PATRICIA CORNELIUS’ ‘SLUT’ @ THE OLD FITZ

Oh, the road some people walk down….You kind of know that there is no way this is going to come to any good but alas, one just  can’t stop them…Maybe it is fate or perhaps it comes down to character, how they are made….

In Melbourne playwright Patricia Cornelius’ play SLUT we follow Lolita’s journey through the eyes of her friends. Over the course of many years, from early childhood to adulthood…

Two words best describe Lolita – precocious and daring. She is the first to do and try everything. She is the fearless leader. As the girls say – ‘her life is was so full, it filled ours.’

Lolita hits adolescence with just a smidgen of caution and then a whole smattering of recklessness. Her friends are in awe, well, at first!This is the bare bones to Cornelius dark, cautionary tale, of a brash, high spirited individual who goes of the rails.

Erin Taylor helms a tight, incisive production. Her cast manage to work well within the confines of the set which has been made for the later show.

Jessica-Belle Keogh gives a very watchable performance as the combustible Lolita. It’s kind of ironic that the scene that stands out the most is the one where the spotlight falls solely and sharply on her, and she speaks of being a girl who doesn’t know what she wants…or what she thinks..and doesn’t have any goals. Perhaps her brashness and rash sexuality were just her ways of filling her void.

Julia Dray, Danielle Stamoulos, Maryann Wright and Bobbie-Jean Henning play Lolita’s friends who fill in Lolita’s ‘story’ for us, as well  as playing a range of other characters who ‘fall’ into Lolita’s path.

In this tight drama which runs just a skimpy forty minutes Cornelius has an overhanging plot which comes starkly into play at the close.

Recommended, Patricia Cornelius SLUT is playing the Old Fitz until the 24th June at the early start time of 6.15 pm. Check Redline’s website for performance dates.

http://www.redlineproductions.com.au

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It is only 40 minutes long however word of mouth is saying that Patricia Cornelius play is going to cause quite a stir.

 

SLUT had a very strong reaction when it was performed last year at Festival Fatale produced by Women in Theatre and Screen (WITS).

 

SLUT charts Lolita’s journey from being a pre-teen, when her life is pretty much under the wing and whim of her parents and family, to her late teens when she has well and truly started to step out on her own, and own her thoughts, feelings and sexuality.Erin Taylor is directing the piece and I had a brief chat with her. The production comprises a cast of five, with the actresses coming from different drama schools around the country.

 

Jessica-Belle Keogh plays the main and only fully fledged character, Lolita. Julia Dray, Danielle Stamoulos, Maryann Wright and Bobbie-Jean Henning play a variety of characters which she comes across, as well as, at times, forming a chorus which  comments on the action.

 

Taylor described how Lolita is something of a free, adventurous spirit, a party girl who lives a bit on the wild side. Some around her see her as a bit of a provocateur, that her behaviour is sluttish.

 

One night things come to a head and she is sexually assaulted. People are divided about the incident. Some people say that she asked for it, others are appalled about what happened and fear that independent, sexually confident young women will never be respected by a chauvinistic, repressive society.

 

Ease of logistics has meant that the play will take place on the set for The Village Bike. Taylor  said that this wouldn’t be a problem as Cornelius’ play is non naturalistic, flexible and doesn’t require a specified setting. Nate Edmondson’s soundscape with use of modern pop music will help to create the play’s world.

 

Our conversation was coming to end. Did she have any final words to say about what kind of experience theatregoers can expect.

 

“SLUT is not a didactic play. It doesn’t tell you what to think. I see this play as wanting to start a conversation…to get people talking and thinking about the challenges that young women face today.”

 

 

Jessica-Belle Keogh gives a very watchable performance as the combustible Lolita. It’s kind of ironic that the scene that stands out the most is the one where the spotlight falls solely and sharply on her, and she speaks of being a girl who doesn’t know what she wants…or what she thinks..or what her goals are. Perhaps her brashness and rash sexuality was just her way of filling the blanket of emptiness that covers her.

Julia Dray, Danielle Stamoulos, Maryann Wright and Bobbie-Jean Henning play Lolita’s friends who fill in Lolita’s ‘story’ for us, as well  as playing a range of other characters who ‘fall’ into Lolita’s path.

In this tight drama which runs just a skimpy forty minutes Cornelius has an overhanging plot which comes starkly into play at the close.

Recommended, Patricia Cornelius SLUT is playing the Old Fitz until the 24th June at the early start time of 6.15 pm. Check Redline’s website for performance dates.

http://www.redlineproductions.com.au

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It is only 40 minutes long however word of mouth is saying that Patricia Cornelius play is going to cause quite a stir.

 

SLUT had a very strong reaction when it was performed last year at Festival Fatale produced by Women in Theatre and Screen (WITS).

 

SLUT charts Lolita’s journey from being a pre-teen, when her life is pretty much under the wing and whim of her parents and family, to her late teens when she has well and truly started to step out on her own, and own her thoughts, feelings and sexuality.Erin Taylor is directing the piece and I had a brief chat with her. The production comprises a cast of five, with the actresses coming from different drama schools around the country.

 

Jessica-Belle Keogh plays the main and only fully fledged character, Lolita. Julia Dray, Danielle Stamoulos, Maryann Wright and Bobbie-Jean Henning play a variety of characters which she comes across, as well as, at times, forming a chorus which  comments on the action.

 

Taylor described how Lolita is something of a free, adventurous spirit, a party girl who lives a bit on the wild side. Some around her see her as a bit of a provocateur, that her behaviour is sluttish.

 

One night things come to a head and she is sexually assaulted. People are divided about the incident. Some people say that she asked for it, others are appalled about what happened and fear that independent, sexually confident young women will never be respected by a chauvinistic, repressive society.

 

Ease of logistics has meant that the play will take place on the set for The Village Bike. Taylor  said that this wouldn’t be a problem as Cornelius’ play is non naturalistic, flexible and doesn’t require a specified setting. Nate Edmondson’s soundscape with use of modern pop music will help to create the play’s world.

 

Our conversation was coming to end. Did she have any final words to say about what kind of experience theatregoers can expect.

 

“SLUT is not a didactic play. It doesn’t tell you what to think. I see this play as wanting to start a conversation…to get people talking and thinking about the challenges that young women face today.”

 

SLUT will play the Old Fitz between the 13th and the 24th June.