Sunshine Super Girl REVIEW 12 Nov 2022 ***1/2

THEATRE

Sunshine Super Girl by Andrea James

By Melbourne Theatre Company & Performing Lines

At Southbank Theatre, the Sumner until 14 Dec 2022

Reviewer: Kate Herbert

Stars:***1/2

This review published only on this blog with a verbal review on radio 3MBS on Sat 19 Nov 2022. KH

Ella Ferris -Sunshine Super Girl -pic by Paz Tassone

Sunshine Super Girl, written and directed by Andrea James, is an exuberant and engaging performance about Australia’s own tennis champion, Evonne Goolagong Cawley (Ella Ferris) who won Wimbledon twice in her career and, in doing so, won the hearts of Australians.

 

It can be difficult to successfully translate a biography into a stage play because a life does not usually have a clear dramatic trajectory, but James’ task was made easier because Goolagong’s life had significant high points and a dramatic arc.

 

The play begins with Goolagong’s impoverished life in country NSW with her large, loving Aboriginal family, to being talent spotted by a tennis coach then transported to Sydney, away from her family, where she trained hard, went to school and went on to play and win major tournaments around the world. She was the first black woman to win a major tennis tournament in South Africa.

 

The MTC Sumner Theatre is transformed into a tennis court with audience on two sides who means that the stage action is dynamic, swivelling and swinging 360 degrees to allow the actors direct their performances to both sides of the stage area.

 

The production begins and ends with a short and lyrical narration by Evonne as she sits by a fishing pool near her home and relates her story. The dialogue is light and uncomplicated, even when Evonne is forced to deal with her friends who are members of the Aboriginal Advancement League who demand that she use her hard-won celebrity for political purposes, a task she rejects. Her view is that playing and winning at tennis is her political contribution,

 

The tennis is depicted metaphorically in stylised choreography (Vicki Van Hout, Katina Olsen) that captures the essence of tennis strokes and the balletic or athletic quality of fine players that include not only Goolagong herself, but Margaret Court, Chris Evatt and many other skilful opponents.

 

Ferris is delightfully breezy, sunny and credible as Goolagong and when the character wins Wimbledon for the first time and raises the cup overhead, the opening night audience cheered and applauded as if we were witnessing the actual tournament. We’re all on her side from start to finish!

 

The capable cast creates a physical world through movement and the actors also play characters in Evonne’s life: Jax Compton is loving and believable as Mum; Lincoln Elliott is versatile as Evonne’s husband Roger and Dad; Katina Olsen is pert as Barbara; and Kirk Page shifts from comic to dramatic as Larry and Mr Edwards.

 

Sunshine Super Girl has warmth and vibrancy and is a good example of a successful biographical play and a production that encapsulates the life and achievements of Australia’s indigenous tennis superstar that preceded Ash Barty.

 

by Kate Herbert

Katina Olsen, Ella Ferris Kirk Page Sunshine Super Girl -pic by Paz Tassone

Cast

Evonne -Ella Ferris

Mum and Ensemble -Jax Compton

Roger, Dad and Ensemble -Lincoln Elliott

Barbara and Ensemble -Katina Olsen

Larry, Mr Edwards and Ensemble -Kirk Page

 

Team

Director Andre James

Movement director & additional choreography - Katina Olsen

Original choreography -Vicki Van Hout

Set and Costume Romanie Harper

Lighting Karen Norris

Composition Sound Design -Gail Priest