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Blood in the Water

21 June 202421 June 2024 Michelle Rooke

Blood in the Water Rating

★★★★★

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Playwright Jorja Bentley has authored a gripping and provocative theatre show with ‘Blood in the Water’. The show comes laden with content warnings: sexual violence, violence against children, & domestic abuse. Despite these hard-hitting themes, ‘Blood in the Water’ is also truly hilarious.

The show begins with the mother (Ruth) and daughter (Jen) engaged in verbal sparring about Jen wanting to go glamping with her friends on the night of her mother’s birthday dinner. The stepfather (Reuban) offers to drive Jen to both as a negotiation, then soon after receives a phone call that alters the course of their domestic life.

It is revealed that Ruth’s son (Jen’s brother) has been arrested for raping his girlfriend, Anna. Ruth’s sister, Sal, becomes Jen’s trusted ally in the family, where both were kept in the dark about Ruth and Reuben, knowing that there was concrete evidence against Ruth’s son; he had filmed it. The footage is leaked, and the son is sentenced to 4 years in prison.

Ruth and Sal had grown up with an abusive mother, and questions of nature-nurture and victim-perpetrator are explored. Sal’s liberal, outspoken character contrasts with Ruth’s uptight persona and the picture of suburban domesticity we see in her and Reuben’s home. Reuban is concerned with appearances and how this news will affect his political career.

Ruth desperately tries to avoid the reality of what has happened, seeking absolution for her son. Sal and Jen feel a sense of betrayal at Ruth’s avoidance of acknowledging the enormity of her son’s wrongdoing. The play follows each family member over the course of a year as they grapple with the weight of the son’s conviction and the choices they must make moving forward.

Mia Tuco, Chris Koch, Lana Schwarcz, & Karlis Zaid have fantastic stage chemistry and deliver the play with the authenticity it deserves.

Fantastic one-liners bring levity to the gravity of the subject matter being explored. Aspects of modernity are interrogated through quick-witted quips and satire. With notable lines like “You know I don’t study on Sunday. Sundays are for procrastination and existential dread.”

Sal and Jen’s honest relationship offers solace through this time. Humour and transparency bring the two characters closer together and provide safety and opportunities for healing.

Paralleling them both, and where this play is both confronting and entertaining, can the mother accept that she can both detest her son’s behaviour and love him? Jen’s boundaries are more marked, but can she offer support to Anna and still miss her brother? We see the care and concern she harbours below the surface.

Blood In The Water runs at the La Mama Courthouse from Jun 20 – Jun 30 to the following session times and runs for 100 minutes, including interval:-

Wed: 6.30pm
Thurs, Fri: 7.30pm
Sat: 2pm, 7.30pm
Sun: 4pm

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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Highway of Lost Hearts: Heart, Soul, and the Open Road.

17 June 202416 June 2024 Faith Jessel

Highway of Lost Hearts Rating

★★★★★

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‘Highway of Lost Hearts’. What a beautiful title for a beautiful play. A captivating blend of gritty road trip realism and magical storytelling that explores an individual’s search for a soul and need for redemption. Mary Anne Butler’s superbly adapted novel is a True Blue, One Woman, Aussie travelling tale, where red earth meets fire, flood and drought, and ancient mountains loom over spirit-stirring waters. Our paths are both uniquely our own and universally relatable. Wherever the open road takes you, your own thoughts, dreams, and demons will be right there in the passenger seat, refusing to be left behind.

Mot is a remarkable woman whose once-unbreakable spirit is now weathered and worn. Detached from her sense of purpose, identity, and relationships, she is lost in a sea of meaninglessness, longing for peace while hungering for connection. At this crossroads in life, she’s grappling with the questions all women of a certain age face when they finally shed society’s expectations. But the spark that once drove her has flickered out.

This is a uniquely female pilgrimage and point of view. Mot is not afraid to entrust us with insights into the delicate balance between desire and defence. She is resilient in the face of uncertainty as she propels down a long and lonely 1000km stretch of relentless highway.

Director Adam Deusien optimises a pared-down and intuitive approach to these epic themes. He uses a luminous lighting design (Becky Russell), and simplistic, streamlined set (Annemaree Dalziel) which utilises forced perspective with long drops of sheer drapes. This evokes a never-ending thoroughfare where horizons expand, hopes arise, and possibilities are boundless.

Smith tackles the role of Mot, a formidable challenge of what is effectively a 70-minute monologue and (fittingly) solo performance. It’s a feat of focused endurance. Accompanied by her faithful imaginary canine companion, she matter-of-factly envisions a kaleidoscope of encounters with new people and old memories, blurring the lines between reality and reflection. With just a few basic props, a ‘she’ll be right’ laconic tone and her physicality, Smith slowly weaves a winding narrative tapestry. It’s a deeply intimate story experience shared through mind, body and immense heart.

Sophie Jones and Abby Smith imbue the beats of Mot’s story with an original and hauntingly beautiful vocal and instrumental soundscape of guitar, keyboard, harmonica and percussion. They could have sung acapella because both were strong singers who created a rich and full sound. At times the mike amplification level was a little overpowering. When it was more subdued, their lovely harmonies resonated with a melancholic depth and sacredness that echoed the emotional terrain of Mot’s odyssey of grief and growth.

Only 10 years old and on the HSC drama list, ‘Highway of Lost Hearts’ is already a distinctly Australian classic for a reason. It’s a reminder that the roads we travel are not just physical, but also emotional and spiritual. Anyone who roams solo will innately understand Mot, the fragility of her heart and the transformative power of travel. After all, the true purpose of a road trip is to connect with something greater. The rest may ponder the challenge of self-discovery and how we are all called to take this journey.

Like Mot, Arts on Tour and ‘Highway of Lost Hearts’ has ventured far and wide, concluding its performances in the Land of the Dharug People at the Riverside Theatre. The next time it revives and swings by this part of town, make sure you join the road to inner wisdom and delight in discovering more about yourself along the way. The trip will not always be what you expect, but you’ll leave more enlightened.

For future Arts On Tour performances, see: https://artsontour.com.au/what-we-do-and-why/

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.

Photography by Hannah Groggan

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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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