Reviewed by Frank McKone
Opening Night March 26.
Cast
Agatha: Andrea Close; Marjory: Steph Roberts; Huldey: Rachel Howard
Emilie: Sarah Nathan-Truesdale
Moorhen: Petronella van Tienen; Mastiff: Chris Zuber
Contingency Moorhen: Rachel Pengilly (playing 21 March and 5 April)
Rehearsal contingency: Alana Denham-Preston
Production Team
Writer: Jen Silverman: Director: Joel Horwood
Production Designer: Aloma Barnes
Sound Designer: Damian Ashcroft; Lighting Designer: Stefan Wronski
Set Construction: Simon Grist
Production Stage Manager: Lexi Sekuless; Shadow Stage Manager: Ariana Barzinpour
Programming support: Timmy Sekuless and Zeke Chalmers
Photographer: Daniel Abroguena
Producer: Lexi Sekuless Productions
Major partner: Elite Event Technology; Principal Sponsor: Willard Public Affairs
Wuthering!
See The Moors at The Mill to experience the heights of wuthering. And indeed the depths of sister Agatha’s withering stares. I think Andrea Close truly deserves a Julie Bishop Oscar [ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a7n2s6m-HbE ]
No wonder Emilie goes bonkers with her hatchet, and kills the conniving Agatha to death. Living in The Moors with this simulation of the surviving Brontë sisters, Charlotte, Emily, and Anne (Maria and Elizabeth died young), as well as their brother Branwell, chained in the attic, would send anyone round the bend.
Navigating Joel Horwood’s precision directing makes watching The Moors’ twists and turns exciting, like driving an obstacle course in a time trial in an electric car that can accelerate from stop to 100ks instantly.
If you are expecting an unconventional 19th Century romance of the Jane Eyre, Wuthering Heights and Tenant of Wildfell Hall kind (the Brontës were never ordinary in their prudish time in history), then strap your seat belts on for a wild ride through Jen Silverman’s half-satirical yet still seriously enlightening exposition of life – like the one we all live daily – in a frighteningly unpredictable world.
Kindness, empathy and self-awareness is what we need to learn in our relationships, beautifully represented – and wonderfully sensitively performed – in The Moors by Petronella van Tienen as the tiny Moorhen and Chris Zuber as the massive Mastiff: the Dog who thinks he is God.
Somewhat on the opposite of life is Steph Roberts’ maid Marjory – in her way as rational as Emilie tries to be; while Rachel Howard’s Huldey remains innocent and naïve through it all.
You can’t not enjoy the laughter and even the groans in The Moors experience – and you will certainly appreciate the thinking and skills that go into such stmulating theatrical fare.
Another excellent Mill Theatre production. I don’t need to say, “Don’t Miss”.
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| https://sites.google.com/lexisekuless.com/mill-theatre-at-dairy-road/more/online-program-the-moors |
