Charitable Intent

David Williamson is our most prolific playwright and (arguably) our most entertaining. Charitable Intent is part of a trilogy and basically covers a mediation conference between the staff and CEO of a leading charity. It’s rife with satirical quips, subtext, and even poignancy. Its downside is that it can be very static …just eight people on chairs in a conference room, and can sometimes end up as just “Talking heads” or a live radio play, so it needs a good director with fine sensibilities in both drama and comedy.

Fortunately, GCLT has such a director in Gael Ballantyne. As a professional performer for many years, Gael earned the reputation of having a strong work ethic and a commitment to excellence, and she carries that over into her first role as a Director.

Character and casting are paramount in the play, and this is an absolute zinger of a cast, ranging from newbies to veritable stars of Community Theatre in South-East Queensland. They’ve worked especially hard on character, finding the depth of the subtext throughout. In every case we believe we are watching and listening to real three-dimensional people with genuine grievances, rather than actors merely reciting lines, which I have encountered in the past. The Stage Manager, Carey Parsons, gets to open the play as the conference manager and provides just the right degree of public servant gravitas.

Sean Curran makes a meal of what could be the thankless role of the mediator Jack. It’s a far cry from his frenetic triumph as Khashoggi in We Will Rock You recently, but he brings a calmness and even-handedness to this part which was unexpected after his last show. As an actor he has the ability to engage, both with his peers and the audience. Best of all, he really listens, rather than waiting for cues. It’s a lowkey but beautifully measured performance and you can sense the thought process of the character rather than the actor.

The management side in the mediation is represented by Bryony (Tara Page) and Brian (Phillip Victor)

Bryony is a strong role and Page fits it like a glove, apart from a couple of minor line glitches which were largely un-noticed (Williamson has a way of starting dialogue with very similar phrases and it’s easy to get lost). Page has both command and presence and a killer “resting bitch face”. With a strong sense of comic timing, she is alternately sarcastic, threatening, cajoling, simpering, and downright nasty. It’s a delicious performance.

When Bronwyn finally does go on the attack and shows her true colours, Ballantyne very cleverly blocks the moment with Bronwyn’s back to the audience, so that we are focussed on the expressions of the shocked workmates, rather than the ranting woman … reaction, rather than action is the point. It’s a special and satisfying moment.

Phillip Victor is totally credible as the CEO of the company sponsoring the charity and gives a lovely subtle performance which requires him to start out besotted with Bronwyn and move to a stance where he sees the truth for the first time.

Cassie (Catalina Palma), Giulia (Jam Marshall) and Tamsyn (Dee Nand) are all impressive as Bronwyn’s cohorts, looking for promotion and unwilling to rock the boat by telling their boss some home truths … until the last five minutes, that is. Kudos to the director and GCLT for the ethnic diversity in the casting. Each of them has made the character their own and collectively they create an interesting energy on stage.

When you see Tamara Hamilton’s take on Stella - the feisty head of finance who sees right through Bronwyn - you know that you’re watching a wealth of experience at work. There’s an ease in how she plays with lines, and a subtlety in her timing that only comes from plying your craft. She’s a real asset.

But the revelation is Kate McNair as Amanda, the cause of the mediation and a frumpy, unloved woman whom life has passed by. She is, over the space of 80 minutes, infuriating, heartbreaking, pathetic and endearing. When she tells of the names Bronwyn has called her it’s with resignation and acceptance. She convinces us that somehow she deserves the humiliation and even the awful illness she is suffering. When she fights back finally we want to cheer at her courage and heroism. It takes one hell of an actress to connect so strongly with an audience that we want to put our arms around her. Kate McNair is that actress.

This is another engaging offering from Gold Coast Little Theatre. Their production programme every year is full of variety, so there literally is something for everyone. But, like all theatre, community or otherwise, post Covid they need bums on seats … strong support from those they entertain. I promise you’ll have a thoroughly entertaining night out.

Coral Drouyn