Felicity Tchorlian’s directing debut surpasses expectations in this modernised and intimate adaptation of Love is a Time of Day. This is a tale of complex relationships and lack thereof; it examines the reality of our interactions and the fantasies we weave from our own ideals. Here, an impoverished calculus student and an uptight mummy’s girl with ultra-high standards grapple with desire in all its forms, perfectionism, jealousy, power struggles and the very real threat of finding a shop mannequin in bed with your beloved, er, “bro”.
Honest and desperate performances from both Madden and Rouvray make this lust story hook the viewer in from scene one. Rouvray and Madden bring plenty of passion to their performances, with loads of sexual tension in the air. In the air also: the gaseous exploits of Lilo, the leading dog who plays Skipper (and quite convincingly).
Sydney is lovingly woven throughout and referenced in this play. Another interesting device slows down the pace of the action via the use of less-than-efficient automated voice recognition software. Realism.
The stage has been brilliantly utilised, with the audience seated in a very intimate living room, right in the midst of the set. Tchorlian has used space ingeniously, with the actors traipsing in and out of the front door, clambering through windows onto the street in Forest Lodge, and the dynamic use of props like closets renders the interactions between Skipper and Mac real, and playful, and tragic.
Rumour has it that on opening night, Madden’s leg was sliced open by a falling shard of mirror from said closet, explaining a large bandage on his knee. This could have passed for costume, since his character suffers (or perhaps feigns) plenty of convenient injuries.
A mesmerising performance by Madden, with surprising bursts of close-to-home comedy mingled with the pain of emotional detachment. The only distraction being an occasional switch from conversational dialogue to prose. Watching these actors up close, in their underpants, makes one lament the loss the general population has suffered by missing out on this performance.
Thank goodness the mirror didn’t cut too deep.
Love is a Time of Day
Written by John Patrick
Directed by Felicity Tchorlian
Starring Grace Rouvray as April McGregor and Ryan Madden as Skipper Allen
A site-specific location, Forest Lodge, NSW
2-4 October
