Theresa Rebeck’s terrific comedy is set in a posh Upper West Side apartment (wonderfully designed by Ailsa Paterson; there is a tremendous coup de theatre when the walls of the top half of the set slide back to reveal Leonard’s cluttered living room) where four students – Kate, Martin, Izzy and Douglas – gather for a writing seminar tutored by falling literary star Leonard. Each has paid $5000 a head for the chance to have Leonard apply his critical acumen to their work, which he does – witheringly – after a cursory glance at their opening lines.
From the beginning the characters employ words like ‘reductive’ and ‘interiority’; they regard themselves as better writers than Kerouac and they consider an $800 a month apartment in New York as ‘free’ (which is ridiculously cheap, yes, but certainly not ‘free’). They’re all awkwardly unlikable underneath their surface charms, and their self-obsession and fragility makes for some great comedic moments.
The play is about the struggle to be a writer; the art of writing and being touched by the Muse. Why do writers write? What is their purpose? Along the way there are some heated discussions about gender politics; Seminar is also about sex, who is (or isn’t) sleeping with whom, and why; and the pursuit of happiness.
The ensemble cast is also superb. William Zappa as Leonard gives a bravura performance as the abrasive, self centred, well-travelled and blisteringly sarcastic author/tutor who gets everyone’s back up and unethically sleeps with his students (or does he?). A couple of his blowtorch-like monologues leave us, and the characters, stunned and reeling. There were audible gasps on the night I attended.
Matthew Zeremes as Martin gives a tremendous performance as the poor but massively talented young writer struggling to survive; he also has some extremely sexy scenes with Michelle Lim Davidson’s Izzy. The only one of the students without the benefit of connections in the literary world, Martin is torn between trying to survive and nurturing his art. Can Leonard help, or not? Does Leonard see himself reflected in the younger man?
Kate – a powerhouse performance by Matilda Ridgway – comes from a very different world to Martin. She is rich, privileged and well-educated, but still trying to find her ‘voice’ as a writer. Leonard absolutely demolishes her work – which she has been tinkering with for six years – and she has tremendous battles of words and wills with him. We see her fight against her privileged position, and there is a wicked twist when she introduces the possibility that a transvestite Cubano gang leader might be joining the group.
Deliciously sensual and self confident Izzy (Michelle Lim Davidson in a tremendous performance) takes off in this production like a rocket. Leonard likes her extremely explicit exotica, written specifically to catch the eye of publishers looking for hot media properties. But does he only say that to get to sleep with her? Do they sleep together?
Douglas (Felix Gentle) is somewhat quieter and shyer than the others and much better mannered – a real gentleman. However his work, while very good, is scathingly demolished by Leonard in a blistering monologue in which he advises Douglas to prostitute his art and move to Hollywood as a scriptwriter, which is all Leonard considers him good for. Ouch!
Under Anna Crawford‘s scintillating direction the audience is treated to a terrific performance of Rebeck’s script, which is top notch – explosive, powerful, witty, sarcastic and melancholy. (A warning however – some might perhaps be shocked or offended by the very strong language used at times, and the partial nudity.)
There is a lot of intensity and energy in this performance by all the cast; a crackling good show.
Rating: 4 stars out of 5
Seminar
By Theresa Rebeck
Director: Anna Crawford
Assistant Director: Rachel Gordon
Designer: Ailsa Paterson
Lighting Design: Ross Graham
Wardrobe Coordinator: Margaret Gill
Dialect Coach: Natasha McNamara
Cast: Felix Gentle, Michelle Lim Davidson, Matilda Ridgway, William Zappa and Matthew Zeremes
Running time: 100 mins (approx) no interval
The Ensemble Theatre, Kirribilli
15 August – 14 September
(Pictured: Matthew Zeremes and Matilda Ridgway in Seminar. Photo: Steve Lunam.)
