"
Great Falls" by Lee Blessing, directed by Anna Crawford, is playing at the
Ensemble Theatre in Kirribilli from the 2nd of February.
This
two character play of 90 minutes with no interval is an intense experience. There
was brief plot required semi nudity and also, some shocking revelations revealed
sexual content. I sat amidst a mostly middle-aged audience on a sparkler of a Sydney
summer afternoon. The question for me when I watch emotionally challenging and disquieting
plays is always, 'Did I care about these characters? Did I care about what happened
to them when I peered briefly into their world from my comfortable seat?' The answer
in this case is yes. I was transported by them.
Bitch,
played by Erica Lovell, was very much the 'headphones on, block all attempts of
warmth and connections' older teen, who was very trying on one's patience. Monkey-Man,
Bitch's ex-stepfather played by Christopher Stollery, is initially a man looking
for connection with his birth family in his revisit to his past, as well as connection
with his now ex-family whom he betrayed.
Both
characters need redemption, to confess and find a way to move on to the next chapter
in their lives. This play is a road journey and there is no going back the same
way. The journey is circular and is thus resolved for both characters with hope
for the future.
We
are immersed into this road trip through excellent staging brought to us by Verity
Hampson's lighting and AV design, by Stephen Toulmin's sound design as well as the
flexible and inventive set by Michael Hankin. The seamless transition from from
car to motel, to National Park was what enabled me to suspend my reality and connect
with the difficult and confronting dilemmas that both characters faced.
This
play is not easy to sit with but Anna Crawford's direction put me in an emotional
space where I could safely see, without harsh judgement, how complex life can be
when reaction to personal histories dictate current decisions.
By
Marie Su
