Dysfunction. Denial. Disintegration.
Pardon the alliteration but those were the three words that
came to mind after watching Frames at the Subiaco Arts Centre tonight.
How we can all be dysfunctional in our own ways, small or
large. How a family unit can be dysfunctional as a result... or perhaps is the
catalyst for our imperfections; comments made in jest or repeated observations
no matter how seemingly innocuous affecting self-esteem and behaviour.
Then there is the denial of our true state of mind or
physical appearance or both. How we lie to ourselves to justify our choices no
matter how extreme. Not to mention the denial of the actions of others and
their impact, especially those closest to us.
How these things can lead to the disintegration of a person,
a family, and in a wider sense, a community.
Then there is the disintegration of a body as it falls below
a certain weight and starts to shut down.
Yes, Frames has some very serious topics in mind but doesn't
present them in a didactic way at all.
It follows Lizzie (Maja Liwszyc), the anorexic daughter of
frazzled Barbara (Angelique Malcolm) whose svelte modelling days are long over
and Ken (Maitland Schnaars) who enjoys a social drink with his (unseen) mates a
little too much. Unlike her sister, Jackie (Keren Schlink) isn’t likely to leave an uneaten
meal at dinner time. Then there’s Ben (Nick Pages-Oliver), Lizzie’s boyfriend
who likes to get high and whose mother is having an affair with Ken.
The first act sets up all of these people’s manifest flaws
and how they create friction within the family unit. It ends with Barbara’s
horror at the belated discovery of how thin her daughter has become. The second
act ramps up the drama as Lizzie is rushed to hospital only to run away when
her pleas that she will eat everything “including the plate” if only she’s
allowed to go home fall on deaf ears. The family disintegrates as she reveals
her father’s infidelities and a surprise tragedy comes from left field to add
to the gloom. But the play ends on somewhat positive note as we fast forward to
a time when Barbara and her daughters are attempting to order a meal at a fancy
café with the suggestion Lizzie is on her way to some sort of recovery.
Liwszyc is excellent as Lizzie - playing her as an exuberant 10 year old; a
sullen and secretive teenager; and even a little known saint who lived on
naught but air. It is a very physical performance as Lizzie jogs, does sit-ups,
and clambers all over the dining room table, ever conscious of her calorie
intake and the need for exercise. The most telling scene is when she pleads
with her mother to be released from hospital, unable to fool the doctor well
versed in her type of deflections and schemes. It is intense and raw.
Malcolm gives Barbara a sense of whimsy for glories long past
and moments of ‘mum humour’ that creates empathy for when she faces the twin
blows of her husband’s betrayal and her daughter’s plight. The family
interactions in all their arguments and 'parent versus teenager' stand-offs felt
credible and real. Schlink adds pointed commentary in a charmingly naff
manner, her character seemingly unaware of the drama swirling around her.
Schnaars is given little more than 'the remote father' who embraces alcohol and
another woman more than his family. He has a moment of true anger at Lizzie and
later a stab at reconciling with her as they watch football together in a flash
forward to when he has left Barbara for Ben’s mum. Pages-Oliver is all goofy
charm as Ben and impressed in his brief turn as the doctor though his circling
of the family (mirroring Lizzie’s kinetic energy) was a curious choice perhaps
designed to distract from the exposition dump.
The space in the studio theatre was well used with the
family table and chairs creatively doubling for different settings. There were a
variety of frames scattered around the set that the actors would stand in or
peer through when not being featured in a scene. This gave me a sense of the
main players being watched – judged maybe – though image is clearly a main
theme and how it can be perceived or distorted through the frameworks we apply.
This is confronting material, well handled in an intelligent
manner with a compelling central performance. I may not be the target audience
but I found Frames thought provoking and engaging theatre. Written by Louise
Helfgott and Directed by Helen Doig, Frames is on at the Subiaco Arts Centre
until Saturday 31 May before moving to the Mandurah Performing Arts Centre, 4-7 June.
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