Seven Little Australians

Villanova’s commitment to Australian plays and playwrights is commendable but Anne Scott-Pendlebury’s adaptation of Ethel Turner’s classic Seven Little Australians lacks dramatic strength. Written in short scenes with lots of incidents happening off-stage, it continually felt like a series of comings and goings with no substantial character development for an audience to relate to.

Crystal Gilbert was a sweet and confident Meg and delivered the narration pleasantly. Her interaction with her siblings had warmth. It was a nice strong performance. The other five kids (except for the baby) were all double cast. Adunni Ekindayo’s Judy was disobedient and rebellious, Nick Sayers and Aden Whyte were boisterous boys Pip and Bunty, Dayna Ekindayo’s Nell had some of the same qualities, but it was Caiomhe Donovan as the cute Baby who ruled the stage. Swishing around in her long period dress she made her mark with little to say.

Of the adults, Anthony Hitzke was all bluster as the Captain and not much more, Carolyn Wagner’s Esther had little to do but be motherly, but Desley Nichols was totally at home as the housekeeper Bridget with Cecilia Girard’s flighty visitor Aldith McCarthy adding some much needed spice. Gabriel King as Alan and Daniel Patrick Buckley as Mr Gillett had little stage time to give their characters any dimension.

Leo Bradley’s terrific homestead-with-veranda set looked like it had jumped straight out of the novel, whilst his direction kept the episodic narrative moving. For lovers of the novel, and there were obviously many in the audience, it was a chance to see their favourite characters come to life on stage.

Peter Pinne     

Images: Ian Colley Photography