Through a Glass Darkly

Through a Glass Darkly
Based on the film by Ingmar Bergman, adapted by Jenny Worton. University of Adelaide Theatre Guild. Little Theatre, Adelaide. 11-13 July 2019

God, art and the human mind are huge themes alone, but they’re combined here in this outstanding play by the Theatre Guild, originally an Ingmar Bergman film, adapted by Jenny Worton.

Karin, the daughter is recovering from a mental illness episode, brought by her adoring but boring husband, Martin. Her father David is there physically but is really writing another book; the son Max craves his father’s attention.

Abaigh Curry is astonishingly good as Karin. She transforms wonderfully from her own world to growing self-awareness; moves from flirt to anger to confusion to horror so deftly and progressively; and never stops soaking up the world around her.

As her younger brother, Riordan Miller-Frost is superbly awkward with his sister and wonderfully naïve with his father. Miller-Frost’s strength is in Max’s weaknesses.

As Martin, Robert Baulderstone offers us a sympathetic husband when communicating with his wife, and a man just holding back his anger with her father (Cats Seifert). Seifert is more mechanical than the others, but this works as a reflection of David’s own uncertainty as an artist and as a man.

Guy Henderson directs the foursome well using the full space of the Little Theatre. The pace is exceptional: Henderson permits silence and pause. It’s not perfect – the hysteria in the climax doesn’t quite get there – but the trajectory of the narrative is so well aimed from the start that it still hits its mark at the conclusion.

Scott Cleggett’s lighting design is brilliant and a great soundscape helps us to hear what Karin does.

Light, sound, words and actions are well combined – as much as the absence of those; the balance and tension between them all is deliberate and taut. As a drama about the mind, it’s a fantastic piece of theatre to stimulate yours.

Mark Wickett

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