- Seagull - Chaika Theatre, ACT Hub: A bright and witty adaptation by Karen Vickery with some fine performances, particularly from Natasha Vickery as Nina (a divine portrayal of a broken spirit without mawkish sentimentality), Joel Horwood as Kostya, and Amy Kowalczuk as Polina (calmy understated with a stillness and depth that is very moving). The outood to indoor setting works well and overall the production manages to be fresh and original while maintaining the humour and pathos, although there are slight distractions in some curious staging and costume choices, and some excess faffing with props.
- The Shoe-Horn Sonata - Lexi Sekuless Productions, Mill Theatre: This is an exquisite production of a challenging script. Two women, Bridie (Andrea Close) and Sheila (Zsuzsi Soboslay), meet again 50 years after they were released from a concentration camp where they were taken in the fall of Singapore. Close is a non-nonsense Aussie and Soboslay is a more subdued Brit, and they complement and contrast each other equally. They say you should never ask what someone in these circumstances has done to survive, and these women, who were forced to be the best of friends, have kept secrets from each other for half a century. Now they are exposed in a hotel bedroom and a television studio as their histories are probed and dissected. Lexi Sekuless' direction and setting aloow us to feel their emotions as we intrude upon their privacy. War robs humans of their dignity - the very least we owe the survivors is respect. This is essential viewing.
- Gaslight - Gas Theatricals, Canberra Theatre Centre: The play that launched the term for someone (usually a man) persuading another (usually a woman) that they are going mad due to a series of seemingly insignificant but carefully planned incidents is often considered old-fashioned. Patrick Hamilton wrote it in 1938, and now Canadian playwrights Johanna Wright and Patty Jamieson have given it a sensitive remodelling, while maintaing its Edwardian essence. The story remains basically the same as an utter arse of a man, Jack (played with casual indifference by Toby Schmidt) toys with the mental health of his wife Bella (a superb study in character development by Geraldine Hakewill). In trying to discover hidden gems, he turns down the lights, hides her personal affects and removes paitings, all while administering laudanum and telling her she is frail and over-imaginative. ithout spoiling the plaot, it will suffice to say that the character of Inspector Ruff has been excised from the stage allowing Bella more agency over her discories and the thoroughly satisfying denoument.
- Five Women Wearing the Same Dress - Everyman Theatre, ACT Hub: For a play that is supposedly about five women (bridesmaids at a wedding), it still manages to fail the Bechdel Test, and it introduces the concept of child sexual abuse as an 'amusing' 10-minute diversion. The setting in the round with a railing effectively screening the bedroom (as if the bridesmaids are in an MMA cage) leads to some poor blocking and limited interaction between characters. The same dress is obviously the bridesmaids' gown and, as is often the case when supposed to suit all, it looks equally horrendous on everyone - fantastically well designed by Fiona Leach.The level of acting is variable, with Kelly Roberts providing a focal point as Trisha, the strongest of the women in a poorly-written role. Billed as a 'fun night out', it is dicordant at best.
- The Actress - Canberra Repertory Society, Theatre 3: With a great vision for the set and staging, the production elements are strong but the limited range in acting and pace hampers this production. It is slow on cues with a lack of engagement between characters. Kate Harris as Nicole, the daughter, has clear diction and a warm presence that felt more natural than everyone involved in the dramatic sphere. Rob de Fries as Paul, her father and ex-husband of the main character, played his part on the same plane, which worked well for their relationship, and displayed unctous charm and amusing confidence without being creepy por aggressive, whihc is hard to do with that script. As the eponymous Lydia Martin, Liz St Clair-Long is obviously theatrical without any doftening or expression of character that encourages audience empathy. This is far from her best work and, if this really were the last performace from an actress, it would be disappointing.
