Two Peas Theatre Company presents David Mamet’s EDMOND @ Old 505 Theatre

Oleg Pupovac as Edmond and Naomi Livingstone as Glenna
Oleg Pupovac as Edmond and Naomi Livingstone as Glenna in Two Peas Theatre Company’s production of EDMOND

On their Facebook page, Two Peas, the production company behind EDMOND playing at Old 505 theatre, have called the Sydney independent theatre “you inconsistent thing you” and bemoan their current low ticket sales for the season. And they are right. You can build it but they still might not come. I am going to try encouraging you to go to this production, mainly because of what they have built.

The title character, Edmond has an unplanned encounter with a fortune teller who sees him as being in the wrong place. For some reason a series of inner workings begin to move inside him. He leaves his wife, ranges around the city in search of sex at the cheapest price, and assaults or kills almost everyone he meets. He is both driven and apathetic, and purposeful yet blown by circumstances. Edmond thinks that he is free because the middle aged businessman he was just up and left.

David Mamet is an important playwright (Sexual Perversity in Chicago and the film scripts for The Verdict and Malcolm X among his credits). EDMOND is from 1982 and it is creaky. It is still shocking in its way and the everyman themes might strike a chord but no longer can portrayals of sexual assault, racism and murder be redeemed by a manufactured finale of acceptance.

So if the play as written is annoying why go? There’s an excellent reason. This is a very well constructed production.

The company have created a lovely atmosphere in the intimate space where the neon of the cityscape is reflected in the building blocks of the black and white set and supplemented by the traffic noise from Elizabeth Street below and Tegan Nicholls’ music. The 23 scenes of the play are well delineated and the costuming reflects the period without being distractingly on show.

Oleg Pupovac is Edmond. In the first scene, the fortune teller uses a hand of tarot cards to motivate Edmond to action and there is a hands and fists motif through the production. Pupovac uses his large hands to considerable effect as he gestures pointedly or holds his arms at his sides. And he moves so well around the small stage.

Sometimes aimless and wandering behind the curtains. at other times zeroing in on a target after standing and watching. The dialogue is very clipped, but with explosions into violence and obscenity, and then dropping back into staccato. Pupovac handles this very well also and his energetic performance holds the show together.

The ensemble of Naomi Livingstone, Cheyne Fynn and Tara Clark play the other 24 roles between them without gender constrictions. Skilful directing by Glen Hamilton has allowed these actors to be able to change costume, shoes, hats even jewellery, quickly yet still bring a fully realised character into the scene. The women are both excellent.

To show who Edmond was there is only one brief scene with his wife and Clark brings the exact emotional bewilderment to the scene. In the same way, Livingstone brings real truth to the character of Glenna who thinks she may have found something good only to be blindsided by Edmond’s cruelty. Cheyne Fynn has the most difficult task as the street characters are written with limited scope for variety and he is a little samey. His Pawn Shop Owner is also a little overdrawn but his work allows the scenes to have the reality needed to develop Edmond’s increasingly bizarre behaviour.

I enjoyed Two Peas’ previous production JENNIFER FOREVER too. EDMOND is a quality show built with care and presented with intent and supporting this independent theatre production will give you both an enjoyable night out and chance to see the work of a rising Sydney theatre company.

Two Peas production of David Mamet’s EDMOND plays at the Old 505 Theatre until 26th July.

For more about EDMOND, visit http://www.venue505.com/theatre