By Rupert Hogan-Turner
This is a play about life in the Victorian era. The men are stereotypes; gentlemen, artists, men of science, devoted more to their causes than to their wives. Women exist to maintain an image. Curiosity, love and guilt get the better of our respectable cast as they are thrown into world filled with contrition and complication. This is all backed by a delightful script and amazing situational humour. The characters continue to relive and express personal short comings which bloom into sensational and extremely amusing misunderstandings.
The play follows the life of gentleman and scientist Dr Givings who has invented a machine which harnesses the power of electricity to cure “hysteria” in women. His far younger wife sits in the next room when Dr Givings is with patients; she hears the results and grows curious. However she has enough to deal with, attempting to mother a baby and divulging only unrequited love. Throw a few “hysterical” patients into the mix and let the farce begin.
The play has a variety of emotional shapes; love triangles, hate rhombus’ lust and fear circles. The characters bounce off one another so perfectly. They convey all of the awkward slants and embarrassing verbal clues of people who are ashamed to display their emotions.
The Dunstan Playhouse has been transformed into half of a Victorian mansion. Beautiful white and black wallpaper flows into classic wooden flooring, while leather furniture sits perfectly in the centre of the room.
The most impressive element of this play was the ability to create and secure a character of refinement, going to lengths to express just how modest and polite they would be in all circumstances, and then placing them so far beyond the limits of their comfort zone. This results in unbridled lust and unmatched hilarity. By far this is one of the best pieces of theatre to come along this season.
At the after party, I managed to have a quick chat with Director Catherine Fitzgerald and one of the stars Cameron Goodall. Catherine Fitzgerald reminded me it was “all about what’s not happening”, the play is based on hearing but not seeing, seeing but not knowing, there is always a clandestine element. Curiosity grows and devours the characters who were “the easiest choice” to select for the parts. The most difficult part of the play was keeping the ‘treatment’ as a pure, medicinal procedure. From a modern stand point it can seem entirely sexual and primal. The play is three hours long, but I must agree with Catherine when she says “unless you have a full bladder, you won’t even notice it”
Kryztoff Rating 4K
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