Director: Jarrad
West. Executive
Producer / Technical Director: Nikki Fitzgerald. Stage Manager: Lucy van Dooren. Sound Design: Nikki Fitzgerald,
Lighting Design: Nathan
Sciberras. Set
Design: Jarrad
West. Puppet Design: Emma
Sissons. Intimacy Co-Ordinator: Lachlan
Ruffy
Backstage Crew: Jude Livermore,
Alex Boulton, Paige Rawlins, Sophie Hope-White
Reviewed by Peter Wilkins
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| Michael Cooper as Jason with Tyrone |
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| The cast of Hand To God during a devilish moment Lighting by Nathan Sciberras |
Amy Kowalczuk plays Margery,
desperately trying to run the church’s puppet club while struggling to cope
with the grief at the loss of her husband, the attentions of Pastor Greg, the profession
of love by young Timmy and the volatile behaviour of Jason in the grip of Tyrone’s demonic outbursts. Kowalczuk’s performance is perfectly
restrained, searingly honest and wildly liberated when Tim’s sexual advances
release the repression. William Allington’s troubled teenager, Tim, exudes
surly defiance which becomes unbridled lust when Margery succumbs to her
desires. This is in stark contrast to Lachlan Ruffy’s professions of love and controlled propriety as
a servant of the church. Ruffy’s Pastor Greg is the epitome of true Christian
morality, while all around him the devil wreaks mayhem and madness. As Jessica Meaghan Stewart demonstrates her
versatility as an actor in her portrayal of the demure and sweet innocent, whose
secret fantasies are eventually awakened by the sexual abandonment of her
puppet Joelle with Tyrone. Pivotal to
the production is Cooper’s brilliant portrayal of the shy Jason in tandem with
his explosive and uncontrolled outbursts as Tyrone. Cooper’s transition between characters
from human to puppet is magnetic, his
timing brilliant and his vocal dexterity and physicality riveting.
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| Michael Cooper (Jason) and Amy Kowalczuk (Margery) |
With a cast as outstanding as
this, Jarrad West’s production is a master class in direction. The performances
reverberate with honesty. The timing is faultless, the business is clever and inventive and
West keeps the pace racing along through moments of high octane chaos,
simulated sex scenes, tender moments of pathos and empathy and crazy hilarity. What I wrote in 2022 at the highly success
and award winning production rings true of this revival, so I shall repeat it
as a reason not to miss this excellent and highly professional production
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| Meaghan Stewart as Jessica. Michael Cooper as Jason with puppets Joelle and Tyrone designed by Emma Sissons |
“Depending on your sense of humour Everyman Theatre’s production of Hand to God will either have you laughing until you cry or crying until you burst into uncontrollable laughter. It’s a blasphemous devilishly outrageous black comedy. The guffawer will split his, her or their sides at the rude retorts of the rebellious puppet Tyrone. The giggler will find the sexual antics of mother Margery and yobbo Timmy hilariously ribald. But the more restrained subtle smiler will simply smirk with secret delight at the absurd members of the local church ministry puppet club. If however, you are prone to shock and indignation, then this wonderfully clever, and an absurdly Pandora’s box of all your private fascinations is certainly the place to revel in your unabashed catharsis.
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| William Allington as Timmy and Lachlan Ruffy as Pastor Greg |
ACT HUB has forged a reputation for providing the very best in first class theatre and Everyman’s Hand to God is no exception. Playwright Askins reminds us of the complexity of human nature and the peril of blind acceptance, false idols and painful suppression. The comedy may be black but the moral is gleaming white thanks to Tyrone, whose manner may be brash but at least you know at which hand you stand.
Everyman Theatre’s Hand to God is a revival that you would be sorry to miss. Let
your Tyrone loose and hand it to God. You’ll be glad you did!”
Photos by Janelle McMenamin and Michael Moore
