Unsolicited Male REVIEW July 26 2022 ***1/2

THEATRE

Written by Ron Elisha

Produced by Q44 Theatre

At Chapel off Chapel, until August 7, 2022

Stars; ***1/2

Reviewer: Kate Herbert

This review was first published in The Age Arts online on Thur July 28, 2022 and in print on (TBC) Fri July 29, 2022. KH

Russell Fletcher & Kym Valentine- image Jodie Hutchinson

Sexual relationships in the workplace are a potential minefield in the post #MeToo era and Australian playwright Ron Elisha’s 2018 play, Unsolicited Male, dissects gender and power politics and issues of consent by taking a deep dive into a single, messy incident between a male boss and his female employee.

 

Boss Zeke (Russell Fletcher) is confident in his business role, but feels awkward, weak and unattractive to women in his personal life, while his employee Wendy (Kym Valentine) knows that her power is limited in the workplace but is very aware of her attractiveness to men.

 

At the end of a fateful workday, Zeke, a divorced dad of two, invites Wendy, his single, much younger personal assistant, to dinner as a gesture of gratitude for her work. He is harmless, complimentary and even offers her a promotion during their cheerful chatter, but a series of unpredictable and unrelated incidents sees them leave the restaurant early and end up at Wendy’s house where the conversation turns personal and Zeke assumes that his sexual advances are welcome.

 

Elisha’s script, with unembellished direction by Suzanne Heywood, starts as a witty comedy with a deceptively simple scenario but rolls inexorably into a drama focussing on the power dynamics of this relationship, highlighting the blurred boundaries, unclear messages, wildly inaccurate assumptions, confused reactions and ensuing chaos.

 

The play shifts back and forward in time, intercutting Zeke and Wendy’s evening with later scenes between Zeke and his gung-ho life coach Noah (Anthony Scundi), and Wendy with her bolshy sister Chelsea (Gabriella Rose-Carter). Noah and Chelsea have extreme, polar opposite perspectives on the situation – Chelsea sees Wendy as victim and prey while Noah views Zeke as assertive and empowered – and their brutal interjections and negative commentaries force Wendy and Zeke into rigid and perilous psychological positions that escalate the trauma.

 

Fletcher is credible as Zeke, playing him as a pleasant bloke with no agenda who apologises too much, feels like a victim, acts like a wimp, seeks sympathy and feels unworthy of this beautiful woman’s attention. Valentine effectively charts Wendy’s emotional journey from capable employee, to playful, obliging dinner companion, then reticent, uncomfortable object of desire and finally, frozen, disempowered and traumatised victim.

 

The simple set of a table and chairs places the main action between Wendy and Zeke centre stage while scenes with Noah and Chelsea unfold stage left and right. This placement of scenes splits the stage and is sometimes uncomfortable to watch, flicking our attention from side to side like a tennis match.

 

Unsolicited Male will leave audiences debating all the way home and its topical socio-political issues will generate as many opinions as there are audience members. 

 

By Kate Herbert

 

Cast

 Kym Valentine – Wendy

Russell Fletcher – Zeke

Gabriella Rose-Carter – Chelsea

Anthony Scundi – Noah

Will Atkinson – Marshall, the waiter (Andy Barry-Brown alternate)

 

Set Design: Suzanne Heywood & Will Atkinson 

Lighting Design: Will Atkinson 

Production Manager: Will Atkinson

Operator: Joel Armour

Russell Fletcher & Kym Valentine-cr Jodie Hutchinson