Circle Mirror Transformation

You can understand why a good director would want to produce this play. Set over a six-week acting course, with drama exercises a focal point, it is a brainy text which focusses on human behaviour, that firmly tests the skills of the performers.

In between the lessons there are blackouts with  sound effect of those delicious warm-up exercises such as  mmmmmmmmmmm and  ahhhhhhhh.  I even took this as a cue for some quiet audience participation.

Was this play – written 16 years ago in the US – a good choice for the Sydney Theatre Company to produce with all the resources available to it? On my night four members of the audience walked out quite early.  Were they unwell or voting with their feet?

 In contrast, one punter near the front gave the play such an enthusiastic standing ovation that his ecstatic response brought a beaming smile to the cast. It was like he had just watched five concert pianists.

The performances were terrific. Rebecca Gibney as the Drama teacher and Cameron Daddo as James gave the production real star power.  Ahunim Abebe crafted a nice arc for her character, a shy teenager who bloomed over the course.

The real fireworks were between Schultz (Nicholas Brown), a recently divorced carpenter who strangely wore a wedding ring ,and actress Theresa (Jessie Lawrence).  Their obvious mutual attraction at first punctuated by awkward silences and missteps felt very authentic.

Pauses and silences are a feature of Annie Barker’s plays. There are directions in the script such as  “the room is empty for twenty-five seconds”.  Dean Bryant noted in the program that this made him nervous, as he normally directs pieces that are fast and furious.

Although theatre games are common these days outside drama circles in corporate game playing,  the work felt a little too much like naval gazing. An hour and fifty minutes in one act also felt a little on the long side for a play with not much conflict and characters that were not particularly likable.

The unitary set of a multi-purpose community hall with a mirror at the back, was appropriate but it made me feel that I needed to leave the room for a coffee.

The final scene when two of the actors look into the future added some dazzle when it needed.  Circle Mirror Transformation is an experience you won’t forget.

David Spicer

Photographer: Daniel Boud.