This year marks the thirtieth anniversary of the first production of this landmark Australian play. While Sport For Jove’s production, as co- directed by Damien Ryan and Samantha Young, has some terrific segments, it a little uneven, mainly in the first half, where the acting, at times, seemed a little forced.
The staging was excellent – Lucilla Smith’s set design was very impressive – lyrical and simple, featuring a stage partially raked and there was a very effective use of light drapes which were sometimes tied back.
Ben Brockman’s lighting was vibrantly atmospheric. The storm scene towards the end of the first act was very well done, and a little reminiscent of Philippe Genty in style.
The costume designs by Jonathan Hindmarsh were fabulous, especially for the ultra posh Carol, and they were so very nineteen sixties for the New Year’s Eve party.
The soundscape featured Mendelssohn, as originally written, and had the addition of some electronic music and extracts of nineteen sixties songs.
Gow’s play, set in 1967-68, looks at themes around love, loss/grief, and the complexity of family relationships. Through the play there are frequent references to two of Shakespeare’s finest works, A Midsummer’s Night’s Dream and King Lear.
Ryan opens the production with a very hippie/flower power tone in the end of year school production, with a protest against the Vietnam War happening, and guns and flowers being manipulated by the fairies.
Gow’s play sees us follow the journey of three families over the Christmas holiday period. We see how Roy, a headmaster, and Coral, his wife, come to realise that their marriage is fragmenting as they grieve the death of their son in the Vietnam War.
Christopher Tomkinson as Roy uses a strong, bluff shield to hide his private grief. Coral, well played by the blonde, elegant Angela Bauer is spaced out, fragile and very vulnerable.
Tom, an English immigrant and a pupil at Roy’s school, knows that he is dying of leukaemia even though his parents, Harry and Vic, have yet to tell him. Tom’s family know that this could be their last holiday together, so they are determined to have fun. Tom was magnificently played by James Bell, in a passionate, finely nuanced performance. His love of life and eagerness to experience its joys and sorrows was wonderfully portrayed. Bell also doubles as Rick with whom Coral has a brief fling with.
Tom’s father Harry was well played by Michael Cullen, as was the part of his mother Vic in a fine performance by Danielle King. Both hide their grief and try to grab as much joy as they can out of their remaining time with their son.
The other family comprises Gwen, her husband Jim and their daughter Meg. Meg is a fellow student at Tom and Roy’s school and featured in the school play with Tom.
Meg was brilliantly played by stunning, redhaired Georgia Scott in a vulnerable yet delightful performance. Gwen is extremely uptight, stressed and tense – Sarah Woods plays her this way yet also reveals her under the surface complexities. Under the thumb Jim, as played by Berynn Schwerdt has to deal with the family volatility and retain a semblance of normality.
There is a mutual affection between Meg and Tom that is challenged and developed during a sex scene, which starts off joyously but becomes very tense when Tom – who know he will die soon- becomes desperate and pleads with Meg to “Let (him) do it to (her)”.
Following a devastating storm the three families end up back at the beach, the play’s primary setting, with the aim to make the most of the rest of their holidays. Their mutual antagonism is scrutinised and concluded. The ending of the play is very poignant.
Running time 2 hours 20 including one interval.
Sport for Jove’s production of AWAY by Michael Gow played the Reginald theatre at the Seymour Centre between the 22nd and 25th June 2016