Review: PICNIC AT HANGING ROCK at Little Theatre, University Of Adelaide

Reviewed by Petra Schulenburg, Saturday 6th October 2018.

In 1967, Australian author and visual artist, Joan Lindsay, published her most celebrated work, Picnic at Hanging Rock, an historical Gothic novel detailing the inexplicable disappearance of three schoolgirls and their teacher at the site of a monolith on Valentine's Day, 1900.

A powerful stage adaptation of the same novel is currently being presented by The University of Adelaide Theatre Guild and upholds the company's solid reputation for producing high quality, thought-provoking and entertaining theatre.

Adapted for the stage by acclaimed Australian theatre writer, Tom Wright, the story is told by a cast of five girls, each taking on multiple interchangeable roles as the narrative slips through time and space, from the searing heat of the Victorian bush in summer at the base of the titular Hanging Rock, to the implacable walls of Appletree College, a Victorian-era girls' school which harbours dark secrets and horrors of its own. The disappearance of the girls and their teacher leaves a devastating impact on students, staff, their enigmatic and formidable headmistress, and the local township at large. Theories abound, secrets are exposed, and hysteria sets in, until, eventually, the lives of the characters unravel.

This is very much an ensemble piece and the cast, Laura Antoniazzi, Gabi Douglas, Zanny Edhouse, Zoe Muller, and Rhoda Sylvester, work together seamlessly, transporting the audience through the unfolding mystery with great energy, insight and commitment. Changes in character and roles are swift in this script and the cast keeps the audience with them, often supported with little else than a variation of accent or minor change of costume or prop.

Tightly directed by theatre veteran, Geoff Brittain, this production of Picnic at Hanging Rock takes Wright's lyrical script and deftly weaves a fluid and compelling narrative of the repressed schoolgirls' desire for freedom, Gothic horror, sexual repression, and self-destructive regret. The haunting music and evocative soundscape, by composer, Kristin Stefanoff, is a key element of this production, perfectly complementing the action on stage.

In the spirit of the shifting nature of the script, designer Ole Wiebkin has created a visually ambiguous set that transports the audience from the harsh environs of the bush to the rigid confines of the Victorian era school and local area. Making the most of the Little Theatre's unique space and structure, a highlight is watching the girls literally scale the face of the monolith to disappear from view.

The lighting, designed by Richard Parkhill, is appropriately dramatic and extremely effective. The audience can literally feel the stifling heat of the summer's day and the chill oppression of the school buildings. The costumes, by Gilian Cordell, are reminiscent of the era without being accurate, but manage to sit comfortably, nonetheless, within the atmosphere and context of the production.

Picnic at Hanging Rock sparked critical and public interest for its ambivalent presentation as a true story, as well as its vague conclusion, and is widely considered to be one of the most important Australian novels of all time. Made into a classic film of the same name in 1975, the iconic story has also recently aired as a six-part TV mini-series.

This latest Theatre Guild production of the stage play continues to fascinate, horrify, and enthral.