The Wolves by Sarah DeLappe.
Directed by Chris Baldock. Assistant director Steph Evans.Set designer and Realisation and Sound designer Chris Baldock Stage Manager Seth Burr. Lighting design Rhiley Winnett.and Chris Baldock. Projections Rhiley Bennett. Operated by Seth Burr. Cosrumes and props. Chris Baldock, Steph Evans and then cast, Soccer coach Anto Hermida. Wig styling Annabelle Twomey. Mockingbird Theatre Company. Belco Arts. Belconnen Arts Centre. October 15-November 1 2025. Bookings: chris@mockingbirdtheatrics.com or 0422 293 152
Reviewed by Peter Wilkins
Under Chris Baldock’s tightly staged direction,Sarah
DeLppe’s play about a female soccer team rings with authenticity. On a soccer
field in suburban America The Wolves all female team train in preparation for
their matches over a period of weeks. In the intimate setting of Mockingbird
Theatre Company’s studio theatre at the
Belconnen Arts Centre, the eight actors entice us into the lives of the players
as they perform their training exercises and interact with each other on
Baldock’s neatly compact set design of the soccer ground and the net with the
image of the teams’s logo, the face of a wolf sets the scene for the action of
the play..
Set in 2016, The Wolves echoes with the dramatic voice of personal experience. There is a sense of personal reflection by a playwright who has keenly observed the conversations of her teammates during training. Mockingbird’s production is played with faithful observance of the American setting and the performances of the local actors while truthfully observing DeLappe’s time and location lend the production contemporary relevance. The conversations may refer to contemporary American historical events such as Iraq, Afghanistan and Khmer Rouge, but it takes only a small leap of the imagination to align with Gaza, Ukraine or Sudan. Gradually the conversation shifts from the global to the personal. The team, united in their membership of The Wolves, reveal the individual identity of the pack. DeLappe cleverly introduces each member of the team, revealing their lives, their opinions, their fears, their arguments and accusations and their cameraderie.
Baldock has carefully allowed each actor to emerge from the team and we begin to see past the game, past the imaginary soccer ball being passed from one to the next and enter into lives that are deeply personal, individual and meaningful. DeLappe’s dialogue, like conversation in a group leaps from one to another and at times it becomes difficult to follow the connection as each incident is linked to the chain of events that will culminate in the final team cry before going onto the field to face the competitor. With less astute direction and less impactful performance this could result in perplexity. As it is, Baldock has created a performance that is intriguing, gripping and often very moving on an emotional level, such as Chloe Smith’s heartwrenching performance as the soccer Mum who navigates the sorrow of shattered nerves at the loss of a daughter who had been a member of the team.
Ultimately, the work is an
ensemble piece. In the spirit of teamswomanship. Each actor excels in drawing
us into her life. Although it may be a fleeting argument over ethnicity, or a
painful revelation of an abortion or a moment of shared hilarity or fearful
anxiety, the actors remind us that they share a common bond, the dream of
victory, not as individuals but as a pack, united in their ultimate goal.
Baldock has chosen two casts to
play the team members, the Lupin Cast and the Lycan Cast. I saw the Lupin
cast. The performances were faultless,
entirely convincing and true to the character. It was a delight to watch these
young actors immerse themselves in DeLappe’s world and capture the very nature
of their characters. There are still not enough plays with all female casts and
it is a joy to see one performed with such intelligence, insight and flair.
Mockingbird’s production
enlightens us to the fact that we are all part of a complex social structure,
made of individuals living very different lives and yet striving for a common
goal. It is to the credit of Baldock and his cast and creatives that they could
so professionally and enjoyably convey DeLappe’s message to Canberra audiences. Don’t miss
this unique and special production.
The Lupin Cast: Eleanor Graham or
Grace O’Mahoney, Edith Baggoley, Asha Forno, Catherine Elias, Georgia Motto,
Marcelle Brosnan, Elioza Thomson, Anneka Steel, Jo Hogan, Chloe Smith – Soccer Mum.
The Lycan Cast: Eleanor Graham, Zara Huber, Jennifer Noveski, Susan Brown, Ainslie Bull, Jayde Dowhy,Grace O’Mahony, Eva Loxley, April Teifer, Ruth Hudson – Soccer Mum
