Look Back in Anger

Look Back in Anger’s wordy, literary script demands a lot – of the actors, but of the audience as well. There are so many interwoven themes, undercurrents and contradictions that I almost want to see the play again.

Benjamin Williams’ Jimmy Porter isn’t the stereotypical ‘angry young man’ with bulging veins and spittle; he’s more subtle than that. Jimmy’s fatal flaw is the tension between his defiant self-identification as working class, manifest in his taking a class-appropriate job—running a sweet store—and his considerable intellectual and spiritual needs. Williams plays Jimmy with an underlying tone of ennui, boredom and frustration, which emerges as a bewildering and violent torrent of words and sometimes actions.

His wife Alison is so overwhelmed by the stronger characters around her that she could appear weak and passive to modern audiences, but Fiona Atkin’s empathic performance and beautiful speaking voice brings dignity to the role. The dynamic between the two is obvious from the beginning: Jimmy goads, harasses and insults Alison to try to elicit a reaction so that he has something to fight against. Alison won’t or can’t react, because of her gentler nature and what she has invested in the relationship, having given up her family, friends and social standing to be with Jimmy. 

Sophie Benassi’s Helena is tight, clipped and manipulative, while Chris Zuber and Ian Croker play their supporting roles with subtlety and depth. It’s a joy to watch a cast where every member pulls their weight, and every expression is rich with subtext. On this opening night, there were some line stumbles but these were handled well and totally believable.

The claustrophobia of 1950s England is beautifully evoked by the set, a tiny, dingy flat in browns and taupes, cramped with tatty furniture, with an oppressively low ceiling. The attention to detail was shown in the partially-lit scene changes, where props were moved by the actors still in character.

Paris Hat Productions has recently been revived after a notable debut in 2007. It has strong links with ANU Drama, with founder Fiona Atkin having completed a PhD there, was previously the artistic director of the (on hold) student outlet Moonlight Productions. Paris Hat aims for a similar niche, promising to provide Canberra with the opportunity to view quality productions of important works. If this production is anything to go by, then Canberra can expect a lot from them.

Cathy Bannister

Photographer: Tara Shield.