2025 One Act Play Festival - Hosted by Galleon Theatre Group Review - Spoilers sorta included
8 out of 10 stars
St. Jude’s Players, Deadset Theatre Company and Galleon Theatre Company unite to present a One Act Play Festival in the Domain Theatre at the Marion Cultural Centre. Throughout the 3 very different plays, each approximately 40 minutes, the audience is thoroughly entertained.
St Jude's Players presents "See If I Care"
Opening the Festival is St Jude’s Players with “See If I Care”, written by Cherry Vooght and Directed by Norm Caddick. This play takes a gentle but sentimental glimpse into the lives of two elderly people. In the narrow confines of the lives they now find themselves living, they are bound together in a unique friendship that is sometimes callous and kind, proud and pitiful, bitter and understanding. They reveal an interdependence that is both comical and poignant.
Set in a UK setting, Deborah Walsh and Rhonda Grill portray these elderly ladies very well, delivering a performance fit for all the special friendships we have in our lives. Together, Walsh and Grill are the centre of attention for the entirety of the story, as we discover fact from fiction. They are both wonderfully pronounced in their stagecraft and held the audience’s attention with ease, striking each comical moment on the head. Supporting these ladies are Kaila Barton, Vicky Horwood, and Allison Scharber. Barton’s character, seemingly waiting for her friend/ boyfriend was elegant and steady in her characterisation. Horwood’s character was a flicker of a moment on stage, but a ripple effect followed her presence. Scharber’s character calls into question the validity of Walsh’s character and is played very well.
The overall pace of the performance varied with some silent moments drag on or include a random flick through a book or magazine before picking up the dialogue again. The set was suitably simple with a park bench. Sound effects of train whistles in the distance and a turnstile to the toilets paint the picture of the park and the surroundings without additional fuss.
Deadset Theatre Company presents "Ravaged"
Following a 5-minute short break, it was Deadset Theatre Company’s time to shine with “Ravaged”, written by Kylie Rackham and Directed by Zoe Muller & Alyssa D’Onofrio. Ravaged combines three stories based on the very real events that begin on Saturday 7th February 2009 that we know as the Black Saturday bushfires. A mother and child, a newly engaged couple, and an over-excited rookie firefighter are confronted with a force which changes everything and results in them needing to re-evaluate their lives and consider what is really important.
Lucy Thompson and Jai Pearce play the newly engaged couple, Hugh and Sally. Hugh has to go to Melbourne for a conference, leaving Sally behind to look after the house. Hugh feels they are adequately prepared for the looming bushfire with checklists and to-do lists that will keep them safe. Sally soon finds out as embers land on the deck that their house isn’t going to last and discovers an ingenious haven until help arrives days later. Thompson and Pearce are great in their roles, exposing the necessary emotion that real people were experiencing in 2009, but also showing their love and concern for each other.
Mia Ellis and Amelia Baldcock portray Penny and Megan with great concern and intelligence for their character arcs. Penny is the mum of an unseen 5-year-old that is about to celebrate his birthday party with all the kids from his class, despite only being in school for one week. As the blistering heat becomes more intense, they make the decision to pack what they can and head for the safety checkpoint in Marysville. The panic of not being able to take all their belongings is smoothed over by good friend Megan, who is at the party to lend a hand. Together they make it out safely, and together, they blended nicely.
Terry, an experienced firefighter, and Nick, the eager rookie that is excited for his first battle, are portrayed by Damien White and Oliver Medwell. Terry suitably calls Nick out on his behaviour, suggesting he may be a pyromaniac, and tells him to calm down. On their first call for the day, Nick discovers these bushfires are next-level dangerous and nothing to be excited about. Both White and Medwell look great in their CFA uniforms – special shout out to the Stirling CFS for their assistance – and fit their characters well. Nick’s moment of discovering he is in over his head was well portrayed.
Projection by Charlie Butler deserves a mention, with the varying news clips of the real event across the major news programs with very real footage of the devastation left behind. The use of the smoke machine and red lights filled the stage with a sense of danger that these people found themselves in, with little hope of returning to a normal life. Ravaged is Powerful, True, Heartbreaking and Emotional, but is my highlight of this year’s One Act Play Festival. Deadset Theatre continue to be a reckoning for Adelaide Theatre for young people.
Galleon Theatre Company presents "Where Are You Going, Hollis Jay?"
After another short break, we return to witness Galleon’s one act play, “Where Are You Going, Hollis Jay?”, written by Benjamin Bradford and Directed by Andrew Clark. This short play is a beautiful two-hander that sees two characters, Hollis and Ellie, both university students, attempt to transform their friendship into something more. The audience is ‘onboard’ with each of the characters because the thoughts of both can be heard! This results in some delightfully comedic moments, both verbal and physical, as Hollis and Ellie navigate first love.
Aled Proeve (Hollis) and Veronika Wlodarczyk (Ellie) bounce off each other brilliantly with expertly timed moves and moments, creating a refreshing piece of comedy that closes out a brilliant 2 ½ hours, sharing many characteristics with The Big Bang Theory’s Leonard and Penny’s relationship. Doing justice to a one-act play with only 2 characters is challenging and this small team pulled it out of the bag. The “thoughts” are mimed very well and were cued without delay.
Go and experience the talents that come out of 3 very capable theatre companies.
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