Venue: New Theatre (Newtown NSW), Mar 19 – Apr 13, 2024
Playwright: Lally Katz
Director: Tiffany Wong
Cast: Callum Alexander, Georgia Britt, Tamara Foglia Castañeda, Lisa Kelly, James Lau, Alyona Popova, Dallas Reedman, Renae Valastro, Luke Visentin
Images by Chris Lundie
Theatre review
Heartbroken from being dumped by a boyfriend, Lally goes back to her childhood haunts in the USA, where she finds that others too are in search of more innocent times. Lally Katz’s Atlantis is about a woman’s struggle to come to grips with reality, using the eponymous ancient fictional island as allegory for the beliefs inculcated in her, that may not be realistic, or indeed at all real. The play explores the anxieties of a person who is unable to live up to all that she has been led to believe defines a fulfilling life; without a husband, children and a thriving career, Lally is at a complete loss. Heteronormativity has once again proven to be disillusioning.
It is a spirited piece of writing, albeit convoluted and excessively intricate, in its memoir style documentations of encounters, in an increasingly fantastical odyssey. Excellent work by Tiffany Wong as director finds for each scene, a brilliant humour full of charming whimsy and creativity, keeping us firmly enthralled in Lally’s misadventures. We may not invest emotionally in her woes, but the show is thoroughly entertaining, featuring a strong cast of endearing and mischievous performers, fully committed to the quirky comedy of their presentation. Leading lady Georgia Britt’s ebullience insists on our attentiveness, and her confidence ensures that we feel secure in the uninhibited storytelling.
Set design by Amelia Lane brings vibrancy, along with versatility to the imagery being produced. Sam Hernandez’s costumes are plentiful and highly attractive, demonstrating a great eye for texture and colour. Lights by Topaz Marlay-Cole bring appropriate tonal enhancements, to imbue for the staging a sense of cohesion, alongside the efforts of the ensemble. Sound effects by Jennifer Gao and Justin Leong are assembled well, but the first act requires more music for stronger calibrations of atmosphere.
Lally keeps trying for the things she wants, without ever considering the true degree of their meaningfulness, or indeed the mutability of her desires. We are conditioned to believe that happiness and fulfilment are tethered to attainment of things external, where in fact it is what we undertake for the internal, that really matters. The two may not be conveniently sequestered from one another, but understanding the differential in importance, is crucial to how a person can thrive and survive, in a world that can often feel like a sinking and depleting existence.