Review: Centred On the Intriguing Life Of The Real Harry Crawford, THE TROUBLE WITH HARRY Is A Heartbreaking Story Of Love, Fear And Hidden Identities.

Saturday 18th February 2017, 7:30, Reginald Theatre, Seymour Centre Chippendale.

The secrets of an unusual person unfold in THE TROUBLE WITH HARRY as the imagined account of the very real Harry Crawford comes to life a century later. Bought to life by director Kate Gaul, Writer Lachlan Philpott's 85 minute play shares a possible version of the mysterious life of Eugenia Falleni and Harry Crawford, the woman who lived her life as a man.

THE TROUBLE WITH HARRY is based on the story of Sydney identity Harry Crawford who rose to infamy when his wife's burnt remains were found in a park. The 85 minute work, presented on a raised, bare timber plank thrust stage, draws the audience in to an exploration of the intriguing life. In identical contemporary shirts, pants and new white sneakers, Niki Owen and Thomas Champbell take on the roles of the narrators and the periphery characters whilst the central players are dressed in late Victorian clothes, indicative of their low social standing where they did not have the means to adopt the new Edwardian trends. The stage, dressed simply with a kitchen table, chairs and tea stained cheesecloth sheers allows the audience to be transported to Harry Crawford (Jodie Le Vesconte) and Annie Birkett's (Jane Phegan) rat and bug infested home. The narrators describe life in Sydney in 1917, from the gossiping neighbours, peaking out through curtains, to the six o'clock swill that would see wives wonder if their husbands would make it home, and in what condition and the cramped squalid conditions that meant tenants lived in fear they could be evicted for the slightest reason. The focus draws on a seemingly normal family of husband Harry Crawford, dutiful wife Annie and her son from a previous marriage Harry Birkett (Jonas Thomson). It's not until Crawford's daughter Josephine Falleni (Bobbie-Jean Henning) turns up on their doorstep, homeless now that the lady she has been left with has died, that the questions arise.

Whilst THE TROUBLE WITH HARRY is presented as part of the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras Festival 2017, it is never quite clear whether the reason for Crawford/Falleni's cross dressing was a result of an identification that she felt like she was in the wrong body, she believed appearing as a male would ease the complications of a lesbian relationship or simply she/he believed that dressing and living as a man was a means to earn a living and not be a burden to his/her widowed mother who had another 21 children to feed. Regardless of Crawford/Falleni's intent, THE TROUBLE WITH HARRY does shine a spotlight on the judgment of the time, which still exists to an extent, which saw Crawford/Falleni and Annie live in fear of being discovered. Whilst transgender people are more widely understood and accepted, they are still subjected to the prejudice and victimisation that Crawford felt a century ago.

As Harry Crawford, Jodie Le Vesconte delivers a wonderful performance that at first glance has the viewer tricked, as Crawford managed for years. Le Vesconte captures the male mannerisms and movement with only her lighter voice, albeit disguised with a depth, and her feminine frame that no matter how masculine the suit leads the audience to question Crawford's identity once cues are planted. Le Vesconte gives Crawford sensitivity and gruffness as he demonstrates his love and affection for Annie and position of power as the head of the house to stepson Harry Birkett. Le Vesconte gives Crawford gravity and vulnerability in the anger and the fear, drawing sympathy for Crawford's situation, regardless of Falleni/Crawford's motivation for the choice of living as a man.

Jane Phegan's portrayal of Annie Birkett captures the fatigue and fear that dogged the housewives of the era as she worries about her son's pet chicken which is later discovered as a rooster, a foreshadow to the human secrets perhaps along with the hope and optimism that she'd have somewhere to wear a new dress. Phegan also conveys a sense that Annie has chosen a life with Crawford for her and her son's security, never completely exposing whether or not she knew his secret. Between Phegan's portrayal and Gaul's direction it's never completely clear whether she was ignorant of Crawford's true self, if she chose to ignore it as a means to an end, or if she really loved a woman but Annie's fear at their secret being exposed is clear.

As Annie's son Harry Birkett, Jonas Thomson presents the young boy as a somewhat simple child, likely to be taken advantage of by the people around him as evidenced by the 'chicken' he brings home and the ease with which Josephine convinces him that Crawford is hiding a secret. Whilst the others take on a more 'period' tone to their expression, Thomson's voice at first feels contemporary but eventually settles into the character as does his physicality, all of which could be attributed to opening night nerves.

Harry Crawford's mystery daughter Josephine Falleni is presented with streetwise sass by Bobbie-Jean Henning. Henning captures the sneering young woman with a chip on her shoulder with a venom and damage that comes from the resentment of her mother/father's abandonment of the unwanted child. She holds the secret that can destroy the happy family and she knows her power whilst also realising the vulnerability of her position.

As the narrators, listed in the program as simply 'woman' and 'man', Niki Owen and Thomas Campbell weave their way through the story as they help explain the story and fill in the roles of the characters that fill the street where Crawford and Annie live. At times they convey a level of distance and simple observation, and at other times, they are more invested in the story, Campbell particularly conveying a beautiful balance of emotion and sensitivity to the story he is recounting. The pair move through the scenes, sit on the sidelines, in The Shadows, and behind sheers without intruding too obviously whilst being able to swap into the judging neighbours to voice the feelings of the society of the era.

THE TROUBLE WITH HARRY is an intriguing mystery that asks more questions than it answers, packaged in a beautifully simple staging that allows focus to remain on the characters, and the mental images and emotions that Philpott's text evokes. Regardless of Crawford/Falleni's motivations for living as a man, this is an important story in the fact that people are still judged and persecuted by society for choosing to live in a way that doesn't fit with someone else's view of how things should be.

THE TROUBLE WITH HARRY

16 February - 3 March 2017

Reginald Theatre, Seymour Centre, Chippendale

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