This is the premise for the one act play Time After Time written by Fiona Blakely who also directs with fellow 'Fi', Fiona Wildsmith. It explores soulmates, the possibility of reincarnation, that feeling of deja vu you sometimes get when meeting someone new, and, perhaps most of all, what would you risk to be with your soulmate even if you knew the possible consequences.
We first meet our fated couple on Platform 3 of the Perth Train Station prior to the First World War. Johnathon, a wharfie played by Alan Gill, waits for a mate arriving from Fremantle. Olive, a writer and dreamer played by Jaimee Peasley, is going to Kojonup to find a husband. It's a perfectly lovely encounter that becomes something more when a young Scallywag (Thomas Ranieri) being chased by a Train Conductor (Matthew Mckail) bumps into Olive causing the contents of her suitcase to cascade to the ground. Johnathon innocently retrieves a journal of Olive's stories and drawings. From there they bond over a shared love of the Bronte Sisters. But would that have happened without the Scallywag's intervention?
The result of that initial meeting plays out in a filmed montage where Johnathon waits at the train station for Olive to return, their courtship, and eventual marriage. We then return to live action as Johnathon is about to go to war. Their separation is painful as the horror of the "Great War" hovers over the couple. Archival footage of the war reveals Johnathon's fate and a filmed scene shows Olive's devastation on receiving the news of his death.
The play then jumps forward to the second of four stanzas where Jimmy, a trade unionist, meets Oli, a secretary with a knack for editing her employer's copy. Again we're on Platform 3 and disaster looms in the form of the Second World War. We'll also meet Jack and Olivia in a time of civil unrest as the Vietnam War unfolds, and eventually end up with Jackson and Liv in the present day. These interactions play out in slightly different fashion and take on the characteristics of their time in terms of language, costume, attitude, and mood.
It becomes clear that the 'Olive incarnation' has some sense of the feeling of repeated loss and actively pushes the 'Johnathon incarnation' away in the Vietnam stanza breaking the loop of tragedy but at the cost of time shared together. The final stanza changes the equation yet again as Liv makes a decision that may change their fate or might indeed reconstitute the loop they have found themselves in. The romantic will favour the former; the cynic might wonder if this is a tragedy after all.
There is a distinct structure and rhythm to each of these four sections. The scene is set with wonderful archival footage of the period in question projected on a screen at the rear of the stage. Then there is the 'meet cute' on the platform in live action followed by filmed sequences of the couple together as their relationship deepens. We rejoin the actors onstage for a separation sequence where they're caught up in the maelstrom of impending war with more archival footage that shows its conclusion.
A lot of love, care, and attention to detail has gone into the creation and staging of this production. The costumes, wigs and props are all excellent and clearly reflect the distinct time periods. The set design is simple but effective - a bench and old-fashioned wooden display showing a clock and the stations along the Fremantle line. The use of archival footage to set time and place is spot on (Film Edit & Music Isobel Blakely) and the filmed sequences (DOP Madyson Dewar) between Gill and Peasley showcase various local locations and are an effective shorthand to exploring a relationship in a condensed fashion. Sound and Lighting Design by Tendekai Mafukidze and Felicia Tang respectively provides mood and context.
The performances by Alan Gill and Jaimee Peasley, however, are the lynchpin to making the premise work. They effectively create distinctive characters in the different time periods while imbuing each incarnation with a recognisable essence - Johnathon/Jimmy/Jack/Jackson predominantly helps others (trade unionist, nurse) with a working class vibe (wharfie) while Olive/Oli/Olivia/Liv is more a free spirit (dreamer, writer, peace activist) with a creative bent. Their interactions both onstage and onscreen are charming. It's also an interesting mix of acting styles - Gill is the more theatrical while Peasley has a naturalistic approach from an extensive film background.
The one thing I did wonder about was about the nature of their connection. It was pitched more as "do I know you?" rather than two soulmates immediately recognising each other. But that may be a strength of the writing here because I've been mulling the possibilities ever since - are they doomed to never truly be together? Forces seem determined to place them in the same orbit but the universe continually works to pull them apart. If they are reincarnations are they doomed to never grow old? We know how one character dies in some of the stanzas but how did the other die before they could be reunited? Who or what exactly are the Scallywag and his modern day version, Eshay (Anthony Ranieri), who nudge the outcome in a certain direction?
It reminds me of an underrated film that I love with a similar idea, The Adjustment Bureau, where Matt Damon's character defies preordained fate to make his own destiny with Emily Blunt's character. They don't quite stick the landing on that one but it's also a fascinating exploration of a love that defies the universe or whatever word you might choose to use for a greater power.
Time After Time is a charming and intriguing production at Byford Secondary College for 4 more performances on 12-14 April with a matinee on 7 April.
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