Review: MAUREEN: HARBINGER OF DEATH – ADELAIDE FESTIVAL 2023 at Space Theatre, Adelaide Festival Centre

Reviewed by Barry Lenny, Wednesday 15th March 2023.

Writer and performer, Jonny Hawkins, and co-conceiver and director, Nell Ranney, bring their production, Maureen: Harbinger of Death, to this year's Adelaide Festival. Hawkins takes us into Maureen's living room, where she holds court.

The real Maureen, who became a close friend of Hawkins, was a much larger than life octogenarian denizen of Sydney's notorious King's Cross, home to strip clubs, brothels, drugs, organised crime, and some memorable characters. Maureen had a list of her friends whom she thought would die shortly, in order of their likelihood, and made a point of spending time with them. She was, apparently, surprisingly accurate, labelling herself a harbinger of death.

Hawkins begins by explicitly instructing the audience to switch off their phones, claiming that one rings in 80% of performances and that, even when set to vibrate, they are also audible. Yes, this was one of the 80%, as a phone was heard, and a few others were seen lighting up as they were being checked during the performance. The stupidity, ignorance, and inconsideration of some people astound me.

Hawkins continued by introducing Maureen, an amalgam of the real Maureen, and fragments of a few others, before donning earrings, a necklace, lipstick, and crossing to the armchair to put on a full-length skirt to become Maureen for the duration of the evening. Maureen lives on the fourth floor of a decaying Art Deco building on Macleay Street, opposite 'Buckingham Palace'. She'll explain that nickname. We become visitors to Maureen's room, which is furnished only with the armchair and a small table next to it. The curtains at the rear, the carpet, the upholstery, the tablecloth, and Maureen's skirt, were all of the same busily patterned material, the set and costume design having been created by Isabel Hudson. Nick Schlieper provided a subtle lighting design, with an equally subtle sound design by Steve Toumlin.

Hawkins is a wonderful storyteller, telling his stories and anecdotes through Maureen,who describes herself as "old and a girl, but not an old-girl". She is brought to life through facial expressions, slow, shaky movements and, of course, a change of voice quality. Maureen doesn't leave her chair during the entire 80 minutes, captivating us entirely with her wit and wisdom. It is an excellent example of great acting, doing so much with so little, other than the enormous ability of the playwright/performer.

If nothing else, we are left with a line to live by, "Don't be polite, be kind", and Maureen's maxim, "A lady never lights her own cigarette". To understand the significance of these, and their importance to the performance, you will have to buy tickets.

Maureen is a great observer of people, recounting fond memories of some of the people in her list of the departed, and of those around her. She is a philosopher, with a unique outlook on life, and a special way of treating other people. You will wish that you had met her, or somebody like her. Those 80 minutes in her company are not enough, and you will envy Hawkins for his chance to have spent time getting to know her.

She refers to a painting of Persephone, recounting the myth in its original form, then giving her own updated version of the tale, all to waves of laughter. The entire performance is filled with witty, often hilarious lines, but also offers many poignant, deeply emotional moments. To go into details would be to spoil it for those who have not yet seen this wonderful production.

Be quick to buy tickets, before it sells out, as it did tonight.

Photography, Clare Hawley.