This wonderful observation of family life and attitudes in the 1960s was published in 1997 and first produced the same year. The play is thought to be semiautobiographical.

This fine production from the Darlington Theatre Players can be seen nightly at the Marloo Theatre, Marloo Road, Greenmount until 21^st March. Curtain up at 8.00 pm.

The stage is divided into three areas. To the left is a hospital bed complete with drips etc. At the rear of the stage is a raised area representing the mother’s home, with black drapes for the walls. The simplicity of the scene is compensated for by the high quality of the props, ranging from an old record player to antique furniture (Carol Hall).

On the right is a turntable stage with a 1960s kitchen on one-half and on rotation a comfortable 1990s sitting room. Again, the extras make the scene, such as little touches as the calendar changing as the years go by. Another clever set from George Boyd.

       The opening scene is an intensive care unit of the local hospital. An elderly woman takes a deep breath through her oxygen mask. This is Kate Macrae (Amanda Minutillo). Her loving and caring daughter, Judy Macrae (Kerri-Anne Mulley) and her son, who has travelled from France to see her, visit the mother. The son, Stephen Macrae (Paul Reed) is more interested in getting back home, than talking to his matriarchal mother. Even on her deathbed, Kate is not giving up on being the boss.

      As they, sit chatting in the ward, Kate recalls her now departed, racially bigoted and politically one-eyed husband, Ron. The mother, despite having suffered at his hand for years, stills seems to show affection for the bully.

      Later at the mother’s home, the siblings are going through old photos and letters in preparation for her passing. As they talk, there is a flashback to the stormy lifestyle in their 1963 childhood home, where the father Ron Macrae (Richard Milner) is trying to run rehearsals for a community play. A younger Kate Macrae (Irma McCullen) is trying to help a very nervous, incompetent actress, Maureen Donahue (Alyssa Burton – hilarious) struggle through her lines. Director, Ron is far too busy admiring the many ‘qualities’ of another actress, Claire (Rachel Bartlett).

      A couple of years later, in 1965, as the family are eating their breakfast, the father is ranting as usual and the young son, Stephen Macrae (Ben Constantin) tells his kid sister, Judy Macrae (Elanor Cooper-Ritter) that he is going to leave home and his Uni course, travel abroad and become a film director.

       Does the passing of the years mellow this family?

As the scenes are many (two dozen) and quite short, I suspect that this play was written with TV or cinema in mind, with simple intercutting between scenes. Despite clever set design and fast changes by the crew, the flow was inevitably broken up.

David Bain operated both Greg Rusha’s sound design, and Michael Hart’s intricate lighting design.

Director Hayley Derwort and her assistant Rachel Vonk are two of Marloo’s younger members, both of them directing for the first time. They were faced with a large number of very different characters in the script, but this did not faze them, the interaction between the actors, the pace and the chemistry all worked well. The acting was such that the lady behind me in the audience kept forgetting it was a play, and became quite irate at the attitude of the father – especially to immigration – and to the son’s feelings for his mother, with comments like ‘He can’t say that!’ and ‘That is terrible!’. A sure sign that the cast and directing are working as one. A very good first stab at direction, the slickness will come after a few shows.

This play is very different to David Williamson’s normal, easy-going, fun plays. It is a wonderful, punchy observation of family life, combined with the outdated viewpoints; it is amazing how much opinions have changed for the better in just a couple of decades. We also get a brief glimpse at the employment conditions of the 60s. The younger Kate Macrae (Irma McCullen) captured the wife’s torment perfectly and her spar with Stephen (Ben) is one of the play’s highlights.

Rachel was also responsible for the costumes, which demanded styles from several eras, from 1960s flares and Paisley, to the attire of the 2000s. Her clever outfits described the fashion and personality of the wearer instantly.

Certainly worth seeing. There are plenty of laughs, but with many occasions where you will cringe at the diabolical dialogue. Very well acted, another winning production from Marloo.

The first play of the trilogy was presented at Stirling Theatre, the second at The Old Mill and this final, 90-minute episode is now showing at KADS (Kalamunda Dramatic Society), Town Square Community Theatre, Kalamunda every Wednesday, Friday and Saturday night at 8.00 until 9^th August.

The exceptional set is of a carpeted corporate office, complete with water cooler, coffee trolley and several chairs. The walls are dove grey, with a royal blue feature wall showing the company’s logo. The set was solidly built and gave a very spacious appearance to the limited stage area. Set design was by Chris Ellis, who was aided in the décor by Karen Woodcock-Hall.

          The office door opens and the youngish, casually dressed facilitator, Jack Manning (Rhett Clarke) enters the meeting room of the charity organisation, ‘Enabling and Caring’. He arranges the chairs and just as he sits, two middle-aged women enter. They are frumpily dressed Amanda (Caroline McDonnell), Head of Programme Management, with her best friend and colleague, the project officer, Stella (Karen Woodcock-Hall).

        Feeling that they have been bullied and insulted at work, they have asked the Chairman of the Board, Brian (John Pomfret) for a conciliation meeting. Brian confirmed to the facilitator that his company was a charity, supporting intellectually disabled children and adults.

        When the old and supportive CEO left, the new ‘get-ahead’, perfectly groomed female CEO, Bridget (Gael Campbell-Young), replaced him. She is attending the meeting with her young clique, marketing manager Guilia (Kristen Twynam-Perkins) and young Cassie (Kassandra Smith) who has just taken over as financial controller from Amanda.

       As Jack settles down to interviewing the group, he nibbles away at the various versions of what has gone on, confirming various points with the company’s HR specialist, Tamsyn (Natalie Aung Tan).

Do the two women really have a genuine case of bullying? Or are they just jealous of the new CEO and her daring and exciting new ideas?

This topic is very much in the news, with legal cases almost every day for various forms of bullying and sexual harassment.

The cast were all very strong, but the two main characters, Amanda and Bridget were outstanding. The actors who played them were both very new to the stage; Caroline captured the withdrawn and nervous Amanda perfectly. It is hard to believe that Gael has only been acting for a few months. She had a major part with a complex character, yet the dialogue flowed naturally and with all the correct body movements and expressions. The audience could be heard to gasp on several occasions and the truth was revealed.

The director, Christine Ellis, took over the third part of the trilogy from her son. Brendan did an amazing job directing the first two parts. The direction called for real, in-depth character studies for each actor, with their lines being delivered with subtlety. The cast melded beautifully.

A little bit of a hike to Kalamunda, but well worth the trip. An excellent show, great script and terrific performances. Try and catch it before it goes.

Despite the Garrick being one of the smallest theatres in WA, the clever design by George Boyd – who really can think laterally – has a government office on one side, and Katy’s apartment on the other of a rotating stage. There were pullout flats on each side of the stage that gave a most realistic company office and a street scene complete with bus stop. Finally there was an amazing patio scene (photo or another Tim Prosser piece of magic?) with the house doors etc in the background. The rotations and set changes (some 20 in total) were very quick and almost unobtrusive, thanks to SM Maureen Harvie and her assistants, John Lobb and Hilary Lewis. 

        The curtain rose to Rob Hyner’s piano version of ‘It ain’t necessarily so’ to show an office in the Anti-discrimination Commission. At her desk is the smart, but officious Mediator, Marion (Sarah House), who is listening to Susie (Samantha Morey) a young woman who asserts that she has had months of vile, lewd innuendos ending in sexual fondling by her chauvinistic employer, Gary (Jon Watts).

        Back in her sister’s flat, we learn from her sister, Katy (Amanda Watson) – shock horror, a lesbian – that scheming Susie is a liar, and cannot be trusted with money. Then, from her ‘born again Christian’ brother, Paul (Rhett Clarke) we glean that her lifestyle is sluttish. The three siblings reluctantly decide to invite their father, Brian (Gino Cataldo) around for a birthday treat.

        Gary, who is a happily married family man, is horrified by Susie’s assertions and so discusses the situation and consequences with his business partner, Vince (John Forde), to see what they can do to save the business and their reputation.

        Will the Tribunal discover the truth?

Williamson’s brilliantly constructed plays rely on subtly, as the layers of story are peeled back like an onion. Director, Dale James captured the feel of the play perfectly, interpreted the richly written characters, before leading the talented and experienced cast through the emotions and intricacies of the story.

The lighting (designed by Don Allan) and sound were smoothly operated by Clayton Reichert.

The initial announcement now comes across clearly, however, I am sorry to come back to this point, but the air-con is still the worst in the business. Last night the cooling was full on – at 18C (?) – and the large ceiling fans set at full speed. This caused noise and draughts. The fans were switched off after the interval, but it was still too cold. Eavesdrop on the patrons whilst they are having their interval coffee, you will learn so much about their thoughts on the show and the venue. On a plus, the warmth of the welcome and service at the Garrick is supreme. Are they the only theatre to offer an apple juice as an alternative to the sherry – great idea? After that whinge, I must praise the production. The chemistry of the actors was first class, some powerful and emotional performances.

A highly recommended play, but book because last night was a sell out. With the new Great Eastern Highway, even Guildford isn’t far from the freeway.

This somewhat confronting ADULT presentation can be seen at the Old Mill Theatre on Mends Street, South Perth opposite the Windsor Hotel and Australia Post. The 95-minute performances – no interval – start at 8.00 nightly, with the run going until Saturday 17th August. There is only one matinee; it is on Sunday the 11th August at 2.00 pm.

Last year, the same talented young director, Brendan Ellis, presented for Stirling Players the first in this Jack Manning trilogy. This second play of the trilogy again explores the use of ‘community conferencing’ that was pioneered by the organisation Transformative Justice Australia; it is a process where the criminal and his victim discuss, face to face, the wrong-doings in an attempt to find a mutual resolution.

It is a smart hotel conference room in Perth, and mediator Jack Manning (Rhett Clarke) is setting out the armchairs ready for a conference. The door opens and a smartly dressed, but very nervous young lady enters, she is Lorin (Katrina Murphy) the psychologist who counselled Scott (voiceover by Zachary Drieberg) a rapist and murderer who is now in prison. Petrified, Lorin tells Jack that she has changed her mind about the whole face to face confrontation, but is soon talked into staying.

A middle-aged couple then apprehensively enter the room. They are Derek (Gino Cataldo), who is filled with anger and his wife Barbara (Lis Hoffmann – superb) Milsom, they are the parents of Donna, Scott’s victim. Barbara is close to a mental breakdown at the loss of her daughter.

Into the room come the family of the perpetrator. Coral (Gail Lusted) Scott’s ever-adoring mother, brother Mick (Brodie Masini – tremendous) a shy withdrawn young lad, his sister Gail (Natasha Stiven) who has just left university and Coral’s brother, businessman Uncle Bob (Andrew Watson).

Are the families wasting their time by being there, or can the conference bring any consolation?

 

Director Brendan Ellis and his assistant Michelle Endersbee have worked superbly as a team to get the entire cast to understand the depth of their characters. I suspect that they have employed the Mike Leigh technique by getting them to inhabit the part in their daily lives.

An impressive luxury set, right down to the stained floorboards (Michael Trestrail, Brendan Ellis) with smart matching armchairs and comfortable fittings (Dale James). Simple but effective lighting design by Ben Davis.The music was deliberately neutral and relaxing, unobtrusive, very well composed by Grant Windsor and played by his trio of Grant, Sam Anning and Ben Vanderwahl.

The actors move around just the right amount as their blood pressure surges. The chemistry between the actors was electric, with the interaction between them flawless. The meeting starts on a peaceful level, but before long we are taken on a tense rollercoaster of emotions as the facts gradually come into the open. The wonderful acting soon has you changing allegiances and sympathies – but not for long. The first of the trilogies was one of my favourite plays last year, and this one is equally skilfully written and presented.

This is not an easy night at the theatre but then again theatre should be about stirring the emotions and this certainly does that. If you fancy something different, clever, well-written and adeptly presented, then I can highly recommend this powerful drama.