Five Women Wearing The Same |Dress
Written by Alan Ball. Directed by Steph Roberts. Assistant director Lachlan Houen. Producer, sound and lighting designer Nikki Fitzgerald. Stage Manager Lucy van Dooren. Set design Chris Zuber, Costume Design Fiona Leach. Photography Eva Schroeder (Promotional), Ben Appleton (Production) Everyman Theatre. ACT HUB. 16 pSinifex St. Kingston. May 8-18 2024. Bookings: ACTHUB.COM.AU
Reviewed by Peter Wilkins.
Dolly Parton’s signature song Working 9-5 immediately sets the scene for Alan Ball’s comedy Five Women Wearing The Same Dress. In the town of Knoxville in the deep southern state of Tennessee five bridesmaids of bride to be Tracy gather in the upstairs bedroom of Tracy’s sister Meredith, while below guests gather for the ostentatious southern wedding. Each bridesmaid is very different from the rebellious pot smoking sister, Meredith to the sweet and innocent fundamentalist Christian Frances, the neurotic Georgeanne, the lesbian Mindy and Trisha the friend with the sleep around reputation. As the play progresses and the women reveal hidden secrets, unravel unexpected truths and expose darkest fears and confusions the bond between them becomes more apparent.
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| Winsome Ogilvie as Meredith |
In the hands of an inexperienced cast and creatives, Five Women Wearing the Same Dress could become another parade of drawling southern stereotypes. Director Steph Roberts’ production for Everyman Theatre at ACT HUB skillfully delves beneath the superficial to flesh out the characters of the five women. Each actor captures convincingly the individuality of their character while effectively expressing the attitudes and opinions that they share. The support that they give each other, in spite of differences and argument is poignant and touching. Playwright Alan Ball’s characters burst into life under Roberts’ tight and imaginative direction. Hannah Lance’s feisty Meredith sensitively captures the pathos of her admission of molestation by her sister’s former fiance. Charley Allanah lends Georgeanne an emotional fragility that is touching and revealing. Winsome Ogilvie’s Frances is the perfect foil to Kelly Roberts’ down to earth reality. Their debate on faith and Christian fundamental belief creates a chasm of opposing views which is resolved by Trisha doing Frances’s hair for the reception. Kristy Griffin’s Mindy injects a delightful touch of comedy while also capturing a sense of discrimination in her lesbian partner’s overlooked invitation. Ball’s play delivers surprises. What at the outset could appear to be another comical look at women’s business develops more profound moments of introspection. In an expression of sisterhood while on the gym equipment in the bedroom, Mindy expresses her attack against men, but not all men she hastily adds.
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| Charley Allanah as Georgeanne |
Joel Horwood plays the only male character, usher Griffin Lyle Davenport the Third (better known as Tripp). Horwood gives a delightful rabbit caught in the headlights performance as he succumbs to Trisha’s cat and mouse game of sexual attraction. Roberts’ Trisha leaves little doubt as to who is the cat in this game of tease and who the mouse.
There is unity and conformity in Ball’s title. There is also individuality and uniqueness in the interaction between the characters and ultimately, in the final moment of the play as the group photo is taken there is solidarity. Fiona Leach’s carefully created dresses serve as a mockery of convention while Ball strips away the veneer to reveal a more diverse individuality. Roberts elicits excellent performances from her ensemble of actors. The result is an entertaining production played in the round in Chris Zuber’s interesting hexagonal design.
Don’t be fooled by expectation. There is more to Ball’s play than meets the eye. Director Roberts and her cast capture its subtlety and irony and while there is much hilarity there is also the touch of pathos that lurks beneath the surface. Everyman Theatre has produced an excellent piece of theatre that will entertain every man and every woman alike.