THEATRE: AND MISS REARDON DRINKS A LITTLE
REVIEW BY ANNA HARRISON
The familiar scenario of sibling interplay provides the premise for The Darlinghurst Theatre’s latest offering And Miss Reardon Drinks a Little, an unapologetic portrayal of the complex, painfully intimate and fundamentally fraught familial dynamic. Over a single night, three sisters who all share a common career in secondary education, lift the lid on a lifetime of simmering resentment and grief as they each grapple with their mother’s recent death and the youngest of the trio’s subsequent mental collapse. The drama unfolds in the Reardon family apartment where the sardonic and consistently drunk Catherine (Helen O’Connor) cares for the mentally fragile but amusingly feisty Anna (Lucinda Armour). When their stitched-up, self-righteous sister Cecil (Monique Spanbrook) arrives after an extended absence with the intention of having Anna committed, the sisters are forced to confront their issues with guns blazing; literally. Enter Fleur, a gaudy, obnoxious guidance counsellor at Anna’s school and her fast talking husband Bob, who bring to the scenario their own agenda, and a confrontation of volcanic proportions erupts without mercy.
First performed in 1967 in Los Angeles, Pulitzer Prize winning Paul Zidel’s dark tragi-comedy was an ambitious attempt for actor/director Nicholas Papademetriou. While the opening night achieved a few golden moments that allowed the dry comedy of the script to shine, the writing was, on the whole, lost in the delivery. Set in New York, the use of accent was tenuous and fluffing of lines somewhat jarring, giving the overall impression of an under-rehearsed production. A heavy handed approach was taken to the material with all five leads relentlessly playing up the conflict with acerbic bite, steam-rolling any possible variation in pitch. The creative use of bubble wrap made for an interesting set design, but failed to substantiate the oppressive feeling of enclosure implied in the dialogue. On the whole And Miss Reardon Drinks a Little was not without commendable moments in both acting and direction, but lacks polish and coherent interpretation of the material.
And Miss Reardon Drinks a Little
Until June 21
Darlinghurst Theatre Company
19 Greenknowe Avenue, Potts Point’
$25-$30
Bookings: 8356 9987 or www.darlinghursttheatre.com
