Harvey

Harvey
Play by Mary Chase. Nash Theatre. Director: Bianca Butler Reynolds. Merthyr Road Uniting Church, New Farm, Brisbane. 9-30 July 2016

Until The Big Bang Theory’s Jim Parsons revived Harvey on Broadway in 2012, productions of Mary Chase’s Pulitzer Prize winner had been thin on the ground. Formerlya staple on the community theatre circuit it now seems to be back in favour again. Nash Theatre’s production is the second I’ve reviewed this year.

Despite being written in 1944 the play about a man whose best friend is an imaginary six-foot rabbit still has currency. That’s because at its heart it’s a play about friendships, beliefs and morals.

Fortunately director Bianca Butler Reynolds has an experienced and solid group of actors who work hard to bring this gentle and charming comedy to life. They are helped by an excellent set with vintage props and a wardrobe that reeks of the period in which the play was written. Add in a soundtrack of forties big-band hits and the mood is quickly established.

The play on the surface may appear to be whimsy, but Daren King as Elwood P. Dowd grounded it in reality. With the character appearing in every scene, it’s a heavy actor workload, but King carried it off well imbuing Elwood with warmth and empathy.

As his upwardly-mobile sister Veta, Jenny Bonney-Millet not only looked the part to perfection but played it as though she had been born to it. Whether flustering around, giving orders, or putting on a brave face, she was charmingly believable. It was quite the best performance of the play.

The other performance of note was Troy Granzien as Judge Gaffney, a breath of sanity amongst the delusional.

Brendan James (Dr Sanderson) and Emily McCormick (Nurse Ruth) were a couple of funny dishevelled love birds, Frances Foo played the spoilt Myrtle with lashings of pettiness, Trevor McMillan brought a gangster “heavy” touch to Mr Wilson, whilst Patrick Farrelly’s Dr Chumley was painfully overbearing.

Finally, I did enjoy Linda Shapcott’s triple turns as the aunt, Chumley’s wife and the rather butch taxi-driver - three different characters, nicely delineated, and funny!

Peter Pinne

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