Venue: Seymour Centre, Reginald Theatre (Chippendale NSW), Feb 14 – Mar 15, 2025
Playwright: Alana Valentine
Director: Andrea James
Cast: Paula Arundell, Peter Kowitz
Images by Brett Boardman
Theatre review
Cassie and Gabriel have known each other for decades, but because the former is an anti-nuclear activist, and the latter a pro-nuclear engineer, they are unable to conceive of their relationship as anything other than adversarial. Alana Valentine’s Nucleus is in some ways a boy-meets-girl story, and in other ways, an exploration into debates about nuclear energy. Scientific portions feel thoroughly researched, able to offer valuable insight, if slightly too densely assembled for this 90-minute production. Romantic aspects of Nucleus may not be entirely convincing, but they certainly keep us attentive to an important subject that relates to the very survival of our species.
Direction by Andrea James provides a sense of precision to the escalation of dramatic urgency, that ensures our investment in the piece. Production design by Isabel Hudson encourages us to regard the show’s ideas with an expansive attitude, whilst manufacturing a satisfying elegance to the staging. Lighting by Verity Hampson, along with video projections by Laura Turner, offer meaningful transformations of atmosphere, although a greater dynamism could improve the experience. Phil Downing’s music and sound are thoroughly considered, to help manufacture an aural richness to inspire sentimental responses.
For the role of Cassie, actor Paula Arundell is required to embody a wide range of temperaments and emotions, and the clarity she brings to all those distinctions of mental states is remarkable to observe. As Gabriel, Peter Kowitz is less detailed in his performance, often looking inadequately prepared and unconfident. Chemistry between the two is sorely lacking, which makes a lot of this two-hander hard to enjoy.
In the current age of distrust in media and of authorities in general, obtaining accurate information on something as crucial as energy resources, can feel an absolute quagmire. Competing interests, with competing truths, make for the gathering of facts so arduous that giving up trying, is almost always the result. In a world where we have grown accustom to having other people, who we never really trust, deal with each and every environmental crisis, it will come as no surprise that the ultimate consequence of populaces not paying attention, is of course going to be dire.
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