Reviews

Theatre-goers of my generation packed the intimate Richbrooke Theatre in Elizabeth Street in the 1970s for the original Sydney production of Godspell.

Slightly older audiences laughed themselves silly there at Phillip Theatre revues.

Now musical theatre students of AIM (Australian Institute of Music) use the heritage restored, flat-floored auditorium under its original name, the Australian Hall, as a classroom.*

Attempting to create a complex, fantastical, alternative world, where what we would regard as magical and/or supernatural is not only common-place but necessary, on a fairly small stage, with relatively modest technical resources, would seem to be quite the challenge. No less of a battle is that of condensing/distilling a complex novel into a digestible stage presentation of reasonable length. In addition, one must aim to provide viewers who have little or no prior knowledge of the source material in question with as satisfying an experience as that of the more die-hard fans.

Hobart Repertory Theatre Society achieved an excellent resultof The Talented Mr Ripley, Phyllis Nagy’s adaptation of acclaimed novel by Patricia Highsmith, showing the story of a nasty but believable character in this complex psycho-drama.

Love Letters takes the unusual format of the reading by their character authors of a correspondence between two lifelong friends, both at various times desperate to become lovers and more.  The correspondence could work as a short story, but then you’d be missing something vital, because the subtle body language infuses the dialogue not only with life but also with what shines between the lines.