A comedic stage adaptation of the infamous coming-of-age story, The Graduate follows wide-eyed and woefully awkward Benjamin Braddock (Mitch Doran) as his Beat Generation ennui clashes with the exacting and often contradictory expectations of the adults around him. His search for meaning spirals out of control when he is lured into a disastrous age-gap affair with Mrs Robinson (Margareta Moir), “the most attractive of all [my] parents’ friends,” going from bad to worse when he instead falls in love with Mrs Robinson’s daughter, Elaine (Brooke Salisbury).
The production opens with a striking scene that sets the tone for the rest of the show; a young man, Benjamin, sits on what is clearly his childhood bed in a full wetsuit and snorkelling kit, breathing heavily into the snorkel as sounds of a party echo in the distance. His father, Mr. Braddock (Brendon Stone) enters and demands that Benjamin parade downstairs in the wetsuit so that all his work friends can admire the expensive graduation gift, creating an immediate and hilarious contrast between childhood and adulthood.
The wetsuit is more than just a fantastic opening joke. The costuming in this production has been carefully curated to visually demonstrate the show’s themes. Each character has been assigned a colour palette, serving as constant reminders of the power imbalances that drive the narrative. Mrs. Robinson is always seen in striking reds and glamorous blacks with pops of leopard print and glittering diamonds, while Elaine’s youth and innocence is highlighted by her palette of crisp white and classic blue with moments of green. Benjamin’s bumbling nature is demonstrated by his ill-fitting brown suit jackets, contrasting terribly with the converse shoes he dons that make him seem even younger.
The sets and lighting for this production are incredible. The stage transforms into multiple bedrooms with lush blankets and headboards, historically accurate furniture, and windows with intense orangey/yellow sunlight streaming through, alongside a hotel lobby complete with a lift, a strip club, a psychiatrist’s office, and a church. Benjamin spends his time onstage stumbling between these sets and flopping onto these beds, never resting for more than a few moments before another character comes barging into his space to command or manipulate.
I also particularly enjoyed watching the relationship between Mrs. Robinson and Elaine develop on-stage. Moir and Salisbury were able to present brief flickers of similarity between mother and daughter (beyond the obvious shared boyfriend) that shone through their notable differences, adding an interesting layer of complexity to an otherwise farcical story.
The Graduate presents the prickly awkwardness of young adulthood, showcasing Ben and Elaine’s fumbling attempts at playacting as adults despite knowing nothing of life beyond a school routine. The Castle Hill Players have taken a 1960’s fable and wonderfully applied it to a 21st-century audience, lifting a timeless and universally relatable experience of one’s early 20s from an American suburbia at the height of its conformist culture. Whether reminiscing on early adulthood or currently experiencing it, The Graduate has something for everyone.
Please be advised that this production contains partial nudity and adult themes.
To book tickets to The Graduate, please visit https://paviliontheatre.org.au/the-graduate/.
