WIT - 9 out of 10
Perspective Arts Theatre Company
TICKETS: https://www.countryarts.org.au/events/wit-margaret-edson/
WIT is a poignant story about Vivian Bearing, a scholar of 17th century poetry, reflecting on her life as she is challenged with her own mortality. This play kept audiences weeping and laughing intermittently as they sat perplexing the deeper meaning of each recited poem.
This is the first production by Perspective
Arts Theatre Company held in the Hopgood’s ‘little theatre’, an intimate venue
that connected the audience to the cast and each other. Perspective Arts
Theatre Company aspire to deliver high quality theatre at affordable prices,
whilst bringing in new generations and audiences, and they have delivered on
that promise. This is a brilliant choice for their first production, and I look
forward to their future performances.
Harry Dewar directs this piece with such
care that is felt during the play and lingers after, his clear direction of
movement and creative choices kept the simple stage and lighting design
purposeful and let the work speak for itself.
Vivian Bearing is portrayed by Elizabeth
Bentley who shines on stage through convoluted monologues and piercing silence.
She holds her own with natural comedic timing and creates a bond with the
audience immediately as her character breaks the fourth wall. Bentley kept the
audience engaged even when we could only see her arms as she waited for a
medical examination reciting her favourite poet, John Donne, with such clear
passion despite not being able to see her facial expressions in that scene. She
holds her own throughout the entire play handling difficult dialogue with ease
and commanding the stage alone for bouts of time. Her comedic delivery was
impeccable as she switched from ‘cleverness to melodrama’.
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Alice Olwen was a delight to watch as she
carefully delivered gentle and kind consideration as Bearing’s nurse, Susie
Monahan. She has patience for Bearing and sticks up her her repeatedly, especially in key vulnerable moments. Olwen’s delivery of the line “It hurts. It’s hard.
Here’s a tissue. Would you like an ice block?” brought relief back to the
audience in the absence of care from both the male doctors.
Dr Harvey Kelekian portrayed by Tony
Shillitoe reminded the audience of how one doctor can make such a difference.
Shillitoe’s portrayal of such a disengaged doctor with horrible bedside manner
is grounded in reality that often left the audience scoffing at his character’s
expense.
Dr Jason Posner wants so badly to learn
from this valuable research that he forgets to enact empathy and basic human
care. Josh Van’t Padje displays Posner’s curiosity and intelligence
effortlessly whilst being such an easy character to feel frustration towards.
Shillitoe, Padje and Olwen all work together well on the stage with Bentley
showing the dynamics of life and death between colleagues and their vast
differences in how to approach a patient.
Professor E.M. Ashford holds a candle to Bearing that becomes present in their disagreement about punctuation of Dunne’s poem ‘Death be not proud’. This discussion is integral to the plot and Megan Harris’ role of Bearing’s professor lingers long after her first scene. Harris’ last scene demonstrates grief and kindness, even from those we might not always expect in the moment we need it the most.
Aadhiyah Eveline plays Sydney Ashford,
Professor E.M. Ashford’s granddaughter, and holds the space with silence and
realism of the uncomfortable nature of being a child at a hospital, witnessing
a loss that you may grasp for years to come.
Despite having no interval, the performance
never dragged. The pacing of the piece was smooth and efficient with the help
of the ensemble’s quick costume and scene changes. The ensemble contrasted excellently
with the rest of the cast as they portrayed university students, doctors and
paternal figures. Their ability to bounce of off one another and set the scenes
kept the play feeling natural and light during flashback scenes.
The set design included a hospital bed and
4 chairs, this simple but clear design kept the audience focused on Bentley as
there were no distractions. She was the focus of the next 100 minutes of your time,
and you were grateful for it. The scenes swiftly changed and the costuming felt
natural. The spotlight would change from sharp white to warm golden hues, and
every lighting choice kept the audience focused and reminded of the empty
cleanness of a hospital. The cold and abrasive sound design put you right in
the discomfort of a hospital waiting room, matched well with the set and
lighting design.
Each cast member flowed well together and
relied on Bentley to keep the piece moving and engaging which she did with
ease. The audience left this piece reflecting on kindnesses vital importance in
our lives, as well as learning what ‘soporific’ means. The audience left
weeping and pondering such a brilliant performance.
Perspective Arts Theatre Company’s first
production piece being in the Hopgood’s ‘little theatre’ is such a special
moment for community theatre and I look forward to more being done in this
space. This show is so important and needs to be seen, please go to the newly
renovated Hopgood theatre and have a wonderful night watching a play about God,
Death, Poetry. And Bunnies.
- El Flanagan-Sjoberg
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