Wife – An Exploration

Wife

Wife Rating

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4

What is the meaning of the word Wife? Australian playwright, Samuel Adamson’s script, explores gender roles and expectations of marriage through four-time chapters and three generations, taking us back to our past and into the future.

New Theatre’s production of Wife begins in 1959, with a fraught dialogue between a husband and wife behind the closed door of a house. We are eavesdroppers at the disintegration of a traditional marriage. We learn that this is a play within a play – the closing act of A Doll’s House, written by Henrik Ibsen and first published and set in 1879. Nora makes the decision to leave her husband and three children in search of freedom – and it is this ‘unthinkable act’ of a woman where the audience first gets to explore the role of a wife.

Daisy, portrayed by Imogen Trevillion, and her husband go backstage and meet with Suzannah, played by Julia Vosnakis. It is here that Robert, portrayed with scathing disdain by Will Manton, lets loose his opinion on what a dreadful woman Nora was for leaving her family. His demands on his wife and the way he speaks to her echoes the male chauvinistic attitudes that were the norm in marriages. Have expectations changed in 80 years from 1879? It seems not, in 1959.

When Robert leaves, we see that Daisy and Suzannah are secret lovers. Daisy, similarly to Ibsen’s character Nora, have followed society’s expectations at the expense of personal truths, and in Daisy’s case, her sexual identity. Daisy, who is pregnant, is at crossroads and her decision flows on to the next generations.

In the second chapter, set in 1988, two characters sit at a bar following the performance of A Doll’s House. Daisy’s son Ivar (Will Manton) is proudly, and loudly openly gay, and Eric, played by Henry Lopez Lopez, is more in the closet than Ivar. This is a scene where the intensity of the actors’ performances impressed me. One line particularly, which Ivar throws at Eric that he was so “deep in the closet you’re in Narnia!” was well appreciated by the audience. It was interesting to see that Ivar appeared to be quite the bully to his partner Eric, and I drew parallels between Ivar and his father Robert. Relationship inequities still exist, in both heterosexual and homosexual relationships.
Society had changed by 1988, and people were free to be themselves in public. But even so, they were still being treated with open hostility and discriminated against by the pub landowner, played by Pete Walters.

In 2019, a couple – Clare (Imogen Trevillion) who is Eric’s daughter, and her fiancé Finn (Will Manton) meet after seeing a production of A Doll’s House, where Cas (Henry Lopez Lopez) plays the lead in a gender flip version of Nora. Cas’ partner, who he calls his wife, is Ivor (now played by Pete Walters). Henry’s Cas is flamboyantly camp, and makes the audience laugh with his toast, “Come in your eye!”. The dialogue and interaction between him and Clare is wickedly sharp when talking about evolving – “the world is still made out of prison cells”.

 

Clare, desperate to know more about her father, has been searching and desperately wants to know more about him, via the man her father truely loved and called a “Firebrand”. Here we delve into middle-aged Ivar, who we last saw at the bar in 1988; a man who was once passionate about gay rights who fought against homosexual discrimination, and is now complacent. Cas now appears to be the leading partner. We hear from Clare how Eric changed throughout the years since we had last seen him, no longer in the closet but fighting against discrimination.

The last act takes place in 2042, where Clare’s daughter Daisy (Imogen Trevillion) goes backstage to see Susannah (Julia Vosnakis), after a performance of Ibsen’s play. Keep a look out for the significance of the tambourine!

Aibhlinn and Burley Stoke’s costume design placed the characters well into multiple time periods. Dr David Marshall-Martin’s set design of The Dollhouse morphed well into the dressing room and pub scenes. The use of a flower trellis in the final scene was effective in it’s simplicity and I felt was a nod to Daisy.

Wife is a deliciously layered play with many characters through the timelines, and the actors portraying multiple characters did so with visual authenticity. They were quick with the dialogue, with Will, Imogen and Peter slipping into their multiple three characters with ease.
The connections between family, if a tad confusing during the first act, become clear in the second act, with the links and characters continuing to tie the story together. The complexity and depth of the story made me want to keep going back to ponder this play after it had finished.

Wife was directed by Darrin Redgate (Boyslikeme Productions) who skilfully pulled together this play to create a thought provoking production with a deep exploration into equality in marriage, gender roles, and societal expectations. Darrin’s vision of Wife and the cast and creative team will have the audience questioning the role of a wife, queer rights and how change can happen over a lifetime.

Wife is playing at the New Theatre, 542 King St, Newtown.

Show Run: Wed 8 Oct – 2 Nov 2024

Tickets: from $32- $37

Running Time: 2 hours 25 minutes (including interval)

www.newtheatre.org.au/wife

Photographer: Bob Seary

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Jane Eyre: Brings The House Down

Jane Eyre

Jane Eyre Rating

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Genesian Theatre is going out with a bang with this endearing production of Jane Eyre. Like its titular character, the show is small and mighty, brimming with confidence, and is a fine send off before the theatre relocates to its new premises.

I’m not an easy critic when it comes to Jane Eyre. The novel by Charlotte Bronte is one of my childhood favourites, and I was fortunate enough to catch Sally Cookson’s tremendous adaptation at the Bristol Old Vic ten years ago. But writer/director Ali Bendall’s version, brought to life here, is an honest and enjoyable romp through Jane’s life, which steers away from the more dire moments and instead concentrates on the protagonist’s wit and resilience.

Orphaned Jane, played by the spirited Kyra Belford-Thomas, manages to escape her nasty aunt’s home by getting herself sent to school at Lowood. There, she transforms into an educated young lady, but teaching at the school still feels like a trap. Jane longs to escape her cage and sets off to become a governess at Thornfield Hall, where she soon falls in love with the enigmatic Mr Rochester, played with bristling charm by Vincent Andriano. The play is backed by a strong supporting cast, who occasionally do double duty as schoolgirls (regardless of age or gender).

 

The set makes full use of the Genesian’s unique layout, with the stained glass on magnificent display and secret doors and windows creaking open. There’s a great deal of stuff on stage, knickknacks and bric-a-brac, which are brought out to serve as tables, chairs, library books, or whatever else is needed. The multiple levels and entrances give the small stage a lovely sense of dynamics and movement.

Brendall notes in her forward that this version aims to highlight Jane’s wit, and so our heroine frequently breaks the fourth wall to address the audience. This is meant to be a parallel to the way Jane conveys her story in the novel (“dear reader”), but for me it didn’t quite work. Scenes that should be full of tension, a long look between Jane and Rochester, for example, are broken by Jane turning to us and explaining what she’s feeling. Instead of frisson, the moment fizzles out. It’s an injustice to the actors that we don’t get to ascend those heights of feeling with them.

That aside, it’s a highly enjoyable adaptation. I can understand why certain narrative cuts were made, and they don’t detract from the overall arc. Jane’s love for Rochester feels rushed, but we can forgive a few shortcuts in the name of romance.

This was my first time visiting the Genesian, and I’m disappointed not to have caught more shows here before it moves on to its new premises. Jane Eyre is a high-calibre, thoughtful, and spirited production that is a delight, whether you’re a fan of the novel or not.

For Jane Eyre tickets, please book at Genesian Theatre

Season: 5th Oct – 10th Nov 2024
Friday and Saturday nights at 7.30pm
Sunday matinée at 4.30pm

Running Time: 3hrs 5mins including 20min interval

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The Ghost Train: All Aboard The Supernatural Express

The Ghost Train

The Ghost Train Rating

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2

To celebrate the 70th anniversary of Castle Hill Pavilion Theatre, the theatre company performed an adaption of The Ghost Train, written by Arnold Riley. The classic thriller opened on the 20th of September to a full house ready for some suspense and humour.

The Ghost Train is set in an old train station, where a group of stranded passengers face a night of eerie happenings as they await the arrival of a supposedly haunted train. Directed by Stephen Snars, the production evokes a gothic atmosphere, keeping us on the edge of our seats. The mystery of the ghost train creeps in at just the right moments.

The ensemble cast excels in portraying a diverse group of travellers – each with its own quirks. Each actor excels at commanding the stage without overpowering the other. Their interactions feel authentic as they explore the possibility of a ghost story being real. A standout performance comes from Paul Sztelma playing Teddie Deakin, the seemingly carefree prankster who adds most of the necessary humour to the play. His blend of charisma and comic timing kept a sense of unpredictability, keeping the audience and characters wondering about his true nature.

The creaky old station, with its dim lighting, helps set the stage for this spooky tale. There were times when I forgot the design was a stage and not the night sky. The clever use of sound design—clattering trains in the distance, spooky sounds, and unsettling silences—further amplify the ghostly atmosphere. The costumes of the characters help set the time period of the play.

 

A primary theme of The Ghost Train is the fear of the unknown and how fear can make our minds play tricks on us. The play explores how superstition can create an atmosphere that can make the most sceptical of people believe they heard or saw something supernatural. As identities and intentions are revealed, the play touches on how appearances can be misleading.

The chilling moments and the humour kept the audience engaged, as you could hear the laughs and shocks from audience members. The play was well-paced, keeping us entertained the whole time through its use of suspense.

The play is much more than a ghost story and balances chilling moments with unexpected humour. The plot twist delivers a satisfying conclusion to The Ghost Train. We left the theatre, remembering that even old-fashioned ghost stories can still provide us a good scare. The Ghost Train was an excellent choice to help celebrate 70 years of Castle Hill Pavilion, offering thrills and plenty of laughs along the way. If you are up for a spook, watch The Ghost Train, playing from now until October 12.

Book your tickets @ https://paviliontheatre.org.au/theghosttrain/

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Karate Man – A Brilliantly Clever Interactive Live Action Comedy

Karate Man

Karate Man Rating

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6

If you have ever played a video game, you’d feel the excitement of pressing a combination of different buttons on the controller and moving your character around the screen – to fight villains, explore different rooms and make decisions. The game always has a goal, often several, with riddles and various quests to complete before the goals are met, before you finally win the game. Perhaps it has taken hours to play. Imagine this. You know what I mean. Now think about the characters jumping out of the screen and are standing right now in front of you, swaying from one foot to the other, patiently waiting for you to give them a command on your controller. Your game has come to life – and you get to make decisions about what happens next. This is what happens in this comedic show Karate Man.

Co-creators and directors Bruno Dubosarsky and Daniel Scarratt have produced a truely unique and hilarious interactive play…and play we did! All audience members participated and became immersed into the story, by taking turns with the controller and pushing buttons, directing Karate Man to do what they wanted in response to the story’s many challenges.

The buttons were typical gaming commands such as kick, throw, punch, jump, grab as well as move left / right/ down and up, all of which Karate Man had to do immediately on command as soon as the it was read out by the game’s narrator. The sound effects added to the authenticity of a video game, complete with repeating sounds when the characters were waiting to be directed what to do.

 

This video game character was portrayed perfectly by Bruno Dubosarsky and done with such robotic fluidity that it was believable, his movements imitating the basic gaming commands of the 1980’s video games. As you can imagine, the fight between Karate Man, moving in a step by step controlled fashion (eg “right, right, jump, right, kick. Left, left, down, punch”) and his arch enemy Ross Roundkick, played with cheeky wickedness by Daniel Scarratt in the year 198X was hilarious and one of the highlights of the show for me. I was laughing so much as poor Karate Man was directed to move in ridiculous excess due to the audience still getting used to using the controls at the beginning of the show – it would have been exhausting for Bruno. At one stage, Karate Man was directed by the controller “left, left, left, left, left” right off the stage – the audience was crippled with laughter! I had never been to a Choose Your Own Adventure show like this before, and I loved it.

The story of Karate Man takes us into the lives of Karate Man and his wife Kara. Her name being half of his name seemed to be on purpose, and added to the cheesy charm of the show. Kara was played by Stephanie Ryan and her mannerisms of a video game character were spot on. Karate Man had to complete some challenges in this game and the audience was given three choices which led to different scenes and more goals to achieve. As the audience were making the decisions about where Karate Man was going to go next in our rendition of the play, I could see how the show would completely change on different nights. It would be interesting to return to experience another scenario and set of goals.

 

The supporting cast, Tim Dunk as the Time Fish, Juliet Rae Timmerman as Alex Coober and Maddie Atkins lent keen exaggeration into their video game characters and were very entertaining. All of the actors at different times were so funny, and I believe that some lines may have been impromptu.

The script was clever and contained some references to pop culture embedded. Prop designer Stephanie Ryan kept the stage simple. A few painted large posters were used, as well as a few other props, and was all this show needed as it was more reliant on the physical comedy and the script.

Shown as part of the Sydney Fringe Festival 2024, Karate Man was spectacularly funny and one of the most original interactive shows to hit the stage! Instead of playing video games at home, head out to the PACT Centre for Emerging Artists in Erskineville to have your own personalised adventure with Karate Man.

Show run: 17-21 September 2024
Tickets: $30 – $38
www.sydneyfringe.com/events/karate-man-a-live-action-video-game

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