Reviewed by Barry Lenny, Friday 13th November 2014
For the final production in its 30th year, Independent Theatre Inc. has pulled off a great coup with
Bracken Moor. The first and only other production was in June last year in London, a joint production between Shared Experience Theatre and the
Tricycle Theatre. This is only the second production of this work, anywhere, which says so much about the high regard in which this company is held, that a playwright would give them his permission to stage, not only the second production, and the Australian première, but also the world first amateur production.
The influence of J. B Priestley is visible in the writing, which the playwright freely acknowledges, in particular reminding me of
An Inspector Calls, which was my choice of play for my first time directing, and at times of
Time and the Conways, another that I directed. This not only has a similar internal feel, but also has that completeness of the narrative, and presents myriad talking points to take away for later. There is much left to consider and discuss.
Playwright,
Alexi Kaye Campbell, takes us to Yorkshire in 1937, to the home of coal mine owner, Harold Pritchard, and his wife Elizabeth. They are being visited at the manor house by their friends from London, the Averys, Geoffrey and Vanessa, and their son Terence. This is a big occasion as, ten years earlier, the Pritchard's twelve year old son, Edgar, died in a tragic accident, and Elizabeth withdrew from the world. This visit is the first tentative step forward. Terence and Edgar had been the closest of friends and, it seems, his return to this house has established some form of psychic connection between him and the deceased Edgar.
This tale is set against the background of upheavals in the coal mining industry during the Depression, with money getting tight and demand falling. Harold has ordered new equipment to mechanise one of his mines, and is planning to close another, putting 140 men out of work. The mine foreman, John Bailey, is trying to convince Harold to find some way to keep the men working, job sharing with miners at the other mine, an idea to which they all agree amongst themselves, being offered as a possibility, but Harold is adamant that his decision stands, without any compromises.
The Director, who is also the company's Artistic Director, Rob Croser, has assembled a mighty cast for this production and drawn forth some superb performances to create a production that keeps the audience spellbound. There is so much tension, and such a range of powerful emotions, all delivered with full force through the very believable performances, that the audience is left more than once sitting in stunned silence.
There is more than one coup for the company in this production, in that it brings together the Eustice brothers, Brant and Michael, for an extremely rare joint appearance, with Brant as Harold Pritchard and Michael as Geoffrey Avery. What makes this an even more exciting occurrence is that Michael Eustice spends most of his time in theatre as a director, and only steps on stage when faced with an exceptional script and a great director, both of which he found here.
Brant Eustice presents us with a man of wealth and power who is used to making decisions and getting his own way with everything. Austere, somewhat humourless, and disinterested in anybody else's ideas or opinions Harold is an easy man to dislike. He strongly disbelieves in anything that appears supernatural, and insists that there has to be a logical explanation for everything. Eustice gives a powerful performance that exhibits the full complexity of the character, including an anger through which we can see the other repressed emotions that he denies.
Michael Eustice's Geoffrey is a most amiable man, cheerful, easy going, self-effacing but, in a remarkably subtle and insightful characterisation, there are momentary flickers that suggest that there is far more to this man than at first appears, and an inner strength that he keeps hidden. Eustice controls his performance so carefully that the eventual reveal of Geoffrey's much greater depth comes as a real surprise, and leaves one wishing that he would tread the boards more often.
Lyn Wilson, as Vanessa Avery, is another who is bringing considerable experience to her role as the concerned and supportive friend of Elizabeth, determined to help her to overcome her grief and return to society. Wilson deals superbly with Vanessa's shock at realising the true depth of Elizabeth's grief, and then displays with passion the turmoil of Vanessa's emotions caused by Terence's sudden and dramatic changes.
Although not having as many years of experience, the other members of the cast all offer accomplished performances. As Elizabeth Pritchard, Alicia Zorkovic turns in her best performance so far, plumbing the depths of Elizabeth's despair, and taking us through the ever rising hope that comes to her through Terence's apparent link to her late son.
Will Cox is amazing in the role of Terence Avery, the catalyst for the changes in all of the others, even Harold, briefly, until he regresses. Cox initially portrays Terence as a rather cheeky young man who takes some delight in baiting Harold in intellectual argument. Then comes the metaphysical influence from the past and the colossal changes in Cox's characterisation as the influence of Edgar takes over Terence. Cox is breathtaking in the scenes when Edgar is controlling Terence.
As
John Bailey, Angus Henderson brings a nicely sympathetic reading to the role of the mine foreman in a performance that exudes a genuine concern for the men whom Bailey represents. Bailey's disappointment at Harold's final decision is clearly seen in Henderson's face and demeanour.
David Roach is another highly experienced and talented actor who is generally seen in major roles but, as Doctor Gibbons, he shows just what can be done in a smaller role by somebody who knows what they are doing. There is a nice roguishness in his portrayal when the doctor replies to Harold's question about the supernatural.
Then there are the two newcomers in this production. Heather McNab, who is in her penultimate year of high school, plays the maid, Eileen Hannaway, dutifully fetching and carrying for the master, and also displaying the superstitious nature and fear of the unexplained expected of a poorly educated country girl.
In a very brief, but extremely important appearance, Sebastien Skubala, plays the young Edgar, his plaintive appearance at the end of the play, challenging what the audience thought they had seen going before.
The set, designed by Croser and Roach, is an impressively large, comfortable room, luxuriously furnished, heated by a roaring log fire, with the timber beams merging with those of a mine towards the rear of the stage. Mathew Marciniak's lighting does a lot towards creating the often eerie moods within the play, as well as creating the log fire, and the lightning that, with a well-balanced sound of rain and thunder, that is never so loud that it drowns the voices, is very effective in creating the storm raging outside.
Independent Theatre could not have asked for a better production to end their thirtieth year, and it is definitely a performance that is greatly to be recommended to Adelaide's theatre lovers. For a company that is already renowned for their high standards, this represents another step up the ladder. Be sure to see this production.
Photography by David Wilson.
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