Till the Stars Come Down - 4.5 out of 5 stars
Holden Street Theatres Inc.
TICKETS: https://holdenstreettheatres.online.red61.com.au/event/890:31/
Till the Stars Come Down, by Beth Steel, is set over
the course of one explosive wedding day in a former mining town, mixing big
laughs with gut‑punch tragedy that freezes you in your seat after the house
lights rise. Family drama will always relate to somebody in the audience for
one reason or another, and through Steel’s script there are numerous interwoven
secrets that expose fractures, fears, and limitations, leading to an explosive
climax by the end of Act Two.
The action unfolds on the day of Sylvia’s wedding to Marek,
a Polish immigrant, in Mansfield. Along with the focus on Sylvia and Marek, it
is Sylvia’s close‑knit but strained sisters who are often front and centre:
Hazel, an agitated mother whose husband is out of work, and Maggie, the self‑indulgent
sister who abruptly moved away about a year before the wedding.
Director Nick Fagan has brought Till the Stars Come Down
to Holden Street Theatres as his second production as Director in Residence.
His directing and design choices are sound and effective, providing the
audience with a solid two‑act production that, while it doesn’t come with a
happy ending, it is still very much worth the watch.
Martha Lott’s Hazel anchors the production with weary warmth
and razor‑sharp timing, embodying the eldest sister’s burden of holding
everyone together while her life frays at the edges. Her clashes with her
sisters feel lived‑in rather than theatrical. Lott finds humour in Hazel’s
exasperation without sacrificing her dignity, giving the family’s moral centre
a complex, deeply human presence that drives the emotional stakes.
Michelle Nightingale’s Maggie crackles with restless energy,
with her sudden return stirring up old resentments and buried affection in
equal measure. Maggie’s bravado is balanced with vulnerability, and her scenes
with John are electric. Nightingale lands Maggie’s quips without undercutting
the character’s aching loneliness with ease.
Krystal Cave’s Sylvia brings hopeful determination, becoming
the emotional catalyst for the family reunion. She captures Sylvia’s tug‑of‑war
between loyalty to her family and her love for Marek, grounding the play’s
bigger arguments with care. Cave’s performance charts Sylvia’s journey from
eager bride‑to‑be to heartbroken truth‑teller with clarity, so that when she
finally pushes back against her family, it is surprising yet inevitable.
Jo St Clair’s Aunty Carol brings a sharp‑tongued, formidable
presence, wielding humour like a weapon – but you always sense the fierce,
protective love underneath the barbs. St Clair gives Carol a lived‑in
authority, with the younger generation rolling their eyes but hanging on her
every word.
Brendan Cooney’s Tony embodies a man hollowed out by loss
and economic disappointment, while stubbornly clinging to his role as
patriarch. His interactions with the sisters are full of awkward tenderness, as
if he’s never quite sure how to show love without his late wife. Cooney’s quiet
moments build into a moving portrait of a father who fears being left behind by
the very people he raised.
As Hazel’s husband, Brant Eustice brings at first, a
recognisable humanity to John, making him much more than a stock grumpy dad.
Eustice navigates the fine line between frustration and tenderness, so even
John’s worst impulses feel rooted in fear rather than malice. His scenes with
Leanne and Sarah quietly show the father he wants to be but struggles to
sustain.
Steve Turner’s Pete may first appear as comic relief, but he
gradually reveals the scars of the family’s past. His scenes with Tony unveil
decades of sibling rivalry, shared trauma, and unhealed wounds. Turner’s
performance illuminates the wider social history sitting behind this wedding
day, while still landing every joke with impeccable timing.
Spencer Scholz’s Marek is a magnetic presence, playing the
outsider who loves Sylvia deeply but never forgets the instability of his place
at the table. Scholz gives the character exuberant humour and warmth that make
it easy to understand Sylvia’s devotion. His performance subtly exposes the
family’s prejudices while never reducing Marek to a symbol.
Watching the chaotic behaviour of her parents and Aunty
Maggie, Laura Lines’ Leanne blends curiosity and judgement with the anxious
threshold of adolescence. While the opening scenes show her softness toward her
sister Sarah, it’s the small, precise choices toward the adults in the family –
the eye roll, an unseen glare, a sudden flash of anger – that make Leanne’s
frustrations feel instantly honest, while her actions in Act Two that slowly
simmer until they explode in the final minutes feel genuine in hurt.
Millie Fagan’s Sarah is a delight from her first entrance,
embodying the youngest member of the clan with bright, unfiltered honesty. She
reacts to the goings‑on of the adults with candid curiosity that only a child
gets away with, often undercutting tense moments with simple observations if
you catch them. Fagan’s performance never feels precocious; instead, she
grounds Sarah in recognisable playfulness and vulnerability.
This production is performed in the round, providing a
unique experience in the black box theatre. The stage and seating are raised
from the floor, allowing the installation of a round rope light and a revolving
stage, both used effectively throughout the action. The set is minimalistic,
with only tables and chairs, along with various smaller props and food.
There are moments throughout Act One where the action feels
halted when characters exit and we are waiting for others to enter. While it
can be excused as a pause to digest, it feels a little longer than it needs to
be, slowing down the overall pacing of the first act. The practical effects in
Act One are polished and well received. The lighting design is equally effective,
particularly in the explosive scenes in Act Two, and its execution is equally
polished.
This is a richly
acted, confidently staged production that honours the bruised heart of Beth
Steel’s play. Holden Street Theatres and Nick Fagan deliver a night of theatre
that is funny, painful and quietly devastating, lingering long after you leave
the black box.
- Andrew Broadbent
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