Presented by House of Sand/Holden Street Theatres
Reviewed 21 November 2018
British writer Alice Birch won the George Devine Award (for a promising playwright) in 2014, with her work Revolt. She Said. Revolt Again.
Composed of a series of vignettes, the piece deconstructs those frameworks which we often take so for granted that we don’t notice them until they are flipped: language; work; mothering; marriage and so forth. For the most part Birch does this with sharpness, humour and dialogue which is arranged almost lyrically. In fact there are times when it sounds more like a libretto than a script. Unfortunately, the writing markedly drops off in the last two of the four acts, descending into cacophony and disappointing cliché. One yearns for a rewrite…
Despite its flaws, this is a rich piece of work for a director, as Charles Sanders has clearly decided. Sanders’s light and sympatico touch is obvious. The cast – Fiona Press, Eliza Sanders, Amy Victoria Brooks, Enya Daly and Richard Hilliar – are outstanding, both as individuals and as an ensemble. They deliver the work with authenticity, subtletly and robust humour. Simple but highly effective staging adds depth and gently supports the action without taking over.
This is a thought-provoking night in the theatre and certainly a production worth your time.
Reviewed by Tracey Korsten
Twitter: @TraceyKorsten
Rating out of 5: 4
Venue: Holden Street Theatres
Season: 21sts November-2nd December
Duration: 90 minutes
Tickets: $20-$28
Bookings: http://sales.securetix.net.au/event.php?feed_id=MDAwMDUwMDAwMDAwMzIzMg%3D%3D&event_id=507
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