Fraught Outfit, MTC NEON
Lawler Studio, MTC, Southbank, May 30 to June 9, 2013 (opening night May 31)
Reviewer: Kate Herbert on May 31, 2013
Stars: *1/2
Review also published in Herald Sun on line on Tue June 4 and possibly later in print. KH
During
On the Bodily Education of Young Girls, nine teenage girls, in almost total silence, engage
in a series of ballet warm-up exercises and then enact a schoolgirl pantomime
depicting a plethora of stylised executions while their teachers watch.
Fantine Banulski pic by Pia Johnson
This
may be the only occasion in which you will witness a group of 13-15 year-old
girls not chatting, giggling or shrieking for a continuous hour.
Because
it is devised by independent theatre company, Fraught Outfit, and is part of
the MTC NEON Festival, this production cannot be assessed as youth theatre –
despite many of its cast being teens – so it must meet certain professional
standards.
Director,
Adena Jacobs describes her production, which is inspired by Frank Wedekind’s
1903 novella, On
The Bodily Education of Young Girls, as “a theatrical poem through a contemporary lens”
and “an elegy for childhood”, amongst other descriptions.
Wedekind’s
novel portrays an 84 year-old woman’s recollections of her years in an insular,
girls’ school being trained in ballet and biology and performing at night for
adults.
While
Jacobs’ adaptation chooses not to interpret Wedekind’s story directly, it fails
to illuminate anything about adolescent girls, their burgeoning physicality and
awareness, or the juxtaposition of adult and child.
Unfortunately,
it is an incoherent, incohesive and contrived collection of workshop ideas that
are not sufficiently developed to make clear its theatrical intentions or make a
meaningful performance.
The
stage does not succeed in being dangerous, threatening, sensual, decorative,
risky, artistic or magical.
The
first 20-30 minutes features an interminable ballet warm-up session, myriad
meaningless exits and entrances, mannered and meaningful gazes between the
girls, and tepid, uninflected observation by two schoolmistresses (Luisa
Hastings Edge, Karen Sibbing) and an elderly woman (Anna Schlusser).
The
young actors work diligently, but the direction makes them look awkward and
self-conscious, and their movements and pathways around the stage are so
contrived and overly choreographed that they are stilted.
The
violence portrayed in their pantomime is like a bad primary school play, with
mediaeval characters slaughtering each other with plastic swords and it
provides no sense of teenagers attempting to depict adult themes.
The
only moments of energy and girlishness occur when they play a tag game and
shriek like playful teenagers.
Those
who work with teenage girls in devising performance will know that they love
anything obtuse, esoteric and cryptic, probably because it feels philosophical
and adult, even when they don’t have a clue what it all means.
This
is not stylisation; it is just kids doing bad acting – very, very slowly, and
it’s not their fault.
By
Kate Herbert
Director Adena Jacobs
Dramaturgy Aaron Orzech
Set Design Dayna Morrissey
Composer Kelly Ryall; Lighting
Design Danny Pettingill
Costume Design Chloe Greaves
Associate Artist Pia Johnson
Cast
Mika Andrew, Fantine Banulski, Bianca Coppa, Tove Due, Luisa Hastings Edge, Cindy Hu, Annie McKenna-Freeman, Lois Scott, Karen Sibbing, Carla Tilley, Artemis Wilson
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