A Wrinkle In Time is a dramatic fantasy about a young girl named Meg, her brother, Charles Wallace, and their new friend Calvin, who embark on a journey through space and time to find their missing father. This production was produced by both teenagers and adults with the director, Eden Flynn-Ratcliffe, being only seventeen years old. With the help of a mentor director, Gail Lusted, Eden pulled off a very exciting production that feels very real even through time and space. This show has a twenty minute intermission with complimentary tea and coffee.
Our three leads, played by Freda McColgan, Olivia Keary, and Kaiden Breen, give off confident performances. Freda McColgan does an excellent job at keeping the character of Meg grounded throughout the show, reminding us through time and space, she is a young girl who only hopes to bring her father back to their family. Olivia Keary naturally embodies the role of the precocious young Charles Wallace and will remind you of your own younger siblings or children. Kaiden Breen fills the entire stage with the personality of his character, Calvin. Though the dialogue was rushed at the beginning of the performance, all of the actors did a wonderful job of projecting clearly as they did not have microphones. The ensemble stood out in punk clothing, and had a massive role in the production as well, using abstract performance to help move the story along in every scene. They even helped to distract the audience and create a sense of mesmerism for a quick change (a metamorphosis) for Mrs. Whatsit, played by Piper Gibson.
Throughout the play, the cast uses the entire theatre as their stage. The aisle and stairs were also used in the performance, making the audience feel as though they were part of the story. The lighting design is creative and adds movement to the scenes where time becomes wrinkled as the characters travel using the tesseract. The lighting changes both on stage and in the auditorium and really draws us into the world that the cast and crew have created. Red lighting was used throughout the show during the more sinister scenes, adding an unnerving sense of fear. The theatre also has a rotating stage, making the scenes even more exciting. Our young director, Eden, exhibits excellent skills by using the cast movement when the stage is in motion.
Sound effects are used throughout the production to draw the audience into what is happening on the stage. They create an atmosphere and build on the ambience of the scene. The set, designed by Paris Jenner, was creatively sculpted. The trees with the faces and the stars painted behind them create depth on the stage. The set pieces are simple and effective with multiple uses – two chairs with a blanket and cushions make one sofa, then move to another part of the stage with a different blanket to create another sofa. The IT prop is very intriguing and I wish we got to see more of it. Kresna Bell’s vegetables were amazing and realistic.
Costumes designed by Tamar Basini delight the audience. Mrs. Who, Mrs. Which, and Mrs. Whatsit have bright and exciting costumes, and this continues with each of their costume changes. The Aunt Beast costume is unusual and creative. Any sci-fi fan will enjoy the absurdity of it.
The ending includes a beautiful reunion of the parents, Tamar Basini and Ben Vaughan-Sanders will break your heart with their own heartfelt sobs. I highly recommend this play to anyone who enjoys a classic sci-fi story and loves to see new talent emerge from behind the red curtain.
A Wrinkle in Time is playing at the Garrick Theatre until October 10th. Don’t miss out on getting your tickets!
To book tickets to A Wrinkle In Time, please visit https://www.taztix.com.au/event/garricktheatre
