Love Child opens with Billie (Anna Cheney) addressing the audience, describing her fairytale, romanticised vision of the first meeting with her biological mother, Anna. It is a detailed account, complete with music, echoed by Anna (Chrissie Page).
This seamlessly segues into reality, as Billie arrives at Anna’s and they begin a journey of discovery of who they are, who Anna was – both before and after Billie’s birth and surrender – and who she is now.
There is a beautiful, touching and funny synchronicity between Cheney and Page. They conduct themselves with decorum and aplomb, initially. They have us laughing out loud at the awkwardness of this first meeting. With each perceived similarity – such as Billie being an actor/Anna a film editor – there is a witty collapse into the reality of each other’s perception of their opposite.
Anna Cheney is a perfect blend of blonde ditz and hidden, shrewd intellect. Jackie Page is a human contradiction – being cold and aloof, while still finding moments of great warmth and sensitivity, hidden under decades of repressed pain. Set only with a designer couch and lamp, together, Cheney and Page command the small stage of Higher Ground’s Art Base.
The final twist and the bookend monologue from Anna round out a faultless performance about love, family, feminism and femininity. Charles Sanders has directed a must-see piece of Fringe theatre.
Rating: Five stars
Love Child
By Joanna Murray-Smith
A Theatre Performance by Early Worx
Directed by Charles Sanders
Performed by Anna Cheney and Chrissie Page
Higher Ground – Light Square – The Art Base
February 26 and 29, March 2 & 3, Mar 8, 14 and 17
Adelaide Fringe
February 24 – March 18
www.adelaidefringe.com.au
