Caroline Simone O’Brien and Raoul Craemer. Photo by Chuckle Photography.
Ostensibly And then there were three is a simple story – boy and girl meet, fall in love, fall pregnant and then they have to redefine themselves as a couple and as individuals as they adapt to their new life. It’s told in a very interesting way, however, with puppetry and simple staging helping tell the story.
This production managed to provoke tears as well as laughter, long and loud, perfectly mirroring the rollercoaster of emotions that come with parenthood.
Husband and wife combination Craig Alexander and Shelly Higgs wrote the piece based on their own experiences. The production is low key, with set pieces made on the kitchen table, but the dream they have of taking it to full production is well worth pursuing. Certainly the current staging, as basic as it is, works well enough and helps to showcase the at times raw emotions on stage.
The cast were brilliant – Craig Alexander takes on the role of the father, whose dream of musical stardom is given a cruel blow by the need to ‘grow up and support his family’. You can really feel his pain, as he struggles to do what is right even though it makes him so miserable.
Caroline Simone O’Brien was wonderful as the mother, trying her best to be it all and struggling to live with the fact she’s just normal, and that means sometimes she won’t make it. In particular, the moments where she portrays a mother starting to spiral out of control as post natal depression sets in were heartbreaking. And I certainly believed her love of the puppet baby when she handled it.
Raoul Craemer is the puppeteer, moving in and out of the human actors, not just with the baby puppet but with the props as well. It is he more than anyone that provides the humour of the piece, mostly in physical form.
There’s a couple of elements that won’t be to the taste of some theatre goers – for example, the cast often interact with the audience so if you prefer your theatre to remain distant, be warned. Also, at times the humour is ribald. Neither of these detracted from my enjoyment of the piece.
My one criticism is the pacing of the piece isn’t quite right. The middle felt slow, with repetition of the two adults meeting again at the end of the day and neither one of them capable of hearing the other.
All in all, it was an enjoyable experience and one that is capable of touching many hearts and making many people smile. And wince in sympathy.
4 stars
And Then There Were Three
The Street Theatre, Canberra
4 – 8 December
