Gwen in Purgatory
Plays that ring all too true always receive a significant reception from their audience. You can feel the crowd’s eyes around you, glued to the stage, intensely watching. Gwen in Purgatory is a charming look into an elderly woman’s twilight years that grabs its audience with humour, honesty and sentiment.
La Boite & Company B Belvoir
Roundhouse Theatre, Kelvin Grove, Brisbane
Sunday, 10 October, 2010
Plays that ring all too true always receive a significant reception from their audience. You can feel the crowd’s eyes around you, glued to the stage, intensely watching. Gwen in Purgatory is a charming look into an elderly woman’s twilight years that grabs its audience with humour, honesty and sentiment.
The snap-shot of Gwen’s daily life takes place in her brand new home in the town of Queanbeyan, Canberra. Surrounded by unpacked boxes and a lifeless beige interior, she’s facing a time in her life that threatens her independence. She’s just pranged the car, she can’t decipher the air-con from the oven and her denial about it all is abruptly brought to her attention by the family. Grandson Daniel has dropped around to lend a hand and meanwhile probes his Nanna for information about his drug-addicted mother and opens up about the strains of being raised by his aunt. Then son Laurie stops by to bother her with finance and insurance matters. To add to the commotion, daughter Peg fusses about the home, caught between trying to live her own life and caring for her increasingly fragile mother. Father Ezekiel has been invited over to bless the house –and quickly becomes the centre of the storm that is Gwen’s family. The group banter about memories and display the reality of the fact no one perspective is ever the same – especially when it comes to memory.
Five equally strong performances delivered this story with a spirit that created a sincere family atmosphere. It felt like peering through the neighbour’s window watching their ordinary daily lives unfold – except being privy to understanding their background. Each character represented someone we all know, and they all suffered with sad personal battles. Sad because you realise they’re spot on.
Melissa Jaffer was stunning as Gwen. Unbelievably convincing as a strong, independent woman trying so hard to hold on to what independence she had left. Her performance blew me away. She made me feel like ageing takes you backwards. Back to when you were small and wanted to do everything yourself, like you had something to prove. It was heartbreaking, yet her attitude was also enjoyably amusing.
Nathaniel Dean as Daniel walked the line between the rough-around-the-edges young man with a chequered past and a caring grandson looking out for his Nan flawlessly. His struggles were powerful as he connected with Father Ezekiel (Pacharo Mzembe) with humour and validity. Mzembe played the middle ground between the family, contributing his thoughts on “respecting your elders” and the like with tenderness. His character was completely loveable and his comedic timing was perfection.
Sue Ingleton was a whirlwind with a mouth that moved one hundred miles an hour. She didn’t miss a beat and oozed anxiety which made my own chest tighten. I could feel her agony as she battled within herself regarding responsibility for her mother versus freedom. She did an amazing job to get it across so poignantly.
Gwen’s son Laurie was portrayed as the not-so-trustworthy uncle brilliantly by Grant Dodwell. But he wasn’t all confident conman. There was a softer and weaker side I enjoyed from Dodwell.
Natural lighting effects designed by David Walters were a great touch to the home. Subtle instances like the afternoon sun shining in as the garage door opened created that feeling of a real home
The time flew by in this one hour and forty-five minute production and I could have enjoyed eavesdropping on that family for hours. I was deeply touched by the story and also frightened a little by human nature. A dramatic ending left me speculating about what exactly happened to Gwen, but I think the conclusion is clear.
Gwen in Purgatory is showing until 24 October 2010.
Bookings at www.laboite.com.au
