THEATRE
by Matthew Whittet, Melbourne Theatre Company
At Sumner, Southbank Theatre until 17 Feb 2024
Reviewer: Kate Herbert
Stars:***1/2
This review is published only on this blog. I’ll present a radio review on Arts Weekly on 3MBS on a Sat in early Feb 2023. KH
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| RIchard Piper, Robert Menzies, George Shvetsov, Pamela Rabe,Genevieve Picot, photo Pia Johnson |
It is a delicious treat and a privilege to see a cast of such exceptional, older, local actors on stage together and, it must be said, the performances are the major highlight of Seventeen by Matthew Whittet and directed by Matt Edgerton.
The team of stellar stalwarts includes Robert Menzies (Tom), Genevieve Picot (Emilia), Richard Piper (Mike), Pamela Rabe (Jess), and George Shevtsov (Ronny), all of whom play 17-year-olds celebrating the end of their school days by getting plastered in a children’s playground. As they imbibe more, their defences crumble, they confront their muddled thoughts about their uncertain futures, and each reveals a closely guarded secret. In a peculiar twist, the wisest words emanate from Mike’s party-crashing, 14-year-old younger sister, Lizzy (Fiona Choi).
Their last night together as school pals or colleagues deteriorates into drunken clashes and stumbles, both physical and verbal. Whittet’s play evolves in a series of episodes, some involving the whole group and others focusing more intimately on pairs.
As the scenes ebb and flow, so do the relationships and alliances, with friends discovering long-held secrets about each other, losing faith, feeling betrayed or confessing their love.
Although they are playing 17-year-olds, some of the dialogue and direction makes them seem like a much younger cohort – but perhaps that is a symptom of school-leavers carrying their child selves with them into the brave new world of adulthood. There is some imbalance between the adolescent banter and bickering, and the individuals’ revelatory monologues about themselves and their view of the world.
Menzies is sympathetic as Tom, capturing his introverted, genuine and caring nature, Picot finds vulnerability in the brittle and awkward Emilia, Piper makes the extroverted, good-looking Mike the focus of the group, Rabe is compelling as the audacious and popular Jess, Shevtsov is poignant and sad as “weirdo” outsider, Ronny, while Choi vividly portrays the vivacious Lizzy, a younger teen who is yet to feel the others’ sense of the impending doom of adulthood.
Watching these older actors playing teens allows us
to see into the characters’ futures. As they muse about their hopes, dreams and
fears about becoming an adult or growing old, we see, in the image of the actors,
the actuality of later middle-age for each of the characters.
Seventeen is both joyful and moving and its significant draw card is the exceptional cast.
By Kate Herbert
Cast
Fiona Choi, Robert Menzies, Genevieve Picot, Richard Piper, Pamela Rabe and George Shevtsov
Director Matt Edgerton
Set & Costume Designer Christina Smith
Lighting Designer Paul Jackson
Composer & Sound Designer Joe Paradise Lui
Movement Director Vincent Crowley
Assistant Director Tasnim Hossain
Intimacy Coordinator Amy Cater
