Presented by: State Theatre Company South Australia and Sydney Theatre Company
Reviewed: 14 February, 2023
“Some things are so awful you have to laugh”. It is this premise that encapsulates the shock and the humour of Edward Albee’s now classic American play, opening State Theatre Company South Australia’s 2023 season.
In the style of a contemporary Greek tragedy, sharply exploring the moral aspects of desire, monogamy, betrayal and love, The Goat, or Who is Sylvia is a snapshot of the married life of Martin and his wife, Stevie. Their marriage is seemingly idyllic in their lush, urban home, with their teenage son, Billy. But a trip to the countryside and a confession of shocking proportions brings everything crashing down; emotionally and physically.
The set design by Jeremy Allen (in symphony with a subtle, but effective lighting design by Nigel Levings) impeccably evokes opulence and class. Artistic pieces and large tomes are tastefully placed in the spacious, contemporary living room set. Ailsa Paterson’s costumes are equally sophisticated and cleverly ambiguous in era, but specific in palettes for each character.
Nathan Page as Martin and Claudia Karvan as Stevie frolic in their space with heightened energy and absurd ecstasy, making jokes and playing with language construction. It is the absurdity of these performances that beautifully juxtaposes what is to come. Both performers run the gamut of emotions as they navigate moral judgements with raw betrayal and grief.
Page walks the line with his role of Martin between being reviled and sympathetic, seemingly at once. His gentle portrayal of his love for both Stevie and Sylvia is completely believable, while his inability to admit any guilt and subtle bigotry can switch on a dime.
Karvan is almost unrecognisable from the beloved TV characters Australian audiences will know. Her expressive performance is so nuanced, that within mere minutes you forget the actor and are immersed in Stevie’s anguish and bewilderment. Scene two is a particular masterclass from both Page and Karvan as they descend into a chaos that is so truly awful, yet has the audience laughing out loud throughout.
Mark Saturno as best friend Ross is an excellent foil to the feuding pair with reactions that not only provide a large portion of the humour, but also telegraphs much of the audience response. Yazeed Daher as Billy makes his professional stage debut, warming up to provide levity to many a fraught moment. His removal of a treasured fragile gift is perfect in tone and timing, while his monologue in scene three about the “normalness” of family was genuinely heartfelt.
With such a stellar cast, Albee’s brilliant play on language and grammatical arguments, amid the catastrophes and existential disputes are ably navigated by director, Mitchell Butel. There is a deft touch to the balance between the absurd and reality that simmers throughout this rendition of the play, and allows the cast to build in every moment to a horrifying climax.
It is the awfulness of the situation throughout this play that makes us laugh. Do not doubt it, this play is funny and cracks along at a pace (with no interval). Much of the content is shocking, even to an audience twenty years on from its original showing. But the idea of whether we have evolved in our moral judgements, and what our interpretation of “otherness” might be is seemingly unchanged. As one audience member stated as they walked out of the theatre – “it makes me glad I am single this Valentine’s Day”.
It is this fresh perspective on exciting repertoire that sets State Theatre Company SA up for what looks to be a brilliant year of theatre.
Reviewed by Hayley Horton
SHOW WARNINGS:
Transgressive sexual references and references to bestiality, violence, coarse language and adult themes.
Photo credit: Matt Byrne
Venue: Dunstan Playhouse, Adelaide Festival Centre
Season: 10-25 February, 2023
Duration: 1 hour and 40 minutes (no intermission)
Tickets: From $60.00
Bookings: https://statetheatrecompany.com.au/shows/the-goat/
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