She is also a member of Ensemble Studio Theater’s Youngblood, a group of emerging playwrights under the age of 30.

This 80-minute (no interval), Black Martini Theatre’s production can be seen for a sensible ticket price, in Murdoch University’s Studio 411, opposite car park 4 in Murdoch University, South Street, Murdoch. The curtain rises at 7.00 pm each evening, until Saturday 11^th June.

Thomas Dimmick’s lounge room set design was representational of the New England 18^th century wood panelled rooms. There was a patio window with a rod curtain. In the corner was a toy box. Central stage was an Axminster runner carpet with several beautiful antique chairs.

Stage manager Rebecca Dilley, assisted by Sean Wcislo had one of the best stage teams I have seen in months. Even with major pieces of furniture, each member was totally focused and moved onto the stage, placed or removed the props and left, with no scene change taking more than 3 or 4 seconds. Superb work.

       Mrs March, Marmee (Maddy Jolly Fuentes) has gathered her four daughters in the sitting room. She tells them how their father had been wounded in the Civil War, and that she must go to his side. The girls’ faces showed their devastation at the news, however, when their mother left the room the mood changed.

      Happy but sickly Beth (Virginia Cole) coughs into her handkerchief and sets off to see elderly Mr Lawrence (Michael Casas) in an attempt to borrow money to pay for her mother’s trip.  Uncaring and self-centred, thirteen year old Amy (Claire Tebbutt) immediately complains about the economies that will be required to pay for the mother’s ticket. Meg (Cat Perez) starts to fantasise about meeting a man, because in their remote home she has never even met one.

      Meg decides that they should put on a play to cheer themselves up. Bolshie and politically inclined Jo (Shannen Precious), being the most verbose and snide, is insistent on playing the male part. Then like a gift from God, handsome, alluring Laurie (Hock Edwards) appears, Meg is excited, could this be her big chance? Unfortunately, Laurie sets off to travel the world. The family receive a visit from John, sorry, ‘call me Mr Brooke’ (Matthew Abercromby) – Meg is happy again.

     When the dashing German Professor Bhaer (Will Moriarty) arrives, Jo shuns his attentions. Will she never marry?

 

As you may gather, this play is NOT a version of Louisa May’s Civil War novel, ‘Little Women’, it is more of an anti-play. It mocks the mellifluous overtones of the original, being full of dry, sarcastic and disrespectful humour, in a superbly written, acerbic script.

Director, Jessica Serio, has presented a first-class comedy, by selecting a magnificent cast who fully understand the subtleties of the author’s writing. Jess has staged the play as though it were a BBC tv series, complete with fine costumes (costume design – Anna Weir) and clever lighting (design – Kiah Van Vlijmen). The choice of background music and sound effects by designer Tijana Šimić are perfect.

The cast enunciate and deliver their lines as would be expected for the original, but the brazen attitude of the daughters, and their outlook on life, is very much contemporary. The sisters can be real bitches to each other. The understated, almost throw away delivery coupled with a perfect pace, added greatly to the zany situation.

This is one of the funniest plays in months that works particularly well because of the skilled team presenting it.

The set was simple, a couple of chairs and a back screen. The filming and background projection (David Cox) showed Cooper Van Vlijmen as young Harvey, swimming in the ocean. Good makeup and hair design from Sophie Braham and Cassee Lazic.

        The scene opens with Harvey (Eamonn Skov), a depressed teenager who has lost interest in the world. He is standing on a beach staring at the tide waxing and waning, recalling how a decade earlier he had almost drowned. Harvey’s mother (Chloé Laffar) misses her husband, Arnold (Ryan Partridge) who disappeared all those years ago. She is distraught at the change in her son, as he mindlessly watches videos and trolling the internet.

       Harvey has a new girlfriend, Emma (Claire Tebbutt), who is determined to drag him back to normality. Then one evening, Harvey is visited by two spirits, one is smiling and in a bright flowery dress (costumes Abbey McCaughan), she is Hope (Katherine O’Brien – excellent) the other is in an army garb, lackadaisical and laconic, Doubt (Hannah Anderson – superb). They talk to Harvey and suggest that he goes back to the same beach that he almost drowned at, because he lost most of his soul there.

       Harvey recalls the love of his life from that terrible time a decade ago, Rebecca (Tarryn McGrath) and sees himself as the much younger man (Sean Mackey).

       Onto the scene appears The Keeper (Bella Doyle, very good), or Suit as she is affectionately know. ‘Suit’ is a stern, manipulative woman determined to ruin anyone that steps in her way, so will Harvey be able to regain what has been lost all of these years?

Anthony KJ has written a fairly simple story, but skilfully blended in some advanced ideas and moods. Sadly, psychological themes are one of the hardest to direct and perform. The cast worked hard, but the tale did not quite click. The pace was about 20% too slow; admittedly, Harvey was depressed, but most of the other characters should have been operating at normal speed.

Because Harvey did not give any affection, or shows little response, does not mean that the others should have been ‘traumatised’ too, by also lacking in normal, affectionate chemistry. The mother and girlfriend should have been physically closer, touching, with cuddles, pecks and kisses.

A couple of suggestions; keep eye contact with the person that you are talking to; often the actors addressed the heavens. Develop a second octave – usually a lower one – as beginners or nervous actors, often go up an octave and stay there for their performances. Work your waist and neck muscles, ‘Hope’ was very good, radiating her feelings, and ‘Doubt’ who was deliberately static, allowed her magnificent expressions to say it all.

This was an advanced play, difficult to perform, but given a wonderfully bold attempt by the writer, directors and cast.