Venue: Qtopia (Darlinghurst NSW), Apr 18 – 27, 2024
Playwright: Michael Gow
Director: Michelle Carey
Cast: Adam Dakin, Chantal Elyse, Felix Jarvis, Wendi Lanham, John Michael Narres, Bernadette Pryde, Sam Webb, Gregory J Wilken
Images by Bojan Bozic
Theatre review
Roland has lost his ability to write, which is a disaster for someone who relies on it to make a living. His art is of course, also the foundation of his self-esteem and the only thing that gives him a sense of purpose, so in a moment of desperation, he can only turn to professional help in the form of a psychologist, to hopefully work things out. In Michael Gow’s 2007 play Toy Symphony, we watch the therapeutical process unearth the protagonist’ past; not only his formative youth, but also his regrettable behaviour in more recent times. Roland is taught that to gain an understanding of all that has hurt him, along with the hurt he had inflicted on others, is key to being set free.
Hence a writer’s life story unfolds, commencing in 1966 suburbia where parochial values began imposing themselves, until the dawn of the new century, when he finds himself bursting at the seams, as though unable to contain decades of toxicity, that seems to have an ability to accumulate and exacerbate. There is a lot of detail in the personal reflections of Toy Symphony, and while not all of it is universal in resonance, the process of self-examination and rehabilitation, certainly is.
Lively direction by Michelle Carey keeps us invested in the storytelling, and although we perceive a sense of poignancy, it manifests somewhat inconsistently. Gregory J Wilken is extremely focused as leading man, with an unwavering commitment that makes the experience feel worthwhile and authentic. The ensemble cast is strong, admirable for the integrity they bring to a wide range of characters. Less effective are design and aesthetic aspects, in a production that can look and sound creatively deficient, or perhaps insufficiently imaginative in its manipulations of a tight performance space.
In Toy Symphony, we observe an interesting parallel between homophobia and the fear of imagination. Roland’s story is concerned with the suppressive and stifling tendencies of traditional Australia, that part of our culture that insists on conformity and that punishes those who rock the boat. It is insidious, so we often overlook its severity. Roland however demonstrates the devastation that results, from trying to survive in a place that tells our children, that their nature is wrong. Roland inherited their fear, and has turned it against others, as well as harming himself with the same. The play’s conclusion is tentative, and we can only hope that healing is possible and real.
Suzy Goes See 