Kid Stakes

Kid Stakes
Written by Ray Lawler. Directed by Christine Grant. The Basin Theatre Group. Aug 16th- Sept 8th, 2013.

No-one would deny that Lawler’s Summer Of The Seventeenth Doll is an iconic Australian play, but the prequel, Kid Stakes, written twenty years later, is not in the same league. In fact, it’s so mundane that it seems like an episode of a 1937 soapie. Therein lies the problem for TBTG, who have given me so many hours of enjoyment. Christine Grant is a very good director, I know that from previous offerings, yet she has chosen a very “middle of the road” – and thus uninspiring – approach to Lawler’s character and text. The play perhaps needs a more radical approach to lift it out of the doldrums. Whilst “Doll” shows us all the loneliness and isolation of a woman in love with a man who is only committed for a short time each year, Kid Stakes doesn’t have much to offer in terms of story or character development. As the story of the very first doll, it plods along, heavy on exposition and light on dynamics.

Of the cast, two of my favourite community actors take the acting honours. Tina Bono (Nancy) brings real truth and credibility to her role as the “Bad” party girl. It’s astonishing that she’s only been in theatre for two years, she has such a dynamic on-stage presence and a great sense of comic timing. Chris Shaw (Barney) is consistently good and brings a great deal of natural energy to the stage, making Barney both believable and lovable. Tracey Jeffery (Olive) has great projection, but seems to prefer saying her lines straight out to the auditorium rather than genuinely engaging with her fellow cast members, and I find that disconcerting. Edward Kennett is suitably ocker and charming as Roo, and Verity Dixon (Emma) does her best with the stereotyped 30s mother, whilst Blake Hadlow (Dickie) shows promise, but needs a lot more colour in his work. As usual with TBTG the set is excellent, this time incorporating outside areas into the design, which Director Grant has used to full advantage in her blocking. Lighting, sound and costumes all meet TBTG’s very high standards. It’s always a pleasure to visit this theatre and enjoy all the extras they offer, including supper….but some plays are more palatable than others.

Coral Drouyn

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