The Ritual Slaughter of Gorge Mastromas

There are certain givens with any Red Stitch production. It will be superbly acted; it will punch well above its weight; it will confront you; and it will prove that the BEST theatre is not seen in the Main Stage or State Theatre companies…it thrives in small spaces and dares you to seek it out. You get all this for a fairly meagre ticket price (top price $39) even if it transpires that you don’t particularly like the play. Fortunately the play (by Matilda book and television writer Dennis Kelly) provides strong material for Director Mark Wilson and his cast to work with.

Kelly’s play poses no new questions, it is a modern reworking of the Faustus morality story and the age-old dilemma of what is really goodness and what simply cowardice. Is any man’s soul buyable if the price is right? Kelly presents these questions with great panache and in a less than conventional way. Much of the dialogue is stunning and delivered with great energy – “Now I’m going to make this quite quick as I only have two minutes and twenty-three seconds left. Existence is not what you have up until this morning thought it is.” - and exposition is avoided in interaction by having the cast … seated on white boxes on a white rostrum stage with an entire white auditorium surrounding it…TELL us the story of Gorge up until that point when Mephistopheles – a flaming haired business woman (the marvellous Olga Makeeva) – makes him the offer he isn’t brave or good enough to refuse, and thus seals his fate. From that point on he has everything he could desire (until it no longer has purpose or meaning), but at the expense of relationships, decency, ethics and morals. Nothing is black and white, Gorge’s world, like our own, is full of paradoxes and contradictions.

The play – though still long - has been cut by more than 40 minutes since its West End debut in 2014, and the cast reduced from 7 to 5, but there is no sign that this has in any way harmed the result. This is stunning theatre, beautifully realised. It might not sound exciting to have 5 actors seated facing the audience and talking out of character, but such is the quality of the acting that every moment is mesmerising. Looking around briefly I saw audience members leaning forward in their seats, hanging on every word. Director Wilson cleverly uses the white walls for overblown video images of the cast commenting on the character of Gorge. It creates an intimacy that is inclusive of the audience. When the cast do “break out”  (or is that “IN” to character?), we already have all the information we need to identify with them.

Wilson is superb in his direction and understanding of all that is at stake. He works with very little space and the rostrum stage gives width but little depth. Yet the production seems both spacious and spatial, and the blank canvas of the white box focuses us clearly on the cast – and what a cast it is.

Richard Cawthorne (Gorge) manages to charm us at the same time as repelling us…he is both selfish and charming; complex and simple, manipulative and vulnerable. Every move, every word is a totally convincing lie. You will have seen Cawthorne on both our big and small screens, but it’s doubtful you have ever seen him like this. He plays Gorge with such intensity that when, on occasion, his technique shows, you aren’t sure if that is the actor, or just the character enacting yet another lie.

Dion Mills (M, Gel) is a long-time member of Red Stitch and I have watched his work grow over a number of years. If he becomes any more charismatic he will need a bigger stage to contain him. A stunning actor, he is equally convincing when menacing and intense, or inadequate and beleaguered. We use that word “presence” often incorrectly – but Mills has it in spades without ever damaging the overall balance of the ensemble.

Olga Makeeva is a pocket sized force of theatre. Classically trained in Russia, and with a strong accent and physical presence, she nevertheless adapts brilliantly to every new role. It is hard to imagine Red Stitch without thinking of Olga.

Jordan Fraser-Tremble is this year’s graduate actor and he is a fitting successor to his fabulous predecessors Matthew Whitty (2013) and Jonathan Peck (2014). His performance as Pete, Gorge’s newly discovered grandson, is beautifully measured.

Last, but by no means least, guest artist Elizabeth Nabben adds beautiful nuances and subtlety to the role of Louisa, the deeply damaged woman Gorge almost destroys in order to have her.

Mattea Davis has done marvels with the set, Clare Springett’s lighting design is impressive and Robert D Jordan’s sound design and composition, along with the video content, are excellent and integral to the production.

This is not an easy, crowd-pleasing play, but then Red Stitch is never interested in easy. It is, however, brilliant and mesmerising theatre.

Coral Drouyn

Images: Richard Cawthorne & Elizabeth Nabben; Richard Cawthorne, Jordan Fraser-Trumble, Dion Mills & Elizabeth Nabben and Dion Mills.