cultural_philistine
HAL_9000Review of Love Lies Bleeding (Sydney Theatre Company)
July 19th 2007 21:30
In the meantime, earlier versions of Alex Macklin (played very capably by Max Cullen) will eerily re-enact events in front of him, and the question of euthanasing him will be debated by his family. Maybe he hears them, maybe he doesn't. The case for the affirmative is pushed by his increasingly angry son Sean (Benjamin Winspear) and his increasingly reluctant second wife Toinette (Robyn Nevin) -- the old patriarch was independent and larger than life, and he never would have wanted this, and how can we go on waiting. Whereas his fourth wife Lia (Paula Arundell) resists the pair, because, sure, Macklin's brain has shrunk, but there's still some life in him, and he never expressed any suicidal preferences although he knew this would happen, and do you want to kill him for his own sake or for yours, and whatever remains of him is what he is, and what right do we have to take that.
So will the old guy wake up? Will Lia get sick of slaving for a vegetable? Will the drug overdose have ghastly side-effects obvious to police? Will Sean resort to plan B and bring out the turkey clingwrap? -- These questions and more almost succeed in keeping the audience interested, but in all honesty I don't think the answers are worth the $80 ticket price. There is little story arc, and, to my philistine tastes, I felt like I was waiting for a twist that never eventuated. There was little change in any of the characters, and little character depth or complexity -- you won't remember them after you've left the theatre. The key turning point is rather sudden -- Lia's decision to let Sean experiment with his out-of-date morphine. The debates over euthanasia are drawn out and won't say anything you haven't heard already. And the American accents are uneven, including that of Ms Nevin.
One never feels any emotional engagement (and there is some evidence that director Lee Lewis takes this as a plus).
Perhaps it would have been more powerful in a smaller space.
What's likely to stay with me are litanies of names of desert vegetation; the tale of the grey-faced corpse that nobody noticed, riding around a New York subway; the room built into a mountain, and lined with paintings, and abandoned for future generations to chance upon; Toinette's fear she heard Macklin talking at night; Toinette's distress at realizing she doesn't know when Macklin stopped breathing (this is the anticlimactic goodbye); and Lia's regret, standing in a spotlight, delivering a speech at Macklin's funeral.
So I can't deny that there were memorable moments, stories, images. It's just that there weren't enough of them to save a script that is basically more a scenario than a play.
Love Lies Bleeding is playing from 12 July 2007 to 1 September 2007 at Wharf 1, Pier 4, Hickson Road, Walsh Bay. For more information, visit the STC website.
Creative team
Written by Don DeLillo -- of Underworld fame. He examines issues of death-attitudes and mortality in his other works.
Director -- Lee Lewis -- She couldn't really have done a better job here. She's always brilliant, and has an eye for fascinating material. Her "Arabian Nights" at NIDA and "A Number" at Belvoir are among my favourite ever productions (though "7 Blowjobs" at Belvoir was less memorable).
Designer -- Fiona Crombie -- You gotta love the sand stage. Very expressive, though I'm not sure of what (memory? loneliness? mortality? impermanence?). Last dirt stage I saw was Michael Gow's "Live acts on stage" at the Griffin. Crombie also designed the mansion-to-prison set for STC's "Hedda Gabler" production.
Lighting designer -- Luiz Pampolha -- Very striking bleached desert, and sensitive lighting at the close of the play. The lights-down-lights-up to signal scene changes was a little wearying, but it did the job of suggesting time change (and perhaps it's more of a directorial than lighting designer choice).
Sound designer / Composer -- Paul Charlier -- At times poignant music, but I have to confess, I often found it intrusive (did it need to be playing that loudly while the actors were speaking?), and I occasionally found it folksy.
Cast
Paula Arundell as Lia -- Made some awkward dialogue sound natural, including some difficult monologues, and including the clanging mention of the play's title. Looked great with a tear glistening on her cheek. Did a lot with a role that really didn't offer her much scope. If you watch her while other actors are speaking, you'll find that she's listening and reacting.
Max Cullen as the younger Alex Macklin -- Believable as a lusty patriarch, and what a wonderful voice. And seeing that he himself is an artist of note, one wonders about the extent to which he can identify with the role.
Shaun Goss as the old Alex Macklin -- Hats off to him for his meditation skills, especially when Robyn Nevyn was fiddling with his mouth. He's actually a 27-year-old NIDA grad, and he went through hours of yoga training for the role. "I can tell you about all the annoying itches. Like just at the edge of your eyelid. And on your nose is really bad, too... My legs would go to sleep and my bum would go to sleep. I'd get pins and needles. But eventually I got the stamina and the strength to work through it."
Robin Nevyn as Toinette -- Hit all the right notes, although you're not going to see any sides of her you haven't seen before.
Benjamin Winspear as Sean -- A capable performance, and always seemed natural. I'm going to be harsh and say that it was a little one-note (frustration, anger), but I'm going to blame the script.
What does the title mean?
No idea. "Love lies bleeding" refers to an Indian flower. Perhaps it's a metaphor for the brief flower of life in a barren universe. Perhaps it's just a wank.
Further reading
-- Sydney Theatre Company
-- Wikipedia
-- Sydney Morning Herald review
-- Sydney Morning Herald interview with Shaun Goss
-- StageNoise
-- The Australian (interview with Lee Lewis)
-- Weekly Buzz (unfavourable review of Chicago production)
-- Steve on Broadway (favourable Chicago review)
-- GuideLive.com (interview with Don DeLillo)
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