Hotel Sorrento

Hotel Sorrento
By Hannie Rayson. Javeenbah Theatre Co, Nerang, Gold Coast. Director: Joan Stalker-Brown. July 11th – 25th, 2015

Hannie Rayson’s plot revolves around three sisters, reunited after a number of years, and the turmoil that has arisen from a novel written by one of them, Meg, which has been based on this dysfunctional family – of course, the names have been changed. This book has been short- listed for the prestigious Booker Prize much to the family’s chagrin.

Norm Strambini’s three level, five acting area set, lit be Colin Crow, caught the mood of the show completely and Joan Stalker-Brown’s direction conveyed the Moynihan Family’s problems in coming to terms with the deep seated animosity that bubbles away not far from the surface.

As the three sisters; Pippa – Naomi Thompson, Hilary – Janet Thwaites and Meg – Libby Bancroft lead the small cast with style and were well supported by seasoned performers Virginia Leaver, Tony Hall, Peter Kennedy and Craig Smith. Tayib Seaton-Browne showed great potential as Hilary’s teenage son Troy.

It took me a while to come to grips with the script, written in the “movie” style with many scene changes, and the planning of the production had to overcome many obstacles, the end result being a flowing performance which maintained its pace throughout.

Roger McKenzie

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