The St Judes Players give a very honest and touching performance of Peter Kenna’s ‘A Hard God’. Set in the 1940s, the play meanders through the lives of three brothers: Dan, Paddy, and Martin. They hail from an Irish Australian Catholic family. It follows their struggles to reconcile their Catholic faith with the challenges of life.
Harry Dewar’s direction of his stellar cast takes the audience on a journey through social challenges for the Catholic family, from domestic violence and gambling to homosexuality. With an injection of comedy and passive aggression from Aggie (Dan’s wife) played by April Stuart the inspection of these heavier topics are tackled with lightness. Lindsay Dunn’s portrayal of Dan Cassidy was authentic as the solid character which his brothers, look for stability.
The three portray a very convincing sibling dynamic. Jamie Black portrays the shadows from Martin’s past with a sensitivity and depth. Chris Dewar plays the younger desperate brother Paddy as he avoids and runs from his aggressive gambling wife Sophie.
Monica the wife of Martin is played by Rebecca Gardner. Rebecca Gardner is on point as Monica, a woman staunch in her religious ideals imposing her views upon Aggie and the remaining brothers. A solid synergy between the family members had the audience giggling as the dynamic played out on stage with a fantastic set design.
There is a very sensitive and tender portrayal of Joe and Jack as they face the dilemma of their feelings for one another with the confusion of puberty and the backdrop of their Catholic faith. The pair draw in the audience to feel their agony as they stumble poorly through difficult conversations about their feelings for each other and the demise of their friendship. The contrast between the parallel stories was executed well with the contrasting lighting and sound.
This is an important, thought-provoking play about religion and family. The St Judes Player, under the direction of Harry Dewar, has done a fabulous job of bringing this play to life.
With closing weekend already upon us, so do not waste time…be sure to grab your tickets to one of the last few remaining sessions whilst you still can @ https://stjudesplayers.asn.au/bookings/
Remaining Sessions
- Thursday, 14th November @ 7:30pm
- Friday, 15th November @ 7:30pm
- Saturday, 16th November @ 2pm
This review also appears on It’s On The House. Check out more reviews at Whats The Show to see what else is on in your town.
