By Tom Davis
Directed by
Caroline Stacey
Designed by
Imogen Keen
Sound by
Kimmo Vennonen
Lighting by
Linda Buck
Street
Theatre 7 – 18th September
Reviewed by
Bill Stephens
Carrying the
ashes of her dead father, Dr. Raymond Gerrard (PJ Williams), a young
Mozambiquan woman, Caroline Gerrard, (Tariro Mavondo) arrives at the “Australians
For Hope” hospital in rural Mozambique, to discover it in ruins.
Dr. Gerrard
had devoted 50 years of his life to financing and running the hospital, only to
die painfully and ignominiously in a Canberra hospital.
In an
attempt to make something of her father’s life and work, his adopted daughter, now
a doctor herself has returned to Mozambique to discover that her father’s
trusted colleague, Coetano Perreira (Dorian Nkono), is looking to her to
rebuild the hospital and carry on her father’s work.
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| Tarito Mavondo as Caroline Gerrard in "The Faithful Servant" |
With “The
Faithful Servant”, playwright, Tom Davis, has drawn on his own experience in
Foreign Aid to devise a compelling play of epic proportions which questions our
concepts of goodness, and what it means to be good. Spanning a period of 51
years, the play jumps backwards and forward across time, with scenes taking
place on ships, in hospitals - both in Mozambique and Canberra - in refugee
camps in Zimbabwe, on railway stations and in doctor’s consulting rooms.
With just
three actors at her disposal, director, Caroline Stacey, meets the challenges
of the script with considerable flair, devising a sweeping, panoramic production
to tell an essentially intimate story of the interwoven cross-cultural lives of
these three people. It is a production that is as fascinating for the carefully
staged details, as for its epic scale, often leaving the impression that there
are many more actors occupying the stage than there are, and rewarding the
commitment and concentration demanded of the audience, by quickly drawing them
into the kaleidoscope of events and relationships which unravel throughout almost
two hours of uninterrupted running time.
Integral to
the success of the production is Imogen Keen’s remarkable setting, crowned with
a large abstract sculpture, which effectively captures the sense of the heat
and desolation of Mozambique. The audience are seated on-stage, either side of
dusty orange road stretching from the very back of the theatre right out into
the auditorium. A few crucial items of hospital equipment and furniture are
moved around the stage by the cast.
A striking lighting
design by Linda Buck, complimented by Scott Holgate’s video images of
self-serving advertisements projected on to the corrugated roller door at the
back of the stage, together with a stunning soundscape by Kimmo Vennonen, all
combine to define the various scenes, and compliment the dialogue, sweeping the
audience along in the events of the play.
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| PJ Williams as Dr Raymond Gerrard in "The Faithful Servant" |
As Dr
Raymond Gerrard, PJ Williams is required to portray his character at various periods
of his life. Not ideal casting physically, particularly for those scenes involving
the youthful Dr Gerrard, Williams none-the- less astonishes in the critical
scenes which occur towards the end of Gerrard’s career, with a multi-layered performance that captures
the futility of his character’s efforts to maintain his integrity even while
slipping into dementia.
All the
other roles in “The Faithful Servant” are played by two outstanding
African-Australian actors. Tariro
Mavondo, in addition to playing Dr Gerrard’s adopted daughter, Caroline, also
plays four other characters during the course of the play, and Dorian Nkono, plays
two other characters, in addition to his role as Dr Gerrard’s colleague,
Coetano Perreira.
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| PJ Williams (Dr Raymond Gerrard) and Dorian Nkono (Coetano Perreira) in "The Faithful Servant" |
Both give
remarkably nuanced performances, however, it would have added much to the
clarity of the production if the budget could have been stretched to
involve two additional actors for the multiple small characters, because as admirable
as Mavondo and Nkono are at portraying various roles, it is sometimes difficult
to keep track of who is who as the play changes time frames.
Tom Davis
has crafted an intelligent, complex play which shines light not only on issues
of International concern, but also raises probing questions about what drives
the human spirit. It is a play which will stay with you long after you’ve left
the theatre.
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| Tariro Mavondo and Dorian Nkono in "The Faithful Servant" |
Photos by Shelly Higgs
This review also appears in "Australian Arts Review". www.artsreview.com.au