Venue: Old Fitzroy Theatre (Woolloomooloo NSW), May 21 – 31, 2024
Playwright: Lally Katz
Directors: Jess Bell, Miranda Middleton
Cast: Fraser Crane, Ziggy Resnick
Images by Monique Placko
Theatre review
Abalone and Gerture have reason to despair, and escapism seems the only way they can deal with things. Lally Katz’s The Eisteddfod plays with notions of reality, for a work that charms with its abstract approach, along with a quirky sense of humour that never hesitates to venture into very dark territory.
Directed by Jess Bell and Miranda Middleton, the show sings with an unmissable emotional intensity, whilst portraying the young siblings in a macabre yet endearing fashion. There is a lot to be amused and intrigued by, as we watch the pair’s bizarre activities unfold.
Lights by Aron Murray are sensitively calibrated, with a dynamism that provides visual interest throughout. Sounds by Zac Saric are deeply whimsical, effective in manufacturing a mesmeric quality that keeps us attentive. Also noteworthy are costumes by Kate Beere, for delivering a dash of colourful glee, to the adolescents’ story.
Actor Fraser Crane plays Gerture, with a memorable delicateness that emphasises the fragility of what is being depicted. Ziggy Resnick is cheeky and rambunctious as Abalone, always reminding us of the characters’ tender age. Both bring great creativity and precision to the performance, but it is the poignancy they introduce that is most enduring.
There is so much about existence that is intolerable. Often it is incumbent on our minds’ agility, to reinterpret circumstances, so that we can proceed. It may be that we occasionally fall into traps of delusion and avoidance, but as a survival mechanism, these lies we tell ourselves, may well be the only recourse available, if only for a moment’s reprieve. Reality is harsh, but with time, each individual does have the unequivocal capacity to grow stronger, and yesterday’s fantasies can then begin to make way, for a closer truth.
Suzy Goes See 