Presented by State Theatre Company South Australia
Reviewed 28 January 2022
I’m a traditionalist and I really enjoy a kickass piece of classic theatre (classic, not classical) and Edward Albee’s Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? is a kickass piece of classic theatre!
Those of us who grew up in the 60’s have seen countless productions of this great text which delves into the intricacies of relationships and the sacrifices we make to protect and shield the people we love most. Not least of these is the Taylor/Burton film that dominates our memories and puts into place a benchmark to unfairly (I now think) judge this glorious piece of work by. Tonight I witnessed a production that turned all my prejudices on its ear and gave me a whole new insight into this masterpiece.
Director Margaret Harvey has found a whole new set of circumstances to explore in their colour conscious casting of this piece of work. Their sensibilities and cross-cultural casting have brought new depth of meaning and awareness to this familiar story of the sacrifices made to keep a relationship alive at all costs. Their choice of actors and their diversity added dimensions that provoked my sympathetic and judgemental sensibilities and left me with memories of how much we have to learn from each other no matter the cost.
Alisa Paterson’s set is as versatile as the interpretation of the work. Their set is a constructed deconstruction of the disintegration of the lives we see being fuelled and destroyed by need, ambition and sacrifice. People who live in glass houses shouldn’t throw stones and this set proves that! It is simply brilliant.
George Bani’s George is the perfect foil for Susan Prior’s enigmatic and coruscating Martha. She manages to wound and provoke using the text and a highly developed sense of righteousness without raising her voice or using the excuse of alcohol abuse to fuel their journey. A genius choice for this production as it gave them the chance to inject Martha with more vulnerability to fuel their need to reject every possible chance of redemption until the very last moment. The relationship based on mutual abuse fuelled by mutual need and provoked by the introduction of new blood is a wonderful tale to behold. Bani’s effortless strength is the core of the relationship.
It is a four hander piece of work and Juanita Navas-Nguyen as Honey and Rashidi Edward as Nick round out this beautifully balanced cast. Navas-Nguyen’s depiction of Honey as she descends into the reality of her place as the young, out of her depth, partner of a newly appointed college lecturer is a sensitive and engaging piece of work. Their descent into a place of yielding to the forces that surround her are a copybook piece of acting. Rashidi Edwards continues to prove that he is an actor with great depth and capability and the scene between them and Jim Bani at the beginning of Act 2 is a breathless joy to watch as it progresses through comedy to challenge, to conflict.
It is hard to put into words how inspiring it is to see a colour conscious cast bring to life a theatre classic, breathe new life into it and provoke a feeling of wonder at how much this work benefits from a new and courageous look at how relevant it is in 2022. We constantly hear the cry that you should only be allowed to play a role if you are culturally, sexually or ethnically correct for the role. If that was the case we would never have seen this wonderfully culturally inclusive piece of work and the world would have been a duller place to live in. Actors are trained to be able to interpret a role; they don’t have to be crucified to play a deity.
Reviewed by Adrian Barnes
Rating out of 5: 5 life in an unquiet house!
Venue: Dunstan Playhouse
Season: 27th Jan – 6 Feb 2022
Duration: 3hours 20 minutes (approx.)
Tickets: Adult $79 Student $39 Under 30 $39 Senior $74 Conc $69
Bookings: https://premier.ticketek.com.au/shows/show.aspx?sh=VIRGINIA22
Photo Credit: Brett Boardman
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