Review: Virginia Woolf's Famous Lectures Published As A ROOM OF ONE'S OWN Are Adapted for the Stage With A Bold Blend Of Monologue And Imagery.

Saturday 8th May 2021, 7:30pm, Belvoir St Theatre

Returning for and Encore season, Carissa Licciardello and Tom Wright's adaptation of A ROOM OF ONE'S OWN reinforces how much gender inequality and its effect on opportunities for women remain almost a century after Virginia Woolf addressed the Newnham Arts Society at Newnham College and the ODTTA Society of Girton College in 1928. Under Licciardello's direction, the 75 minutes of Woolf's stream of consciousness lectures are delivered as a theatrical experience by Anita Hegh as Woolf and Ella Prince as the evolving writer Woolf hopes more women will one day have the ability to become.

Writer Virginia Woolf has come to be considered one of the significant writers from the 20th century due to her writing that has given insight into a range of issues in British society, ranging from the psychological effects of war, social class and the true position of women in society. Born to wealth but restrained from the potential a formal education could have created due to her parents' compliance with the societal norm that sons are sent to institutions of learning while daughters are home schooled, she still managed to absorb as much as she could from her father's library and the influence of her Cambridge educated brothers.

In A ROOM OF ONE'S OWN, Woolf posed her now famous thought that "A woman must have money and a room of her own if she is to write fiction" and it is that idea of a personal space that Licciardello has used to help present a more theatrical expression of the work. David Fleischer's set design presents what initially appears to be an empty black stage aside from a single chair and glass of water. A glass box reveals its evolving contents to accent the monologue, returning to darkness to allow the focus to return to the black clad Hegh and Woolf's words. Kelsey Lee's lighting adds variety to the sparse space and also plunges the glass box into darkness to enable the Hegh's Woolf to consider her thoughts to her reflection, differentiating the work from a standard lecture and reinforcing the stream of consciousness style of Woolf's writing. Paul Charlier's sound design gives a subtle background of tones to fill the silence and give depth behind the spoken word. Anita Hegh's expression of the work ensures that there is passion and understanding behind the words as she presents the work as Woolf while not being constrained to a lecture format. The use of the space, the chair and the responses to the glass walled room add to visual variety though the importance of the words and the Hegh's expression do allow for moments where pure listening is just as captivating. While there has been progress in achieving better accessibility for education for women, more women in creative roles, including writing, particularly fiction, there remains an imbalance and a degree of retention of the outdated views on women's roles in society that continues to hinder their potential, reinforcing that A ROOM OF ONE'S OWN remains a relevant piece. The adaptation into a theatrical work is a good way to revitalize the work and also engage with a new generation that may not be as familiar with the work.

https://belvoir.com.au/productions/a-room-of-ones-own-2/

Photos: Brett Boardman

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