When David Williamson received a royalty cheque (or “check”) he thought “Who the f*** would put Don’s Party on in Texas?” The answer is Colin Anderson, who has also directed the play for students of Commonwealth Literary Studies in Denmark.
He let the Americans keep their accent, but had to explain the meaning of “chook” among many iconic Australian words, while the Danes, who all spoke perfect English, hardly understood anything. This was not so much because of their lack of vocabulary but more a matter of the rhythm and flow of Australian English. The Texans couldn’t believe how fast they had to talk to make the lines funny. So much for the myth of the laconic Australian compared to the Texan drawl.
So, Anderson says, directing Don’s Party for Canberra Repertory, not too far from the Lyneham High School National Tally Room, is easy – like coming home.
Yet 35 years after the play was written, one actor wondered “Are we doing it with Australian accents?”, while another needed to be trained out of his “stage” educated Anglo accent. Anderson also had to explain about the DLP (Democratic Labor Party), Archbishop Mannix and Bob Santamaria to his cast, who are about the age of the young marrieds they are acting at Don’s 1969 election night party. In case you’ve forgotten, or never knew, the program includes brief notes on key political figures (strictly in alphabetical order) Bob Hawke, John McEwen, Malcolm Mackay, Frank McManus, Daniel Mannix, Bartholomew Augustus Santamaria and Gough Whitlam.
Such references in the play mean a director has to choose between updating the production or keeping to the original period. Anderson has chosen an accurate representation of 1969 as the right way to go, and he has been backed magnificently by set designer Quentin Mitchell, properties manager Fay Butcher and costume designer Judy Wemyss. Watch carefully when the beer cans come out of the frig – they have the correct labels for that year. Orange, flamingo and a certain kind of yellow were the designer colours of the day, and the short, triangular Modigliani art dress that Susan (Anne Mewburn) wears is quite startling.
But perhaps the comedy begins with the men’s flairs – ankle flappers, as one cast member calls them. Anderson’s central focus is on the play as a comedy – he certainly hopes the audience will still be laughing at the end – yet he points out that this play, along with The Removalists, has become the long-laster among Williamson’s huge output. Why is this so?
Anderson’s answer is that Don’s Party is more personal than political. There is a “human truth – that life catches up with you” in the lives of these 11 people as their great expectations of themselves and each other fail to be fulfilled. Just as Don’s great hope that Labor would win was dashed in that election. Some consider that Don represents David Williamson himself at that time, and, quite by chance according to Anderson, Soren Jensen who plays the role has the same two metre height and lean aspect as Williamson. I found it quite uncanny watching a rehearsal as if Williamson was in the wrong part of the theatre.
Some commentators have seen a similarity with Chekhov. There is something poignant, even “sad and embittered” says Anderson, underlying the superficially funny. It is this which gives the play an “historical dimension” and requires that it be played “true to its period and its spirit”.
As I watched Jensen rehearsing Don, I could see Anderson’s point. Don is a teacher and, though he has invited the raucous characters like Cooley, Mack and Mal (with or without women partners) which make the party swing (and it certainly does), he spends a lot of time hesitant, somewhat apart from the action, watching and reflecting on his own and others’ behaviour. Although I didn’t see the end, I think it will be through Don that we will find ourselves reflecting on the “comedy” of our personal and political lives today.
This explains, for me, the quite extensive use of four-letter words in Don’s Party. This was not merely Williamson keeping up with the recent trend after Alex Buzo’s Norm and Ahmed had resulted in actors being charged with obscenity, and winning the legal right to swear on stage. The characters who swear in this play are the least secure personalities with the least self-awareness, however successful they may be at one-night sexual stands. So, I suppose too, Williamson’s reaction to a production in the American mid-west was not surprising.
It will be interesting to see how today’s Canberra audience responds.
Don’s Party by David Williamson
Canberra Repertory at Theatre 3
Opening this Friday August 4, 8pm
Bookings: 6257 1950
© Frank McKone, Canberra
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