Review: Shocking And Somehow Justified Stories Come To Life In Dan Giovannoni's Stage Adaptation Of Christos Tsiolkas' MERCILESS GODS

Friday 3rd November 2017, 7pm, SBW Stables Kings Cross

The horrific truth of humanity is captured with confronting nonjudgmental clarity in Dan Giovannoni's adaptation of Christos Tsiolkas' MERCILESS GODS. A diverse cast of six take on eight short stories that expose the reality of society that mainstream arts and media are too afraid to confront, presenting them with honesty and simplicity that raises the question of if playing god can be justified.

Stephen Nicolazzo (Director) presents the short stories with a clarity and simplicity that allows Giovannoni and Tsiolkas' text to shine, drawing the audience to the edge of their seat as they sit captivated at the accounts of vile thoughts and deeds are recounted with passionate self-righteousness or a calm confidence of justification. Set and Costume designer Eugyeene Teh has given Nicolazzo's performers as simple stage where the corner space of SBW stables is further narrowed to a wedge of royal blue, bordered by black sides, backed by an opulent red curtain. Costumes are kept relatively simple, expressing the characters from the hipster gathering in the first work (MERCILESS GODS), conservative mother in PORN 1, middle class mother and son in STICKS, STONES, and hedonistic, narcissistic artistic mother and her 'normal' daughter and son in law in HAIR OF THE DOG. Katie Sfetkidis' lighting and Daniel Nixon's Sound design and composition provide a delineation between the stories as well as helping determine whether characters were memories like PORN 2's Mickey or actually present in the moment like SATURN RETURN's Barney Sheila, Katerina and Paul.

Peaking into the parts of society that few dare to promote on stage, the parts of Tsiolkas' book that Giovannoni has chosen loosely tie in to the initial story of revenge that shares the title with the book and the overall work. The group of friends who share a common ground of bitchiness and barb flinging, whilst representing a broad cross section of society, sit down to what appears to be a regular pastime of sharing stories of Revenge they have enacted with the winner being the one with the best story. Following on from the belief that it is "the job of gods to punish", Vince's (Paul Blenheim) story of feeling justified in punishing a child thief, and the tales that follow generally share the notion that someone has or wants to play god and enact retribution on someone else, or in the case of SATURN RETURN's Dan (Jennifer Vuletic), himself, all believing that it is for some greater good or, in the case of Vuletic's Lisbeth, a more selfish desire that she still believes is justified.

As Vince, Victor and Esteban, Paul Blenheim captures the diversity of the characters with an accuracy that ensures they are all unique. Vince is vile and unforgiving whilst Victor seeks to be the peacemaker in Lisbeth and Lindsay's fractured relationship whilst the venomous Lisbeth persists in trying to dismiss him and Esteban is broken and pathetic as the junkie who believes he is beyond help. Charles Purcell presents smaller roles as Mark, Jack, Mickey and Barney with most men having motives that are more forgivable as Mark's revenge remains as an unacted desire and Mickey seeks to do what he can to get out of his debt. It is however his presentation of Dan's gay son Barney, which is heartbreaking as the representation of the fallout of Dan's decision to play god with his own life. Peter Paltos' key performance is as prisoner Arthur in PETALS captures the acceptance that the other prisoners treatment of his 'friend' the quiet gardener is justified due to the gardener's crimes against children.

As Serena, Marianne, Lindsay and Sheila, Brigid Gallacher presents a broad range of characters in both age and thought but her most compelling performance is as middle class mother Marianne who views her son with contempt because despite her efforts to raise him right, has become a bully with no respect for other people. The standout performance comes from Jennifer Vuletic who takes on the three most challenging roles of Franca (PORN 1), Lisbeth (STICKS, STONES), and Dan (SATURN RETURN). Vuletic ensures that each are powerful characters that each come from a different place of thinking. Franca is the mother that finally accepts what her son does albeit to late for him to know whilst Lisbeth is a mother who resents her child's existence and sees the feminist writer Lindsay as competition, and Dan is the father who has lived a hard and fast life and is ready to end his suffering, regardless of the impact on his only son. Whilst all the works are somewhat unnatural in their presentation, as confessions and recounts that break the 4th wall, Sapidah Kian is however delivers the weakest performance in styling, presenting as too over acted and unnatural in tone and texture, diminishing any honesty and connection to the story and sounding more like she is reciting someone else's story rather than being convincing as the character telling their own story.

Again, it is the Independent theatre that holds the voice of the wider population with the tough stories that the mainstream shys away from. Overall MERCILESS GODS, presented by Little Ones Theatre and Griffin Independent, is a captivating, confronting and compelling production that challenges our judgement of others and asks the audience to really examine what they would do in a similar situation. Would we really take the moral high ground that we will so comfortably view other's actions from if we found ourselves in their shoes. A definite must-see production for anyone that considers themselves part of our contemporary society.

MERCILESS GODS

SBW Stables Kings Cross

1 - 25th November 2017

Photos: Sarah Walker

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