Reviewed by Nathan Finger and Sydney Abba
Now playing with the Sydney Independent Theatre Company is Robert Allan’s new play, An Ordinary Person (2013). This is a refreshing piece of theatre: it tells a genuine and by turns touching story, with Allan taking the issue of victimhood as his springboard. At the opening we meet Aggie and Topher, an old married couple who are set in their ways and comfortable with each other. However, they aren’t without a veiled past. Aggie became pregnant at the age of 14 and was made to give up her daughter for adoption, the story being that Topher had forced himself upon her. Only now, at the age of 35 has their daughter, Louise, sought them out as part of her own healing process. There are a couple of twists in this play so one wouldn’t want to give any of it away. Needless to say, there are some well-crafted and nuanced characters in this piece who have and continue to make difficult life decisions, though they genuinely attempt to be the best they can be, particularly Topher. This play is making an important statement on what it is to be a victim. It explores how victimhood defines us and how we deal with it, for almost all of the characters have suffered in their past. We can ignore and repress these feelings, but this doesn’t lead to healing; we can make a fetish out of our suffering, but this only locks us into the past and prevents us from living. In the end, Aggie proves that the only way forward is to accept what has happened and recognize what that means for you, but ultimately to let the past be the past.
Cherilyn Price plays Aggie Reynolds, the mother that would never be. Aggie barely copes with loss and it affects her courage in life. In performance Price gives us Aggie’s struggle and is clearly a strong presence on stage. Her daughter Louise (played by Mel Dodge) similarly struggles with a traumatic past. In fact, she defines herself by it. Louise attends everything from support groups and healing centres, to meditation and stone sculpting, all in an effort to finally ‘deal’ with her past. Dodge gives us this ‘love-to-hate’ character, and is a wonderfully tight screw in every scene.
Across town is Carla Nirella whose character Fiona is caught in a deadend relationship with Nathan. Nirella was impressive for producing a nicely measured performance. She showed us the complexities of a long term but tumultuous relationship, where leaving threatens to abandon. Nirella continued to show us how hard this woman struggles to breathe in a partnership that has come to surround her life.
The stand out for the evening was David Jeffery playing Topher. Jeffery arguably produced the most complex character, harmonizing the multiple layers within the man. He presented that instantly recognizable Australian bloke, whilst at the same time negotiating the deep set repression that haunted his character. It was a difficult task which he more than pulled off, producing supple performance.
This is a nicely crafted story, and Allan has a knack for the nuts and bolts scene work, whilst maintaining his broader theme. This is one of the best productions at SITCO this year and well worth the trip in.
An Ordinary Person is playing with the Sydney Independent Theatre Company until the 16th of November. For more details see their website: www.sitco.net
