|
|
 |
Soulmates.
 David
Williamson's 'Soulmates' is the latest theatre production from
Matt Byrne Media. With its debut success in Sydney 2002, Director
Matt Byrne has snatched the rights to stage the SA premiere
of this adult comedy drama which offers a witty, sharp and deeply
honest portrait of writers and the book world.
Director Matt Byrne says this is the first amateur theatre production of a new Williamson work to be done in South Australia, and he's understandably thrilled to have secured the rights. "They are people out there who feel David Williamson has had nothing much to say for years now," he begins. "He's got plenty to say, and we happen to think he says it in the best possible way," Byrne makes his point succinctly and forcefully.
Set two months after September 11, 'Soulmates' is in part the story of bestselling pulp and romance style novelist Katie Best, played by Mignone Siemer, an ex-Australian resident of New York with her box office Hollywood film making husband Gordon, (Richard Holmes). Together they live the high life. But are they worthy?
Things shift when her Melbourne friend sends her a review from 'The Age' and according to merciless Melbourne book critic Danny O'Laughlan, (Brian Knott), Best is no more than a "minor talent" who is in it for the "quick quip."
O'Loughlin looks for what Byrne describes as "the infinite complexity at the heart of the human soul", and debases Ms Best for being "air-headed" and enjoying "her money and five seconds of fame". In the meantime, O'Loughlin's wife Heather (Wendy Patching), a successful investment adviser, is feeling increasingly resentful at putting in endless hours at the office, allowing her husband to be selective in his literary preferences - between serious writing like that of his idol South African novelist Max Van Niekerk (played by Trevor Keeling) and the 'page turners' of Ms Best.
The play begins to unfold when Ms Best decides to personally confront O'Loughlin's slander. She is determined not to settle for any elitist bullying and cleverly plots her revenge resulting in a real life Katie-At-Her-Best style drama. Her manipulative manoeuvring is proof that she is no amateur at this.
"This is an adult play, written by adults for adults and performed by adults. It's for real people," notes Byrne. "In it, Williamson has his well timed revenge on the people who for years have criticised for him being too successful. For not writing for middle class Australia and real people. I mean, this is Williamson at his best, and it's part of his ongoing success in holding a mirror up to the mainstream of Australia."
Byrne has opted for a simple set, skilfully alternating between the Melbourne and New York locations with the use of popular theme songs from each region as the drama plays out and the complexities of the plot unfold.
"It's about love and betrayal," says Byrne, anticipating the audience reaction, which he suspects, will be similar to his own when he first read the script. "It's about frustration: it speaks about women's issues, and speaks about them very very well." He points out Williamson has been attacked before for not writing with strong and authentic women's character's in his plays, and feels that herein Williamson more than answers those charges.
"It's a play that will provoke a lot of debates, here in the bar after the show, on the way home in the car, and maybe later in the bedroom," he laughs.
Overall, the play not only debates the quality of a piece of text but also exposes the quality of the writer raising questions about what motivates their material selection and what lengths they will go to, to nurture their image. At its core, it is about relationships and what keeps them alive when they are not. At a time when September 11 was a devastating reminder to us all that our life is short, the character of Heather is ready to experiment with the idea that there has to be more to life than kitchen renovations and annual holidays. But do we abandon it all for the hope that we might find our soulmate? The search for such freedom is juxtaposed with the freedom in writing which forms the basis of the play.
"He doesn't pull any punches," confirms Byrne of Williamson's script. "The point of it all is that everybody should be free to write want they want. Everybody is right; there is no right or wrong about this."
This is one of Williamsons best works to date, perhaps because he has had direct experience with the harsh world of critics and invites us into that experience. At the very least Katie Best gives us good reason to feel comfortable about reading her quality 'airport' novels and confidence for us all to openly confess that we do.
Martha Shirinian
 |
'Soulmates' runs from Thurs 17 June at The Studio, Holden Street Theatres.
|
|
|
The latest issue
available now!
|
