Ladies in Black Canberra season. Images from original season by Rob Maccoll.
Based on Madeleine St John’s 1993 novel, The Women in Black, Queensland Theatre’s latest production is set in Sydney 1959 and revolves around the customer attendants working in the prestigious FG Goodes department store. The adaptation, written by Carolyn Burns, is a nostalgic treat capturing the sentiment and social mores of post-war Australia. With catchy tunes added by song-writing legend, Tim Finn, the production is sure to delight people from that era who can empathise with the experience of growing up in a changing social landscape.
Lesley Miles, played by a doe-eyed Sarah Morrison, is spending her holidays after the last year of high school taking on a six week temporary position in the ladies wear department. Branching out from her sheltered upbringing, she adopts the name of Lisa for her new workplace, a symbolic transition to an adventurous persona which sees her embrace her newfound femininity. In her new role as an iconic ‘lady in black’, Lisa quickly befriends and transforms the lives of her colleagues, who each harbour their own unique issues.
The 29 year old Fay, is worried her past indiscretions and misplaced trust in a married man will banish her to spinsterhood forever. The unhappily married Patty has been desperately trying to conceive for over ten years with her ‘bastard’ husband, finally receiving test results that any infertility problem is not on her part. Then there is the enigmatic Miss Jacobs, whose first name is a secret to everyone except payroll. However the most influential staff member, is the ostracised ‘crazy continental’, Magda, a Lithuanian refugee. Magda is instantly taken with the bookish Lisa and invites her to a luncheon in Mosman to meet her Hungarian husband and friend. Things progress from there with Magda spontaneously deciding to throw a New Years’ Day party.
With such simplistic storylines there is no major conflict in the plot to simmer up dramatic tension. The major drama of Mr Miles’ insistence that Lesley attend secretarial college instead of university is predictably resolved without much plot development. Although the overly long first act introduces a multitude of tangents and attempts to give depth to each character, each separate storyline is conveniently wrapped up in the second half without further complication. The superficial and slightly unrealistic script adds to the feel-good nature of the show, instead shifting the emphasis to the music, as if that’s what the audience really wants to see all along. While the lack of challenging themes tend to make the production regrettably forgettable, the toe-tapping rhythms compensate for the banality of the plot with songs like ‘He’s a Bastard’ and the title track echoing in the head for days afterwards.
With such a small cast, there are few choreographed dance scenes. On Canberra Theatre’s cosy stage the ensemble pieces tend not to suffer the fate of looking too sparse. However, the dance performances overall seem to lack lustre and the moves, though performed stylishly, are fairly generic. The most impressive dance numbers tend to be the more intimate pieces such as those featuring the flamboyant Hungarian Rudi, played by the delightful Bobby Fox. The singing performances are hit and miss. Madeleine Jones as Patty gives a strong rendition in her solo parts, as does Sarah Morrison. Unfortunately the voices in the larger numbers seem to get drowned out the music making it hard to make out the lyrics.
The set design is clever with a mini-orchestra peeking out from backstage behind a meshed curtain. Translucent drapes are also used effectively to simultaneously display separate scenes, such as the distinctly Australian Christmas scene. Revolving turntables on the stage are also used to impressive effect, allowing the easy transfer of props on and off stage. The appearance of the urinal at the end of Patty’s husband, Frank’s ‘sterile song’ is sure to bring some laughs. However, the constant pillars representing columns of the department store look a bit cluttered in some scenes and the mirrored surface is at times distracting.
Overall Ladies in Black is an enjoyable experience. While pleasing to see a uniquely Australian production on stage, the spectacle perhaps lacks sufficient substance to be a resounding classic. Although its songs may endure longer than the play itself, there is no doubt its refreshing to see a predominantly female cast onstage with distinctly female stories. Ladies in Black Is sure to delight many and the success of its tour is testament to its popularity.
Rating: 3 stars out of 5
Ladies in Black
A Queensland Theatre Production
National Tour
Performing at The Canberra Theatre
27 March to 2 April
