Two Plays by Caryl Churchill - Melville Theatre Company (15 February 2025)

A preamble. In two parts.

Part one:

The first play finishes. I scurry off to the lobby to type some notes into my phone. I'm by myself and madly processing what I've just seen. I wander back in and talk briefly with an adjudicator whose opinions I respect. I retake my seat and the lady next to me asks what I thought. I offer some tentative views to which her and her friend thank me for the explanation. I'm sorry, what? Explanation? I'm still processing and feel nowhere close to explaining anything! I reveal I'm reviewing the show. On leaving for the night the lady good-naturedly wishes me, “good luck!” This makes me laugh.

Part two:

I'm a huge fan of discussing theatre in the moment so I grab a drink and stay. For me it's an integral part of the overall experience. Cast members, two of which are also the director of the show they're not acting in, come over. We have a wide-ranging discussion about the plays; about theme and meaning and the playwright's intent. The writing is deliberately obtuse and, as a writer, I'm grappling to understand the intended effect. I'm also experiencing these plays cold; the cast have worked on the text for weeks. Talking about it helps me order my thoughts and clarify my understanding. We end up getting kicked out of the theatre as it closes. Such conversations are a delight.

All this is to say, bear with me as I pick my way through these reviews. I apologise if I'm not as concise as I would like. These are difficult plays, however, there are joys to be found in their staging and value in thinking about them.

ESCAPED ALONE - 55 minute one act play 

A neighbour joins three friends having a cuppa in a suburban backyard. They discuss all kinds of things; some trivial, some fraught, some surprising, some puzzling. Meanwhile the neighbour narrates a dystopian future that is shocking and deliberately provocative.

Director Lucy Eyre has assembled an excellent cast - Suzannah Churchman, Caroline McDonnell, Natalie Burbage, and Susan Lynch. It's a real pleasure watching the four of them inhabit such diverse roles - Churchman as the emotionally fragile friend with a feline phobia that explodes into a striking, if somewhat overlong, monologue that treads the line between bizarre and heartbreaking. Burbage, whose character would rather be invisible than face the inequities of modern life. McDonnell as the brusque friend who cares not for others' feelings before delivering a stark monologue about the murder of her husband with unexpected ramifications.

Then there's Lynch as the neighbour who intrudes and is our narrator of sorts as she delivers brutal descriptions of a dystopian hellscape supported by the projection of images of a planet in distress - whether by climate change, natural disasters, manmade follies, political stupidity, and social inequality.

The lighting design by Lars Jensen resonates with me, having recently been on a film shoot where there were transitions back and forth between real and imagined scenes. The techniques used here are similar albeit on a bigger stage. The world of the backyard is bright and lush with greenery; the dystopian visions dark and disturbing. Sound design by Myles Wright accentuates the discomfort. Video projections (visual design by Dylan Randall) hint at how the calamitous disaster came to be. The language is, again, deliberately perverse in its choice of imagery. 

I wait. 

For an epiphany that links the bleakest of visions with the seemingly innocuous reality of these women's lives. I recall that Caryl Churchill wrote Top Girls and my response to that play eventually coming into sharp focus with a glorious revelation.

I wait. 

No epiphany comes. 

Until I am assaulted with TERRIBLE RAGE.

Those two words. Over and over. Lynch absolutely laid emotionally bare and vulnerable. It's an extraordinary moment. 

This isn't subtext. This is straight up text as theme. 

It's an angry play. It roils and spits venom. I feel the writer's fury.  

The juxtaposition is absolutely intended. We sit and talk about idle fears and concerns while the planet burns. The dialogue is almost malicious in how obtuse it is. It's a writer demanding you pay attention and, I expect, get angry yourself. 

Does it work? In the moment, no. I think Churchill has done herself a disservice by being too obtuse, too elusive. You can sense the audience grappling like I was with any sense of meaning. If you take the time to sit down and think about it and talk about it then yes, it does work on that basis. But it's a hard watch and will likely prove divisive to audiences. However, it is a showcase for fine performances and impressive staging, particularly as the script format itself, I believe, is equally impenetrable.   

I brace myself after the interval...

WHAT IF IF ONLY - 20 minute one act play 

I'm greeted with an open box structure onstage and an apple featured in a glass case. There's a kitchen setting where Lucy Eyre has moved from directing duties to playing a woman who is mired in grief. She tells the tale of a man who tried to paint an apple, then not paint an apple, eventually concluding that perhaps he should have tried to paint an orange instead. 

Again, an intriguing opening gambit as Eyre's "Someone" wishes her partner were still alive; taken by tragic circumstances out of her control. It's a naturalistic performance. A relatable one. A moving and honest one. 

Until hyper theatricality comes crashing into her structured world in the form of Jarrod Buttery's "Future/s", Clare Talbot's "Present", and Tanisha Mavunduse's "Child Future". Again, the juxtaposition is clearly intended, deliberately pushed, and stylised. Director Natalie Burbage gives licence to the actors playing these fantastical characters to go big; not only in performance but costume and lighting (Lars Jensen) as well.

Buttery goes full tilt vaudevillian shtick; Talbot is almost maniacally insistent; while Mavunduse's brief appearance speaks to youthful mischief. The writing is circular - the same arguments and position are stated and restated as if these phantasms are beseeching "Someone" through sheer force of will and repetition. 

In the end, I suspect I've been conned by the verbal equivalent of sleight of hand. The apple story is the most telling. Yes, in our grief we may summon a flurry of thoughts - "What if I..." or "If only I..." but the apple will never be an orange even if you forget what it looks like as cherished memories fade over time. The apparitions are more a fever dream of a woman in pain and sorrow.

Ultimately, on reflection, I appreciate the decision to tackle both these plays. There's no getting around it though - the writing is deliberately obtuse; the juxtaposition of styles and tone purposefully jarring. This isn't theatre for enjoyment as such. This is theatre for discussion and debate. 

I would recommend that if you go and see these plays which are well acted and well staged, have those discussions and debates afterwards; either in the lobby, in the carpark, the next day, whenever. You may find you are well rewarded for the effort. 

Two Plays by Caryl Churchill is on at the Main Hall, Melville Civic Centre until 1 March.

Photos by Curtain Call Creatives

Come From Away - Koorliny Arts Centre (15 November 2024)

Where were you when...? 

The question that is asked when something of global significance has happened, usually catastrophic. The terrorist attacks on 11 September 2001 - 9/11 - changed the world forever. It led to three wars - Afghanistan, Iraq, and the so-called 'War on Terror'; ushered in mass surveillance of citizens under the Patriot Act with far-reaching implications beyond the US as Edward Snowden's revelations revealed; dramatically changed air travel protocols; with certain political elements using it to ratchet up anti-Muslim sentiment and the 'othering' of so many innocent people that continues to this day.

It was a Tuesday night in Perth when those planes hit the World Trade Center. They cut into an episode of The West Wing no less to report on the developing story. The images were, and remain, unspeakably shocking. 

Imagine if the answer to "Where were you when...?" was sitting in a plane diverted to Canada as the FAA shut down US airspace. Or, a resident of the town of Gander in Newfoundland where that plane and 37 others were incoming with some 7000 passengers. This is the true life premise for Come From Away. 

Why this is so compelling is that amongst the swirl of massive geopolitical implications that would define the beginning of a new century, a quintessentially human story is told. A story about compassion and empathy; about fear and uncertainty; about grace under pressure; about finding humour and connection even in the darkest of circumstances. It is in many ways a joyous story which has, by necessity, an underlying sadness. These are ordinary people - from around the world - caught up in an extraordinary moment.

Enough of the preamble as I'm burying the lede. Koorliny won the rights to stage the Western Australian amateur premiere and it's clear they know how special this property is. The attention to detail and execution on opening night is exceptional. I had not seen Come From Away before but knew something memorable was brewing after thunderous applause by a capacity audience greeted the end of opening number Welcome To The Rock. 

From there the production moves at a relentless pace. Yes, a fire alarm caused a brief show stop. By then the cast, musicians, and all involved had built up such good will that it didn't dampen the audience's enthusiasm at all. Well done to co-director Katherine Freind for clearly explaining what had happened to put everyone at ease. Then we were off again on a rollercoaster of emotions which culminated in a spontaneous standing ovation at final bows and raucous appreciation of the band as they played us out. I've not seen a surge of genuine affection like that in a long, long time. 

Thing is, they deserved it and then some. 

Let's start with the band. The band! They played the hell out of the infectious score that had me toe-tapping along happily. Take a bow Musical Director Kate McIntosh (Keyboard) and musicians Ben Clapton (Fiddle), Talitha Broughton (Whistles & Flute), Emily Ranford (Guitar), Christian Ingram (Bass Guitar), Nikki Gray (Drums & Percussion), and Dylan Randall (Ugly Stick). The music informs and enhances so much of the emotion and humour, played with such spirit. I loved that Clapton, Ranford and Randall were onstage during certain numbers adding a sense of community and vitality. 

All the production and design elements. The rustic set design (Stephen Carr) that captured the unusual and remote feel of Gander. The lighting design (Kat Brieden) that focussed my attention and highlighted characters and moments with clarity, so important with such a frantic pace. The sound design (Jonathan Hoey) that allowed that score and vocals to shine while letting scenes of high emotion breathe. The choreography by co-director Allen Blachford using diverse configurations of wooden chairs to depict everything from planes to buses to the interior of various town settings. An elaborate dance that was precise and playful when it needed to be. Costume consultant Melissa Kelly not only having to distinguish between locals and 'plane people' but plotting the hand-off of costume elements with the cast playing multiple characters. Prop designer Rebecca Foottit adding quirkiness as well as all the practical elements as the townsfolk realise the scope of what needs to be done. A cohesive team effort that created an awesome space for the cast to perform.

And perform they did. The cast of twelve hit the ground running and don't let up. There is an enthusiasm that is palpable from the opener and a respect for the stories based on real people. Strands and pairings slowly emerge along with featured roles. This is only a snippet of all the characters the cast bring vividly to life - Diane (Gillian Binks) and Nick (Colan Leach) starting a tentative yet sweet relationship; Beulah (Lucy Eyre) and Hannah (Mahali) forming a bond over their firefighter sons; Kevin (Tadhg Lawrence) and Kevin (Bailey Bridgman-Peters) whose relationship is buffeted by different reactions to their predicament. Maree Cole's Bonnie who's concerned with the welfare of the animals that were on those planes; Neil Young as the Mayor powering through to do what must be done; Phoebe Tempra's Janice as the novice reporter overwhelmed by the magnitude of what's happened; Rea Selepe's Bob who is initially more worried about being in 'redneck' territory; and Jason Nettle as Oz, a police constable on the island. Shannon Payette Seip is the trailblazing airline pilot Beverley Bass. They are all excellent - acting-wise and vocally while working seamlessly together as a company.  

Highlights are everywhere from the opening number to Mahali's superb rendition of I Am Here to Prayer led by Lawrence; Payette Seip's Me and the Sky; Young leading us into Screech In and so on. 

Directors Katherine Freind and Allen Blachford have crafted a marvellous production in all facets. It's the best community theatre musical I've seen since 2015's A Man of No Importance. A must see.

Come From Away is on at the Koorliny Arts Centre in Kwinana until 30 November. 

Cast pictures by Outatime Pictures