Circle Mirror Transformation, Melbourne Theatre Company *** 1/2
- Kate Herbert
- From: Herald Sun
- August 26, 2011 11:33AM
CIRCLE MIRROR TRANSFORMATION, MTC Theatre, Lawler Studio, until September 17
IF YOU run a drama class designed to make people unzip and reveal their innermost secrets, be sure you and they are equipped to manage the ensuing exposure and trauma.
Annie Baker's play Circle Mirror Transformation peers voyeuristically into such a community drama class in a fictional American town.
The class starts innocuously and hilariously with amateur teacher Marty (Deidre Rubenstein) leading a disconnected group in a series of banal exercises in storytelling and self-awareness.
Drama can be used for personal growth, but lives can be immeasurably and irrevocably changed - and members of this group unravel before our eyes.
Director Aidan Fennessy balances comedy with drama, and a fine cast - which includes Roger Oakley as Marty's husband and Brigid Gallacher as a teenager - sensitively portrays characters at a watershed in their lives.
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The short scenes and episodic structure become repetitive and the ending is somewhat incomplete, but this is entertaining with strong performances.
Star rating: *** 1/2
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