Kevin Kiernan-Molloy, Andrea James and Elise Hearst in Bright World; photo by Sarah Walker.
Arthur Productions’ latest in an ever growing repertoire of experimental delights is a collage of ideas, images and storylines that never fails to challenge.
The backdrop is two of the darkest periods in human history: the holocaust of the Jews and our own slaughter of Indigenous Australians. Writers/performers Elise Hearst and Andrea James have crafted a provocative and, at times, humorous face off, as the they struggle with the difficulties of producing a project stemming from human rights visionary, William Cooper.
Soon the play grows into a startling examination of repercussions of these tragedies on both women, generations after the event.
Now, who was William Cooper? Cooper was an important but hideously overlooked figure in the struggle for Indigenous equality. He was responsible for pushing for the vote and better conditions on settlements, among many other causes. When hearing of the plight of the Jews in Germany, he lead a march to the German consulate demanding an end to their persecution. He was also a distant relative of Andrea James’ which helped prompt Hearst to seek out James in the first place. It is here that the two stories meet.
Hearst and James both play fictionalised versions of themselves with strong support from an ensemble of three playing multiple characters from both history and the women’s lives. The play is at once a biography, historical drama, dark comedy as well as it’s own, built-in behind the scenes special without feeling unfocused.
In fact, both women have structured all these elements brilliantly, with scenes that zip along with tight, pacy dialogue and exhibiting nuanced reversals and suspense. Coupled this with Paige Rattray’s awe-inspiring direction, and the result is thrilling.
Unfortunately, the problem is with the performances.Hearst and James’ skills as writers far outweigh their skills as actors. With particularly weak voices unable to either fill the space. Nor do their performances reveal anything more than surface level choices, leaving subtext feeling a bit neglected. This leaves us with characters that seem clever but, at times, without depth. Hearst’s timing, in particular, often slips.
The ensemble fare a little better, Kevin Kiernan-Molloy and Guy Simon are standouts. Design work by Romaine Harper is sensational: coming into the aircraft hanger that is Theatreworks, it is a delightful surprise to find the place utterly transformed into an indoor basketball court, complete with actors shooting hoops, one cannot help but be impressed. Another highlight is when, we are all invited to a bat mitzvah in the third act, transforming the theatre again from head to toe with inspired simplicity.
Eye-opening, daring, sobering and even heartwarming, the world premiere of Bright World is one hell of a trip. Hearst’s wonderful wit and James’ poetry are a marriage made in linguistic heaven with the ultimate aim to provoke discussion and reflection. For the most part, they hit the bullseye. Both make clear that this subject is far more complex than can be covered in an hour and a half, but it’s an awesome start.
Rating: 3.5 stars out of 5
Bright World
Presented by Arthur Productions
Writers: Elise Hearst and Andrea James
Director: Paige Rattray
Producer: Belinda Kelly
Set Design: Romanie Harper
Sound Design/ Composition: Tom Hogan
Lighting Design: Emma Valente
Choreographer: Kurt Phelan
Assistant Director: Olivia Satchell
with Elise Hearst, Andrea James, Kevin Kieran-Molloy, Shari Seabees and Guy Simon
Theatre Works, St. Kilda
Theatreworks.org.au
Until 30 April 2016
