Blessed Union

In her director’s notes for Blessed Union, Hannah Goodwin observes that ‘realism can be as mad, as absurd, as symbolic, as scalable and as strange as many of the heightened forms”. Playwright Maeve Marsden manages to incorporate aspects of all of that into this funny, moving, chaotic play about a “queer family” navigating the best possible way to stay together in the process of “falling apart”.

Judith (Maude Davey) and Ruth (Danielle Cormack) have weathered the discrimination of a white, heterosexual society to nurture their loving relationship and bring up their children, Delilah (Emma Diaz) and Asher (Jasper Lee-Lindsay) in an atmosphere that is open and tenderly secure. Now they are thinking about going their own way – and are determined to do it as caringly and painlessly as possible. But first they have to find a way to tell the kids! How Delilah, an outspoken, nineteen-year-old law student and Asher, a precocious, sixteen-year-old react makes for some perceptive exchanges.

Marsden takes the family through almost a year of ‘facing change’, in a series of scenes that are hilarious at times, touching at others, even sometimes a little confusing – because there are lots of discussions, all of them happening in conjunction with the preparation of food and drink. This is a clever device that delightfully amplifies the feisty flux and flow in this family.

It also gave designer Isabel Hudson the chance to plan a set that is spacious enough to accommodate nine months of fun and feud and food! Her open plan kitchen-dining room uses the full, wide diagonal of the Belvoir stage. A long, narrow window overlooks the work bench, allowing lighting designer Amelia Lever-Davidson to play with effects symbolising the passing of time. A breakfast bar and dining table authenticate the set without crowding the stage. This gives Goodwin space to block scenes that show the closeness and rapport of this family, the cut and thrust of sharing opinions, arguing their cases, dealing with being “politicised” … and having fun together.

Davey and Cormack bring the weight of a vast and varied experience on stage and screen – and the confidence strong women – to the characters of Judith and Ruth. They establish the strength of their relationship quickly; the tenacity and trust that comes with facing an intolerant society together; their pride in their children. They infuse their characters with a controlled, sustained energy that juxtaposes with the less inhibited energy and frankness of their children.

Delilah and Asher have some very poignant – and cheeky – moments and both Diaz and Lee-Lindsay relish the intelligence of the characters Marsden has created and the contemporariness of the dialogue. Goodwin directs them in keeping with the pace and punch of that dialogue, and the comedy that evolves.

Blessed Union is a play of today – thank goodness! A play that celebrates some important changes in attitude whilst still reminding us of how long it has taken – is taking – for change to occur.

Carol Wimmer

Photographer: Brett Boardman