Review: Stories Of Love, Loss, And Loneliness Are Unearthed As The Intertwined Lives Of Three Women with A Russian Connection Are Exposed in MOTHERLAND

Thursday 19th May, 2016, 8pm, Glen Street Theatre.

Based on real people and true stories, Katherine Lyall-Watson's MOTHERLAND tells the story of how the lives of three women, who find themselves far from home, have intersected over the course of the twentieth century. Through a flexible timeline, Lyall-Watson exposes the similarities and differences of these women as the experience love, loss, friendship, fear, and loneliness with each other and the men in their lives.

The premise of the story is that Alyona, a Russian born historian and single mother (based on Elena Volkova) is interviewing 90 year old writer Nina Berberova upon the old lady's return to Moscow. The interviews then cause Nina to delve into her past with flashbacks of her life in Paris with lover Vladislav Khodasevich, another writer, who she refuses to marry, and their meeting and eventual friendship with deposed Russian Prime Minister Alexander Kerensky and his ambitious secretary, Australian Nelle Tritton. Whilst we see Nina and Nelle's lives unfold, Alyona, and her son Sasha's lives continue as she meets Australian businessman Chris who eventually takes Alyona and Sasha to Australia and buys them Nelle and Kerensky's Queensland house. The stories include forbidden love, from Nelle and Kerensky's affair to even more taboo relationships, at least for 1930's and 40's France and unfulfilled love as Nina refuses to marry Khodasevich and the jealousy he then expresses when she goes out while he sits at home and writes. All characters feel a degree of displacement, with Kerensky expecting to return to Russia to resume his political role, Nina's need to keep the poetry group to exiled Russians, and young Sasha's desire to return to Moscow as he fails to fit in in Queensland.

Director Caroline Dunphy has ensured that the multilayered work, that moves between 1930's Paris and 1991 Moscow and Queensland, maintains a fluidity and momentum. Whilst Barbara Lowing (as Nina), Rebecca Riggs (as Alyona) and for the majority of the play, Kerith Atkinson (as Nelle) only portray one character, Daniel Murphy portrays Vladislav Khodasevich and Alyona's teenage son Sasha, and Peter Cossar portrays Alexander Kerensky and Chris. Dunphy keeps all 5 performers on stage at all times to handle this doubling and the interwoven storylines, with small changes to the men's attire and variations in their accent to differentiate their characters. When the story focuses on other characters, the extra actors are either drawn to the rear bookshelves or remain seated in the shadows of David Walters' lighting design.

Designer Penny Challon has kept the set time neutral with a set of bookshelves that span the stage, a few scattered chairs, archive boxes, suitcases and piles of books and paperwork. She uses the clothes to place the characters in an era, from Nelle's 1930's Parisian tailored suit to Alyona's modern jeans and cotton blouse. Daniel Murphy changes from the frail middle aged writer to the young teenager with a cardigan and a change in posture and mannerisms. David Walters' lighting helps to change the locations from Paris, rural France, Moscow and Australia as the apartments and cafes are darker smaller spaces and the countryside and Australia are filled with light.

Dunphy has however made the odd choice to not keep the accents consistent. At first it appears that Dunphy has chosen to not present this work with a Russian accent which seems ok as a choice to avoid bad imitations and just tell the story, explaining the connection through other means, but Rebecca Riggs presents Alyona with both an Australian and Russian accent, well before Alyona's story reaches Queensland. Alyona is presented with a Russian accent with talking to the Australian Chris but she has a neutral Australian accent when talking to Sasha or Nina. Peter Cossar presents Kerensky with an authoritarian Russian accent but his Australian accent for Chris comes across as overdone and exaggerated whilst Kerith Atkinson has opted to keep Nelle's Australian accent somewhat neutral.

MOTHERLAND is an interesting exploration of history and how lives can become intertwined. Lyall-Watson has constructed a good expression of her research of this interesting web of women and the men they loved, along with giving the audience a glimpse into a side of World War II that we wouldn't normally think of.

MOTHERLAND

Glen Street Theatre

17 - 22 May

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