Platonov

There hasn’t been a bad Anthony Skuse production all year – and there have been many. Skuse is a master artist; he re-sculpts and re-jigs but always remains respectful of the source material. Platonov under the direction of Skuse is no exception.

Certainly not one of Chekvov’s best plays, in the hands of a hard-working and inspired cast, the wonderfully intimate ATYP space, and Sir Skuse, we forgive the relentless, depressing plod of Platonov.

A group of wealthy 20-somethings sit around drinking good wine and eating to their fill while they bad mouth their lazy fathers before them who have left Russia in its sinking, hopeless state. Platonov is hallmark Chekov in its themes but lacks the complexity of ideas and their eloquent articulation we know his later works contain. After all, Chekov was 20 years old when he wrote Platonov and the unpublished, untitled work was consigned to a safety deposit box for over a decade after his death.

Yet the energy and attack of this production keep you leaning in to pick up every detail as these characters lounge and leap before us. Charlie Garber as Platonov never misses a beat. His characterisation is equal parts irritating and lovable because we see the fight and the pain in his eyes. Sam O’Sullivan’s Isak and Matilda Ridgway’s Sasha are the two other stand-outs amidst a capable cast. There’s a watchable ease to O’Sullivan’s performance and Ridgway is yet again captivating and dynamic.

We have seen a steady stream of good, interesting work coming from young independent theatre companies Mophead Productions and Catnip Productions. Proof that a youthful voice and fresh faces are paramount ingredients to the healthy life of Sydney theatre. Proof, too, that ATYP remains one of the most bankable locations of consistently good theatre.

Maryann Wright

Images: Matthew Neville