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 | The Goat, or Who Is Sylvia? Dunstan Playhouse Tue 9 August, Season closed O what a wonderful world to serve up such coincidences! In the morning, I read about ex-South Australian Member of Parliament Mark Brindal's confession of long-term extra-marital activities with a young man. In the evening, State Theatre opens a play in which a famous architect, in a 22-year loving marriage, tells his best friend that he is fucking a goat - nay, wait for it - that he is in love with the goat. Yes, he named his lover Sylvia. Many people regard fornication with farm animals as a pretty disgusting topic - perhaps unfit even for theatre - but for all the banter about bestiality on the stage, I was never really convinced that Martin the architect was a goat-fucker, and it wasn't the point. Playwright Edward Albee insidiously challenges our morality and ethics by instead placing us in the position of his childhood friend, his wife, and their teenage son; there are far too many layers in the script to focus on the goat. By casting the other woman as a goat, Albee uses bestiality to heighten the outrage of marital betrayal. This raises the stakes considerably, but he breaks the tension frequently with satirical remarks and reflections on the absurdity. While having your way with animals is at the dark end of the spectrum of bad love, Albee explores a variety of indiscretions and ethically challenging circumstances. This forces the audience to investigate exactly where they draw their moral line in the sand. We also reconsider our judgment of others. Was it right for Martin's friend, Ross, to betray his confidence and inform his wife, Stevie, with a letter in the mail? Was Stevie right to seek revenge? What is our responsibility to our most loved when we act on our impulses? Albee invites us to assess our views on all these behaviours without the benefit of a moral compass such as religion, the law, the police, or professional counselors. In 'The Goat..,' we have to make our own decisions. You'd have to go to the theatre fifty times before you will see a production as good as this one. Director Marion Potts has already shown Adelaide her penchant for short, snappy and fast-paced scripts that deal in ethics. In 'The Goat...,' she has employed players largely familiar to Adelaide audiences, and while some details on opening night require finessing, this is a cast to die for. Through her character, Stevie, Victoria Longley's description of the perfection of her marriage to Martin - the awesome completeness of their love, and consequently the gross effect of his betrayal - was extremely touching. William Zappa as Martin was mismatched in age with his childhood friend, Ross, but he has an uncanny ability to turn an emotion in an instant with theatrical flourish. Marco Chiappi provided a well-rounded characterisation with humour and sympathy - his Ross was a steady grounding while the family played out their crisis. Adelaide's Cameron Goodall's precious Billy (the kid!) gave a heart-breaking account of the implications of his father's goat-fucking. Designer Gaelle Mellis' architect's abode rang true, as did composer Stuart Day's bucolic bells. Mellis and Potts might profit from a day at the zoo - when Stevie returned with a butchered sheep (and wouldn't any spurned wife fantasise about doing that to "the other?"), I thought it was a case of mistaken identity. Wasn't the other woman a goat? Species mix-up aside, a severed goat's head would have been much more effective. Not only would it hark to the unnatural infatuation in 'Salome,' but we could get a good gander at those alluring goat-eyes that Martin spoke about so lovingly. This is State's best production so far this year - a real test of how we determine our right from our wrong, and an intriguing game of what-ifs. This is a great opportunity to take stock of what gets your goat.  | |
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