Written by Caryl Churchill
Directed by Cathy Petӧcz
COUP:
Canberra production
Ralph Wilson Theatre, Gorman Arts Centre to December 4
Reviewed by Len Power 29 November 2016
“Vinegar Tom” is the second production presented as part of
Ainslie and Gorman Arts Centres’ Ralph Indie program in 2016, a new initiative
that supports artists to develop and present new performance works. New experimental arts collective COUP:
Canberra presented Caryl Churchill’s 1976 play which explores gender and power
issues in a Brechtian style against the background of the witch trials in 17th
century England.
Storywise, the play struggles by comparison with Arthur
Miller’s “The Crucible” and Jon Whiting’s “The Devils” that cover similar
subjects. It might have seemed more
immediate when it was written in the 1970s when womens’ rights issues were
breaking new ground. It was interesting
that a play that argues so strongly that its women were innocent victims has a
woman who happily accuses other women of witchcraft.
Acting of the cast was uneven and lacked depth of
character. While it was a good idea in
theory to have local musicians composing and performing the songs to Caryl
Churchill’s lyrics, it was impossible to understand the lyrics from all but one
of the singers. The songs needed to be
integrated into the action of the play.
As presented, they slowed the play down and robbed the production of the
tension it should have had.
Set design by Imogen Keen was minimal and uninteresting and
the strange denim costumes worn by the women were distractingly awful. The lighting design by Gillian Schwab worked
very well.
There is a seating change for the second act where the
audience has to sit on benches. After a
while, some audience members appeared to find it more comfortable to stand up
and lean against a wall instead.
This review was first
published in the Canberra City News digital edition on Wednesday 30 November. Len Power’s reviews are also broadcast on
Artsound FM 92.7 "Artcetera" program from 9.00am on Saturdays and in other
selected Artsound programs.
