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The Ballad of Maria Marten – Giving Voice to the Victim

8 June 2024 Linda Lokhee

The Ballad of Maria Marten Rating

★★★★★

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“It’s been a year since I died, and still nobody has found me.”

A shadow emerges from a barn. It’s a figure in britches, and so begins a tale which captured the mass attention of people in 1827 – the murder of young mum Maria Marten. This true crime occurred in the village Polstead, Essex in England and newspapers sensationalized the case and the subsequent trial, dubbing it The Red Barn Murder. The Ballad of Maria Marten, written by Beth Flintoff, focuses on Maria’s life and of those who loved her, rather than the gruesome details of her death.

In the powerful opening scene, Maria (Laura Stead), her face lit effectively from underneath, giving her a haunting appearance, introduces us to her untimely death. Set and lighting designer Wayne Chee achieved dramatic visual effects such as this throughout the play, and notably when lighting the barn, where Maria is cruelly hidden for a year after her murder.

Maria is the narrator of her own story, and throughout the play, Laura seamlessly switches from telling the story to melting into a scene. By Maria narrating the play, I felt as though the author was honouring her and giving her the power to take charge of her own story, whereas, in real life, the real Maria didn’t have a voice in the newspaper articles.

We are introduced to Maria’s close friends, Phoebe (Chiara Helena Arata), Lucy (Kimberlea Smith), Theresa (Genevieve Sky) and Sarah (Jacqui Wilson), as they circle close to Maria for an effective costume change. When they move away, Maria is transformed into modest clothing as the 10-year-old daughter of a mole catcher, wearing a cotton skirt, apron, and shirt commonly worn at the time. It is here that we see the carefree, playful, and kind side to Maria, and the bonds of her friendship she has with her girlfriends. (She’s the ringleader for the Hazard Club, a secret club where they get up to numerous adventures together.) It is these strong bonds that remain a constant theme.

Music connects the audience to the 1800’s time period. The group of girls happily sing chants and dance, showing undisguised notes of joy in their own type of freedom. Violinist Chris Porteous adds depth to the story onstage. Costumes by JAS Enterprises were effective in portraying the characters believably.

Maria meets her new stepmum Ann (Madeleine Lawson) when she bounds back into her home one day. Ann is nervous and genuinely cares about making a good impression on Maria, otherwise Maria’s dad may send her away to a workhouse. This highlights how dependant women were on men for their happiness and wellbeing during this period. As time goes on, Madeleine successfully portrays the character development of Ann from a self-deprecating young stepmum to a strong protector who loves Maria.

Director Jennifer Willison put together a solid all-female cast and an intriguing story. Of course, the play has male characters, including the slimy Thomas Corder (Cee Egan) and Maria’s first love Peter Mathews (Niamh McKervey). Peter and his sister Lady Cooke (Jade Rodrigues) are from a well-to-do family, and it is through these characters where we see the strong divide between the working class and the wealthy upper class. The prejudice was clear from Lady Cooke, who initially showed kindness towards Maria and then cooled as she realised her brother was interested in Maria. This divide has echoes of truth, even now.

After the 20-minute interval, the second act takes a darker turn as we witness the disintegration of Maria’s mind after she comes under the influence of William Corder. She slowly becomes dependant on him as the audience bear witness to hearing the terrible deeds of this faceless character.

“Am I being tested for lunacy?” a dishevelled, distressed Maria with messed up hair cries. I noted that her beautifully styled hair in previous scenes had been an underlying focus, reflecting her own beauty and perhaps confidence.

It was powerful storytelling to see Maria relate her unravelling as she becomes the target of coercive control and domestic violence, yet she cannot see it, and in parallel, we also cannot see this character on stage. He remains a perceived threat to all. Sadly, the examples Maria uses are strikingly similar to the stories women who have been through this experience tell, almost two hundred years later. This is a story which spans time and must be told with the hope that change comes.

Rising amongst the darker themes in this story is the power of love and strength between friends. This is a moving tale which captured my interest for the whole play. Congratulations to The Hunters Hill Theatre on a strong opening night performance.

The Hunters Hill Theatre present The Ballad of Maria Marten, performing at Club Ryde.
Running time: 130 minutes (including interval)
June 7 – June 24, 2024
Tickets: $32 concession and groups of 10, $35 adults
www.huntershilltheatre.com.au

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.

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Pygmalion – The Original My Fair Lady

8 June 20248 June 2024 Davros Dark

Pygmalion Rating

★★★★★

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Garrick Theatre’s latest production of George Bernard Shaw’s classic play Pygmalion opened last night to great anticipation. While most are familiar with the story through the film My Fair Lady and its countless adaptations, Pygmalion is the original source, encapsulating Shaw’s true intentions.

First premiered in Vienna in 1913, Pygmalion is a romantic comedy about Professor Henry Higgins, an English gentleman who bets he can transform Eliza Doolittle, a scruffy Cockney flower girl, into a proper lady.

As the curtains rose, the audience was transported to Old Covent Garden in London, with excellent lighting effects by Technical Director Geoff Holt, creating a marvellous ambience of an English rainy day.

The cast delivered strong performances throughout the play. Peter Clark excelled as Professor Henry Higgins, portraying the character’s likable-unlikable intellectualism. His blunt honesty and unawareness of the impact of his words on others, coupled with the absence of ill intent, brought depth to the role. Stuart Ridgway’s Colonel Pickering was like a trusted uncle, embodying the Professor’s gentlemanly confidant. Ridgway’s portrayal of Pickering’s paternal relationship with Eliza, helping her gain self-respect alongside phonetics, was heartfelt and genuine. Catherine Leeson’s Eliza Doolittle adeptly showcased the character’s evolution, with her comedic moments peaking in the middle of the play. Her portrayal captured Eliza’s transformation with authenticity and charm.

The supporting cast also shone brightly. Adam Skellham played Alfred Doolittle, Eliza’s scheming father, transitioning from a dustman to the epitome of middle-class morality. Sorcha Leary and Janice Phillips, respectively played Clara and Mrs. Eynsford Hill, depicted the petulant and idle rich with flashes of charm. Marsha Holt, as Mrs. Higgins, consistently put her son, the Professor, in his place, adding a much-needed mature counterbalance to her son’s sometimes haphazard approach to life. James Skellham’s Freddy was convincingly bumbling and infatuated with Eliza, while Allyson Corti’s Mrs. Pearce provided a grounded perspective on the implications of Higgins’ bet. Special mention to Juliette Hyland as the Parlour Maid, whose small role brought subtle yet appreciated comedic relief.

The Set Designer and Director Fred Petersen ingeniously crafted the set, with detailed transitions between scenes from Covent Garden to Higgins’ Laboratory and Mrs. Higgins’ Flat. His meticulous planning was evident and greatly enhanced the production. The choice of classic piano music between scene changes enriched the overall atmosphere, and the period-appropriate wardrobe, especially for the ladies, added a delightful authenticity.

As for the play’s ending? While many adaptations exist, this production offers the unique opportunity to experience Shaw’s original narrative as he intended.

The Garrick Theatre’s cast and crew have created a memorable and faithful rendition of this timeless play. Don’t miss the chance to return to Old Victorian London and enjoy this classic tale.

Pygmalion runs from June 6 to 22.

Performance Dates:
June 6, 7, 8, 9*, 13, 14, 15*, 15eve, 16*, 20, 21, 22
All evening shows at 7:30 PM.
*Matinees at 2 PM.

Bookings: TAZtix or call (08) 9255 3336.

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.

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Moonlight and Magnolias

7 June 2024 Barry Hill OAM

Moonlight and Magnolias Rating

★★★★★

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Margaret Mitchell’s Civil War epic, Gone With the Wind, was published in 1936 and became an international bestseller. It was adapted into a movie in 1939, which garnered eight Academy Awards, including Hattie McDaniel’s win for Best Supporting Actress, which made her the first African American actor to take home an Oscar. However, the movie almost never made it to the big screen.

The producer, David O. Selznick, shut down production after 30 days because he was unhappy with the script. He called in hot shot writer Ben Hecht, who had never read the book, and director Victor Fleming to do a rewrite. Playwright Ron Hutchinson locks Hecht, Fleming, Selznick and his secretary in a room for five days and reimagines how the script was finished in Moonlight & Magnolias.

Hutchinson’s play, based on historical events, is written as farce, but the characters also deal with serious questions about race and the fragile position of Jewish executives in Hollywood.
The roles of Selznick, Hecht, and Fleming are based on historical figures. This play adds a secretary, Miss Poppenghul, who stays near the office while the men are locked inside for five days, surviving on peanuts and bananas.

Director Harry Dewar’s production focusses on the tension between the three creatives. He makes full use of the large stage dominated by an elegant Art Deco set in green and peach with a huge picture window at the back designed by Skye Mc Vicar and lit by Richard Parkhill. His blocking is almost choreographic at times utilising every corner of the set.

The play opens to a montage of Hollywood in the 2930s (by Brandon Boyer) with the cast cleverly included. A nice touch!

Adam Gregory Schultz plays David O. Selznick with a manic intensity, dominating the stage and pushing the narrative forward. He is a multi-tasker managing multiple props, phone calls, intercoms, bananas and peanuts with equal ease! He scenes with Hecht in Act 2 are a highlight.

Terry Crowe plays Ben Hecht the frustrated script writer with compassion. He is the realist of the creative team. The play uses Hecht’s character to raise questions about whether the script glorifies the Old South. He doubts that the movie will be a hit and doesn’t even want writing credit on the script for fear that it will ruin his career. Hecht asks Selznick at one point, “Why don’t you make a movie that makes America look its ugly face in the mirror?” To which Selznick replies, “Because no one wants to see that. America wants to see the way it thinks it looks.”

Scott Battersby plays Victor Fleming the director, pulled from the set of The Wizard of Oz to work on Gone With The Wind has many of the show’s ‘one-liners’ which he delivers with precision. His portrayal of Melanie giving birth in Act 2 is hysterical!

Rebecca Gardiner plays the well-meaning secretary Miss Poppenghul with patience alternating with exasperation. Dealing with Selznick is enough, but now she has two extra egos to deal with. Special mentions need to go to the costume coordinator Makala Modra and especially the props team Janet Jauncy and Karen Prior who progressively cover the stage with crumpled paper and scripts as time passes in the play.

My reservation with this production is the vocal tone of Act 1 which lacked light and shade with the result that the actors had nowhere to go when angry and some of the laughs were lost. This was resolved in Act 2.

Moonlight and Magnolias is an exposé of the side of Hollywood we do not see, the prejudices of the period, and of course the egos that brought us one of the most iconic movies of the last century!

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Equus by X Collective

7 June 2024 Gareth Macready

Equus Rating

★★★★★

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Peter Shaffer’s 1973 play ‘Equus’ has been described in various ways over the decades. One reviewer said the play was a deep dive into psychiatry, religion, and sexuality. The horses serve as both paraphilic loci and objects of ecstatic worship while an emotionally desiccated doctor struggles to find purpose in his practice.

Another said the play confabulates a complex Romantic, Jungian, and Freudian mythos around the depraved acts of this desperately mentally ill individual, positing that (at least in the view of the self-abnegating child psychiatrist who interrogates him) his act was a kind of Dionysian acting out, or a sort of religious ecstasy, motivated by a sublimated homoeroticism that is displaced onto horses rather than men.

If you’re still with me, which I truly hope you are, the deep dive into the psyche of each of the protagonists in the production I watched last night put on by the X Collective at The Holy Trinity Hall on Ann Street in Fortitude Valley was done well.

The play is based on meetings between psychiatrist Martin Dysart, played by Greg Scurr, and his young patient Alan Strang, played by Adam Dobson, with flashbacks and interactions with other characters. It follows the psychiatrist trying to understand why the boy stabbed the horses he was caring for in the eyes while wrestling with his own sense of purpose and the nature of his work.

It’s a richly layered play that draws us into the disturbed psyche of the boy, drilling down into his madness. It’s not so much a whodunnit as a why-did-he-do-it? A puritanical father, an obsessively religious mother, and the boy’s preoccupation with horses. Dysart gets to the truth when he tricks Alan into reliving the events of the night of the blinding. In the process, Dr Dysart is seen to be just as disturbed as his patient.

This is a play for two main actors, depicting a battle between reason and instinct, and an ensemble piece for others who double as people and horses. There is good work from Jules Berry as a magistrate seeking to save the boy as well as stave off Dysart’s breakdown, Stephen Jubber as Alan’s oppressive father, Julia Johnson as his Bible-quoting mother, Roxanne Gardner as the boy’s would-be lover, Caroline Sparrow as the Nurse, and Henry Solomon who plays the roles of The Horseman and Harry Dalton the stable owner.

Performed in a church, the audience sits in the nave, the stage area is in front of the main altar, and the players not on stage sit behind in the apse. The acoustics are suited for facing the pews, and thus, sometimes, during crosstalk, even excellent voices can become slightly lost in the transepts, which, ironically, makes the audience lean in to hear better.

The space is effectively a stable strewn with straw and drawn together with the asylum. The ensemble portraying the horses provides an animalistic physicality that, combined with dialogue, reaches its fingers into the audience’s psyche. The X Collective have done a fine job of harnessing this unruly beast of a play.

It’s a demanding text for the actors playing the tortured adolescent patient and the troubled and complex psychiatrist treating him as they launch into a murky exploration of patient and physician. Dysart’s relaxed façade initially crumbles as he becomes increasingly fixated on the unanswerable questions of his work and more entangled with Alan’s volatile psyche.

Equus is definitely well worth a watch, but don’t waste time, as this unique play only runs for two weekends with sessions as follows:-

Fri 7th June, 7:30pm
Sat 8th June, 7:30pm
Fri 14th June, 7:30pm
Sat 15th June, 7:30pm

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.

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