Reviewed by Frank McKone
April 17
Cast
Marianne – Lucy Goleby Roland – James O”Connell
The best way to describe Constellations,
as I see it, is to think of a classical-style piece of music for two
instruments. I’m thinking, as an example, of the arrangement for
piano and violin of "Softly awakes my heart": from Samson and Delilah by Camille Saint-Saëns.
Each
instrument plays themes and variations of those themes, together in
concert, so that though you hear and recognise the core of the themes
being repeated, the music develops and maintains our interest as each of
the piano and violin play different variations of their own, and the
relationship between the two changes along with the interplay of each
variation.
I think of Roland as the piano, which is never merely an accompaniment but a player with the violin, Marianne.
The core theme of the piano is Roland as a bee-keeper maintaining the
consistency of social structure in the hives and producing honey; while
for Marianne it is the wonder of the universe working so differently at
the macro and micro levels, which raises the ultimate ‘if’ question –
could each replay of a theme be in a different parallel universe?
This
makes the play, for me, a kind of music of words, and silences, and
even at one time of gestures – or a kind of poetic theatre – rather than
a drama with a through-line and obvious plot.
It’s an original
approach, which unexpectedly creates moments of laughter, of concern,
sometimes of anger, and warmth of one-ness between the two – characters,
or instruments – in a play of personalties for whom we feel empathy and
with whom we can identify.
Lucy Goleby and James O’Connell play like the best of violinists and pianists, and I marvel at their dexterity as each shift in scene comes upon them.
Supporting their success is a small constellation of creatives:
Director: Kelly Somes
Stage Managers: Sue Gore and Liz Phillips
Asst Stage Manager: Lucia Morabito
Set Concept and Design: Kelly Somes and Cate Clelland
Set Realisation: Cate Clelland and Ron Abrahams
Sound Design: Neville Pye and Kelly Somes
Lighting Design: Aisan Bavinton
Lighting Consultants: Bronwyn Pringle, Craig Muller, Felix Tiornton
Lighting and Sound Operaters: Sue Gore and Liz Phillips
Acknowledgement: “Over the Sea” by Elizabeth Sarah Stringer
More available about the author online at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Constellations_(play)
Very well worth the experience.
©Frank McKone, Canberra
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