Ladies in Black

There’s much to love in Ladies in Black; for a start it’s a genuine home grown musical with all the traditions of Musical Theatre, and that makes it as scarce as hen’s teeth. Based on Madeleine St John’s novel “The Women in Black”, this show proves that lightweight doesn’t have to be a derogatory term….in this case it helps the show to fly and feel good throughout.

Tim Finn has always been a terrific composer and lyricist (“Living in a Minor Key” was my anthem for the eighties), but the score isn’t the collection of pop songs you might expect. There are genuine show-stopping Musical Theatre offerings like the title song “Ladies in Black”; “I Just Kissed a Continental”, “He’s a Bastard” (wonderfully witty), the delightful “Summer Afternoon” – plus poignant offerings like “Tomorrow Becomes Today”, “The Fountain”, “Lisette” and “Soon I will be Me”, and even a traditional “Juvenile Lead” offering in “A Nice Australian Girl”, which allows Bobby Fox…as Rudi, a Hungarian playboy… to show both voice and dancing chops. If there is a fault it’s that there is too much music….25 songs, 15 of them coming in the first half, which runs 90 minutes. There’s not a single bad song but there are several that could be cut and not missed which would help with running time and give more support to the strongest moments of the score.

The story is slight with very little narrative through-line. Basically it follows 17-year-old Lisa’s 6 week temp employment at Goodes, a swish department store which is a thinly disguised David Jones. The most important thing to happen to Lisa is that she is introduced to another way of life, a European way, which starkly contrasts to the Aussie norm in 1959. While the novel has St John to make the wispy story palatable with more style than substance, the book for the show does suffer from an excess of subplots and lack of focus, and that’s its major weakness. Just as we start to emotionally connect with a character, we’re headed off on a subplot. Burns and Phillips have also chosen to present the stereotype characters largely as ockers with an over-emphasis on comic book caricatures and that’s a shame. Played straighter, the characters would be very real, rather than cardboard cut-outs, and the piece would be an homage to a lost Australia rather than feeling like a send up. That said, there are laughs galore, but the script goes for broad rather than deep, and the only character who feels 100% real is Miss Jacobs, beautifully played by the magnificent Deidre Rubinstein. The most moving moment of the show comes when the lonely old woman - on her own at Christmas - dances an imaginary waltz with the love whom she lost in the war. Pure magic.

The cast is amazing, apart from Rubinstein and Fox, the sensational Kate Cole gives us an emancipated Floor Supervisor and her own special gift for character makes Miss Cartwright totally individual. Every gesture, every nuance, is beautifully conceived. Naomi Price sings up a storm and shows fine comic skills as the lovelorn Fay; Lucy Maunder re-affirms why she is one of our top leading ladies as she brings the unhappily married Patty to life. Christine O’Leary – despite sounding more Russian than Hungarian, is a powerful force of theatrical skills as Magda; Sarah Morrison is delightfully naïve as Lisa…who just wants to go to Uni; and Carita Farrer Spencer gives strong support as Mrs Miles with Kathryn McIntyre offering several delightful cameos.

While it is the Ladies who carry the bulk of the action, there are excellent performances from the men, especially Andrew Broadbent as Frank…the possibly sterile and emotionally impotent husband of the frustrated Patty. There’s real opportunity in this character for Director Phillips to explore the suppressed sexuality of Aussie men in the 50s (and even now) but Phillips has adopted “keep it light” as a mantra, and even has a urinal on stage for Frank to pee while singing his lament about never being “A Proper Family Man”. It gets laughs, but it’s a pity, and a missed opportunity for some real emotional truth. Occasionally it wouldn’t hurt to let the froth subside and some substance take its place. Greg Stone is a delight as Stefan, but the character of Mr Miles is two dimensional with strong ocker over-tones so it’s not easy to understand why daughter Lisa idolises him. Again, it’s an easy fix to make this character REAL and believable and give us a chance to connect on a proper emotional level.

The costumes are superb, a breathtaking collection of colours and fabrics from a long forgotten more glamorous era. Gabriela Tylesova is a genius at creating mood and atmosphere through design and her subtle but luxuriant set, with its mirrored columns and series of revolves, works in perfect balance along with her costumes. Andrew Hallsworth has his hallmark “hit and miss” approach to the choreography but overall the work is impressive, especially in his movements for the non-dancers.

The band is excellent, with stunning orchestrations from Guy Simpson doing justice to Finn’s melodies, and David Walters lighting works a treat.

You will actually come out of this show singing either “He’s a Bastard”, or “I Just Kissed a Continental” – and that’s a rarity these days. This show won’t make you think, won’t challenge your perceptions, won’t make you feel, but it WILL entertain you thoroughly, and most people will be satisfied with that.

Coral Drouyn

Images: Christen O'Leary and Bobby Fox; Lucy Maunder; Kathryn McIntyre, Kate Cole,  Christen O’Leary, Naomi Price, Lucy Maunder, Deidre Rubenstein and Carita Farrer Spencer. Photographer: Rob Maccoll.