of them consumed with sadness, others with regret or nostalgia. Bell’s depictions of humanity are certainly truthful, often with a gentle humour that makes her storytelling charming and resonant. Francesca Savige’s tender direction of the pieces is rich with emotion and consistently funny. These explorations are of a particular ordinariness but imbued with an unmistakeable generosity, so that we can perceive the sacred within the mundane, and that something universal can be discovered from these private moments. These stories are small, but Savige ensures that access to their spiritual core is always unrestricted.

It is an attractive stage design by Jeremy Allen that greets us, although not quite versatile enough to accommodate the three completely different settings required of the production. Matt Cox’s lights deliver an elegant sentimentality crucial to our appreciation of these intimate contemplations. Sound design by Mary Rapp guides us effortlessly from one segment to another, leaving a particularly strong impression with the intensity she renders for the final story.

Actor Berynn Schwerdt demonstrates exceptional acuity in his interpretations of Gareth and Jonathan. Highly convincing in completely divergent roles, able to make them equally compelling, with flawless impulses, and an admirable creativity that allows him to introduce surprising nuance at every turn. Playing Janet and Rae is Hannah Waterman, whose rawness as a performer invites us to connect with the internal dimensions of the women being portrayed, both of whom seem so cordially familiar.

Some of these characters we meet, have pasts they need to leave behind, while some others are quite content staying put. Time can be thought of as linear, especially useful when indulging in flights of fancy pertaining to matters of progression. History does show undeniable propensity in how we are able to make things better. Time can also be thought of as circular or oscillatory, so that we may feel no inadequacy in this state of being, that one is always enough wherever one might be. Fortunately both are concurrently, and eternally, real.

www.ensemble.com.au