Return to Earth

This new production of Lally Katz’s Return to Earth (which originally premiered at the MTC in 2011, to generally poor reviews) strikes a chord with many experiencing ‘Saturn’s Return’, or the existential crisis that accompanies entering one’s 30s.

Described by the playwright as ‘part coming of age, part family drama’, Return to Earth tells the story of Alice, a girl with a strange worldview who has returned to live with her parents in the small coastal town where she grew up. Her long absence is explained away as a journey to outer space, and her extroverted parents welcome her back with open arms and requests that she chew her food more slowly.

Her brother Tom and best friend Jeanie are less forgiving, as it emerges that Alice left them abruptly to cope with their own life dramas. The prodigal daughter decides that now she’s home, she’ll fall in love and have a baby, and proceeds to make the local mechanic, Theo, her boyfriend. Their relationship repaired, Tom suggests that he, Alice, and his daughter Catta get a place together, in the hope that Theo can join them later. Unfortunately for Alice, several events make it impossible for her to simply fall back into ‘real life’ as easily as she’d planned.

This production places the audience in the mind of Alice, in a beautiful, dialogue-heavy script which is every bit as surreal and original as we’ve come to expect from Lally Katz. As the ditzy Alice, Shari Sebans ensures we laugh and empathise with her character. Her parents, Cleveland (Laurence Coy) and Wendy (Wendy Strehlow) are hilarious and the love they feel for their children is palpable. So too is the emotion felt by Tom towards his sick daughter, as Ben Barber shows his acting credentials on stage far more effectively than in his last two years dealing with soap opera story lines. Scarlett Waters (Catta) deserves a special mention in her professional acting debut, as she pulls off her lines and several well tuned singing pieces perfectly, drawing an outpouring of feeling from the audience. The cast was weakened by the presence of Catherine Terracini (Jeanie), whose acting ability wasn’t evident in her wooden portrayal of a dull character.

The lighting, set, and sound design are all simple and work in unison to accentuate the real human situations occurring on stage. Several costume choices are inspired, notably Catta’s Pikachu onesie. Overall, Arthur and Griffin Independent have successfully reignited a play described by Katz as one of her personal favourites. Her many fans should approve.  

Rating: 3 ½ stars out of 5

Arthur and Griffin Independent present

Return to Earth

By Lally Katz

Director: Paige Rattray

Producer: Belinda Kelly

Set: Arthur

Lighting Designer: Ross Graham

Composer: Tom Hogan

Design Consultant: David Fleischer

Costume Design: Emma Kingsbury

Stage Manager: Victor Areces

Assistant Director: Lucas Jervies

Special Effects: Tom Taylor

Cast: Ben Barber, Laurence Coy, Tahlia Hoffman Hayes, Mark Langham, Shari Sebbens, Wendy Strehlow, Catherine Terracini, Scarlett Waters.

SBW Stables Theatre, Kings Cross

4 – 28 September