When the Rain Stops Falling

To successfully stage this intriguingly-plotted play is definitely an achievement. Kudos to Mockingbird Theatre and its talented members who have brought this production to life. It is imaginatively staged in the round, where every audience member can see and hear clearly.

Set design combines with lighting and sound design seamlessly (all credit to Chris Baldock and Rhiley Winnett), starting from the beginning when “rain” falls onto clear plastic umbrellas suspended from the ceiling. Beneath the umbrellas, the cast purposefully move around the set furniture as a choreographed crowd, indicating the omnipresence of rain in this time period. A number of times, the date and location are shown on the surrounding curtains to give the audience a guide as to which group of characters we will be encountering.

With a tight ensemble in a complex story, the individual performances are uniformly good, for each actor brings his/her best. Liz St Clair Long, playing Elizabeth Law (older), brings a compelling stillness and her great range which Canberra audiences have much enjoyed during her career in the ACT. Jayde Dowhy plays Gabrielle York (younger) with depth and brings out Gabrielle’s complicated emotional journey and past. Bruce Hardie creates an understandable Joe Ryan, dealing with his wife’s gradual deterioration.

All credit to the cast and overall production for making this drama a gradual unfolding of a narrative which pulls at emotions and demands attention. The final scene with an old suitcase which, to Gabriel York (Chris Baldock), holds items with history that he cannot recall, is both moving and unsettling. The audience has seen all the loose ends wrapped up, yet the issues and concerns of the play stay with each one long after the theatre has gone dark for the night.

Rachel McGrath-Kerr

Photographer: Chris Baldock