Oct 16 to 27, 2013
Merlyn Theatre, Malthouse
Reviewer: Kate Herbert
Stars: ***
Full review below. I did not review this production for Herald Sun. KH
Michael
Kantor’s reimagining of King Lear depicts a bloody battle for mining royalties
and power, and a violent collision of wills in an indigenous community.
The
translocation of Shakespeare’s wrenching tragedy from an ancient, white man’s
world to a remote desert setting gives new resonance to the story of Lear (Tom
E. Lewis), an aboriginal elder, who hands over all his land rights, property,
power and wealth to two greedy, cruel daughters but disinherits his youngest
and most loyal.
Lewis
translates Lear into an old man who trusts the old ways and mistakenly believes
that his older daughters value him more than they do his wealth. This error of
judgment leaves him and his mob (the band) homeless, penniless, disillusioned
and finally delusional as he roams the desert with his Fool (Kamahl Djordon
King).
Lewis
finds some poignant moments, particularly in Lear’s reunion with his exiled
Cordelia and as he grieves over her body in the final scene. Perhaps his most
moving moments is in a silent filmed scene where his distraught face and naked
chest simply portray Lear’s vulnerability and grief.
Strangely,
this production becomes the villainous Edmund’s play, with Jimi Bani portraying
Gloucester’s illegitimate son with ruthless manipulation and violence as he
ruins his brother’s reputation, seduces Lear’s two grasping daughters then
destroys his mother (Frances Djulibing). Bani’s performance is complex, nuanced
and compelling.
The
dialogue merges English, indigenous language and creole with snatches of
Shakespeare’s Elizabethan text to create a rich vocal landscape that makes the
indigenous characters vivid.
The
Arnhem Land locale is captured in projections of hot, red desert sunsets and
colorful footage of remote communities, houses and roving dogs.
Frances
Djulibing gives an authentic and touching performance as Edmund’s much-abused
mother, and her blinding at the hands of Lear’s two daughters followed by her
reunion with her disguised son, Edgar in the desert, and her attempted suicide
are rich moments.
Jada
Alberts and Natasha Wanganeen are suitably heartless and selfish as Goneril and
Regan and Rarriwuy Hick is as sweetly naive Cordelia. Kamahl Djordon King is
engaging as Lear’s adviser, the Fool, and Damion Hunter is a callow, youthful Edgar.
Music
underscores the story but the strongest sound is the unaccompanied, amplified
voice chanting in pain as Lear’s mind disintegrates and Djulibing’s solo lament
as she faces death.
The
production has some interesting elements that illuminate the tragic journey of
a deluded old man from ignorance to wisdom, a dysfunctional community that has
lost its way, and its relationship to country when it is infected with white
man’s greed.
However,
the tragedy is not fully realised in the production and the trajectory of old Lear’s
mental downfall is not sufficiently emotionally connected to make him the
centre of this modern, indigenous tale of woe.
By
Kate Herbert
Co-created
Michael Kantor & Tom E. Lewis
Directed
by Michael Kantor
Lighting
Paul Jackson
Set
Design Paul Jackson Michael Kantor David
Miller
Sound
Kelly Ryall
Film
Natasha Gadd, Rhys Graham, Murray Lui
Tom
E. Lewis - King Lear
Jimi
Bani -Edmund
Jada
Alberts -Goneril
Rarriwuy
Hick -Cordelia
Natasha
Wanganeen - Regan
Damion
Hunter -Edgar
Kamahl
Djordon King - Fool
Frances
Djulibing -Mum (Gloucester)
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