Trollop

Trollop has been around for eighteen months since it won the 2012-13 Queensland Premier’s Drama award, during which time it was developed for this much-anticipated premiere.

The winning play should reflect some aspect of Queensland life. Ms Mellor chose the devastating floods of 2011 as her springboard. Our first impression was of a stark white room surrounded by all the detritus of such a flood. Impressive! No specific set designer is identified in the programme; the director, Wesley Enoch, and three designers, Pete Foley, Ben Hughes and David Morton, collaborated apparently.

Of the cast of three, Anthony Standish (Eric) valiantly carried the action, while Amy Ingram (Clara) and Lucy-Ann Langkilde (Eugenie) made the most of their lines. The playwright had researched the emotional effect on a resident who avoided the flood in her area, so the play became a psychological cerebral examination. Poor Clara becomes mute, stupefied and unable to cope with daily chores about the house. Her housemate, Eric, seems oblivious of the change in her behaviour, and tries to jolly her along. A reluctant Jehovah’s Witness calls and the third person triggers speech and a creative emotional response from Clara.

Those final explosive moments shocked and impressed us most of all; we understood why puppetry specialist David Morton was engaged as a creative. Unfortunately, the mythology and spectacle cleared the house. I’ve never seen a theatre lobby empty so quickly after an opening performance. I confess I was among those escapees.

Jay McKee

Image: Amy Ingram, Lucy-Ann Langkilde and Anthony Standish & Amy Ingram and Lucy-Ann Langkilde (on screen). Photographer: Stephanie De Rozario.