Solomon and Marion

Solomon and Marion
By Lara Foot. Director: Pamela Rabe. MTC. Australian Premiere. Arts Centre Melbourne, Fairfax Studio. June 7 - July 20, 2013

We are no strangers in Australia to the difficulties, sometimes traumatic, of reconciliation between indigenous and settlers. However, we cannot even begin to understand, even in these last days of Mandela, what the African continent has gone through in its attempts to redistribute power. Lara Foot is a fine playwright, but violence is merely back-story in this exquisite and delicate play about grief, healing, surrogate love and reconciliation between an aging white South African Woman and a young native boy.

Marion is trapped in her home by the tragedy of her dead son and her lost husband, isolated by her grief and the tyranny of distance from her remaining child. Sinking into the sands of despair – a desert of neglect which will ultimately claim her (thanks to Richard Roberts brilliantly realised set) - she cares about nothing and is waiting for death. All around her, in the post Apartheid world, violence is erupting (it’s 2010 and protests and riots preceding the World Cup are the norm) and she no longer leaves her house. There is no food, no comfort, no love in her world. Into her life comes Solomon, the grandson of Marion’s former servant and friend. Is he genuine when he says he wants to take care of her, or does he mean to kill her as she suspects but has no desire to deter?

Gillian Jones, that consummate actress, brings a gut wrenching sense of resignation and sadness to Marion, hidden behind white anglo-saxon stoicism. She goes through the motions of seeming alive, but not living. It’s a beautiful performance. Pacharo Mzembe is stunning as Solomon, the black youth walking the line between subservience and pride, and carrying guilt that he must admit in order for both him and Marion to find some way forward.

This unlikely couple makes a joint journey, at the same time as treading their individual paths. Marion becomes Solomon’s lost grandmother, an anchor and a purpose in his life, and someone who fulfils his desperate need to care for another human being after his own alienation. Solomon becomes a surrogate son for Marion, a reason to cook a meal, another human voice in her lonely existence. Ultimately it’s a journey to love and understanding.

Pamela Rabe, long one of our finest actresses, directs the performances and text with true understanding of their poignant but fragile beauty. She never overworks the tension, but allows it to build naturally from the interaction. She doesn’t push the emotions, she simply lets them breathe, and the growth and intimacy of the two characters is palpable. The denouement is so moving that it feeds our tears, not our anger. Aided by Rachel Burke’s wonderful lighting and a great sound-scape from David Bridie, this wonderfully subtle and beautifully realised production should be on everyone’s must-see list.

Coral Drouyn

Image: Gillian Jones (Marion) and Pacharo Mzembe (Solomon). Photo © Jeff Busby.

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