Hoods - Barking Gecko Arts (17 May 2025)

My mantra when it comes to expectations for any show is simple:

A good story, well told.

A large part of achieving this is establishing the authenticity of the world in which that story takes place. This allows the actors to inhabit their characters truthfully, play freely within the space that has been created, and immerses the audience in the reality of whatever the given circumstances are.

 
The design elements in Hoods are an outstanding example of this. From the set design depicting a segment of society in decay, to the bold and creative lighting design that highlights the obstacles facing the characters, and the subtle layering of sound which adds to the realism of the plight we are confronted with.

That plight is two children - Kyle (Joshua Everett) and Jessie (Natasha Pearson) - who are left in the family vehicle with their baby brother in a carpark near a train station and highway. Mum has told them not to get out of the car which Kyle takes to heart while Jessie, concerned about the baby and desperately needing to pee, wants to leave.

 
The family situation is teased out as the children imagine they see other people from their parents to a kind teacher and a security guard amongst others. We slowly come to learn why the mother has taken such drastic action and it's heartbreaking, all too real, and compelling.

Everett and Pearson give superb performances on multiple levels - realistically playing children and squabbling siblings; portraying adult characters in either flashbacks or imagined encounters with a childlike exaggeration; and embodying the exuberance of play with Kyle in particular resorting to mimicking video games to cope with the situation.

 
Then there is the sheer physicality of the acting which is where such a tactile set comes in. The two actors dodge and weave, prance and cavort on old tyres, through wooden slats, with movable blocks effectively creating the vehicle and, later, a servo where the children try to contact their mum.

There is real tension established throughout. Where is mum? Why did she leave them? Will the baby survive? The callousness of the servo employee had me jittery throughout that interaction. Everett's brief depiction of the dad is genuinely disturbing as is Pearson's response as the mum who has to play along for the sake of the children. It's not an easy watch but I was totally immersed in the world of the drama and the fate of Kyle and Jessie because of the sheer craft and attention to detail on display.

 

Some examples: the barking dog sound effect is so damn good my brain for half a second thought it actually was a dog off-stage. The subtle background noise of trains and suburbia is beautifully realised. The lighting to create the illusion of cars passing back and forth on the highway they have to cross induced fear for their safety. The change from the colder night time to the bright glare of the daytime sun beating down made me feel the heat. Helped by the sweat pouring off the actors from the relentless movement. The reveal of the chip packets and other junk food when the car turns into the servo. The moment the baby cries made me gasp. Every time Everett places a plastic bag over his head with Kyle threatening to asphyxiate himself when he doesn't get his way is devastating.

 
It's all intricately constructed using the video game metaphor to pause and rewind and replay key moments as we jump back and forth in time. Crucially, the story is set in an era before smartphones so having enough change to make a call from a phonebox becomes a critical factor. When the resolution comes there is a sense of relief but it is hard won which is testament to the storytelling and its execution.

 
I was totally invested throughout this hour-long tale. It grabbed me from the start and didn't let go as we are taken on a roller-coaster of emotions, expertly depicted. Playwright Angela Betzien pulls no punches in exploring abuse and neglect from the childrens' perspective, doing so with compassion and intelligence. Director Andrea Gibbs pushes the pace relentlessly and Everett and Pearson rise to the challenge in impressive style. Set and Costume Designer Sam Knox, Lighting Designer Peter Young, and Composer and Sound Designer Tim Collins all do stellar work in creating a world you lean into as an audience member.

 
This is a superb show that should find great success as it travels throughout the state and engages with young people in particular.

Nora: A Doll's House - WAAPA (9 September 2024)

Thematic potency. A powerful force when a production has something on its mind and every aspect is crafted to support that vision with crystal clear intent. So it is with this adaptation of the classic Ibsen play written by Stef Smith and directed by visiting professional (and WAAPA graduate) Sonya Suares. 

The original story is now conducted over three moments in time - 1918, 1968, and 2018 - as three versions of Nora, a mother and wife, seek to ultimately break free from the expectations and control of her husband and the societal norms of the time. While much has evolved over those hundred years - technology, fashion, suffrage, attitudes towards sex and sexuality - the layering of the tale over these distinct eras provocatively asks, "how much has really changed in terms of equality?"

The years are specific signposts - 1918 saw the introduction of voting rights for women in Britain and Ireland... providing you were over 30 and met minimum property qualifications. By 1968 the 'swinging sixties' were a cultural revolution with London its epicentre. It's also the year after the Sexual Offences Act no longer made consenting, private sex acts between men over 21 illegal. The contraceptive pill was introduced in the 60s which ushered in a sea change for reproductive rights. 

Which brings us to 2018 as the #metoo movement exploded into the headlines, and those reproductive rights were under assault, especially in America, where the Republican party prosecuted its grotesque obsession with controlling a woman's body leading to the overturning of Roe v. Wade.  

That's the context. The execution is exceptional in all areas - from acting to intricacy of movement, the symbolism of the set, the glorious costumes, and the use of lighting and sound to immerse us in Nora's perspective. It's the second production I've seen this year after Head Over Heels that has utilised the Roundhouse Theatre to such spectacular effect. There is so much subtlety and attention to detail that it's no wonder the show was in rehearsals for weeks. The payoff is sublime.

There is such an embarrassment of riches it's difficult to know where to begin. So let's start with...

Nora 1 (1918) played by Bridget Bourke as an elegant and proper woman with a refined English accent whose unravelling is brilliantly crafted.

Nora 2 (1968) where the character's essential unhappiness is magnified by Sookyung Shin's forthright performance including revelations about Nora's attitude towards the children and her own desires.

Nora 3 (2018) sees Alexandria Henderson excel as a modern woman trapped by circumstances she can't control. Henderson's emotional responses are exquisite especially when Angelo Torres' Daniel imparts shattering news. 

Thomas 3 (1918) is portrayed by Oliver English as a man of status who gaslights his wife 26 years before that term came into being (from the 1944 film Gaslight). It's a wonderfully controlled and controlling performance.

Thomas 1 (2018) - by contrast, the modern day version is far more overt in his dominance over his wife and Riley Warner tackles the unsavoury aspects of this iteration with commitment and physicality.

Thomas 2 (1968) - interestingly, the 60s version sees Thomas Bitti as a more blokey representation that sits between the insidious and overt. Seemingly less harmful on the surface, Bitti adds some nice wrinkles including a moment the character flounders trying to make Nora's salvation all about him.

Christine 2 (1968) has the most to do of the Christines and Mia Fitzgerald is all concern and empathy as the character tries to help the emotionally lost Nora.

Daniel 2 & 3 (1918/68) is played with such affability by Joshua Everett as the friend whose illness is so devastating. Notable that the character confides in Nora and not Thomas. 

Daniel 1 (2018) is given such a vulnerable air by Angelo Torres which comes to the fore in a startling scene we'll come to later. 

Nathan 1 (2018) - the catalyst for all the dramatic danger that besets Nora. Deep Sroa plays the blackmailer with a largely restrained desperation that is compelling. 

Dinasha Perera, Natasha Pearson, Antony Press, and Uisce Goriss-Dazeley are all good in smaller roles; especially the later whose character's change of heart is a critical moment.

The intricate staging as these iterations weave in and out of scenes in various combinations is remarkably conceived and executed by Sonya Suares and Movement Director Sam Chester. I was never once lost in the story and this is aided immeasurably by the work of Set & Costume Designer Ella Firns. Each time period is clearly delineated with subtle thematic differences in the costumes - I loved how the men in 1918 are all in multiple layers of three piece suits and overcoats while Thomas in 2018 is in a simple white T-shirt at one point. With the opposite being true of Nora who goes from simple elegance to the modern day version wearing layers. The three versions of the party dress are lovely echoes of each other to reflect the time periods.

The set design is also deceptively simple but thematically resonant. Towards the top of the thrust we have a chaise lounge, table and a couple of chairs. At the rear of the stage, a large flat with three elongated doorways is suspended. To my mind it was like a time portal. Nora 1918 would always enter from the doorway, audience right; Nora 1968 from the middle; Nora 2018 from the left. 

The highlight of the play is when the flat collapses with the three Noras now joined together across time as they plead for their right, and the right of all women, to have their own agency, and the freedom to pursue their own goals and desires; free of the controlling ways of men and expectations of society. Not seen as simply wives and mothers but human beings. It's incredibly moving and powerful. 

Other highlights - Bourke's monologue about voting for the first time; Henderson's rejoinder where blood is a linking symbol of still being alive emotionally; and then there's the extraordinary moment of intimacy between Henderson and Torres, mirrored by Shin and Everett, where Nora freely and willingly asks to be touched. Complex, devastating, heartbreaking. Later contrasted when Thomas initiates contact without consent. 

The children are heard through excellent sound design by David Stewart but never seen. It's as if the mere suggestion of them (by Thomas) will always be an anchor for Nora to stay but that final cathartic outburst skewers this. Mentions also to Jakob Dorst for the evocative lighting design and vocal coach Jean Goodwin - the accent work, clarity and synchronisation of dialogue is excellent.

It's a remarkable production and a stunning way for the graduating Acting students to close out the year with wonderful support by the Production & Design students. There may still be tickets available for Tuesday through to Thursday, 10-12 September. I highly recommend you try and snag a ticket.

Photos by Stephen Heath Photography