Emus On Stage

The Shiralee was a fabulous theatrical rendition of the 1955 Novel by D’Arcy Niland. Adapted for stage by Kate Mulvany, The Shiralee is a story that navigates the life of a swagman, Macaulay. The Shiralee looks at the transforming perspectives of a man, discovering the burden of parenthood through roaming the bush with a child. The Shiralee dug deep into the world of mid-century New South Wales. Ideas like rivalry between city and country people, poverty, love and father/daughter relationships were highlighted and dramatic relationships were uncovered. 

Expertly directed by Jessica Arthur, the world of The Shiralee was magnificently staged. This rendition made us laugh, cry, gasp and hold onto our seats. The tension was high, the suspense was ever lasting and the whole time we were longing for a happy ending. Subtle choices throughout the play were carefully placed, helping build our understanding of the world. Decisions like beginning the play in the down stage right corner made the community of the people in the country feel tight and close. There were moments of continuing dialogue off stage which emphasised characters’ chatty nature. Prop gumtrees were placed on wheels and actors would move them across the stage creating the illusion that people were walking far distances or they were at a new location. Arthur made a beautiful moment out of every scene.

Arthur’s vision of Macauley, a swagsmen roaming rural New South Wales, was deep and complex. As of late, I haven’t seen a lot of well played male presenting characters driven by the pressures of being a man. Josh McConville remarkably portrayed Macauley with expertly nuanced complexity. McConville’s interpretation of Macauley made us feel sympathetic, angry, excited, scared and speechless. There were times where we hated him, loved him, wanted him to fall and wanted him to succeed. We were compelled to keep watching Macauley as he slowly allowed himself to love and become more than just a dad but a father figure to Buster. He submitted to singing the Aeroplane Jelly song, his daughter’s favourite song. He also taught Buster how to swing a billy for a perfect brew of tea and then reluctantly kissed Gooby, her stuffed animal, better after she burned herself. It was refreshing to see a vulnerable and all encompassing man on a main stage.  

Ziggy Resneck was the star of the show, playing Buster, Macaulay’s 9 year old city slicker daughter. Resneck entirely embodied a child. I left needing to find out how old Resnick was, completely believing she was nothing but a 9 year old girl. Nuanced elements like tense hands, short footsteps and gangley arms built the physicality. The childlike personality was brought out through proudly and naively repeating others questionable opinions at inappropriate times, her inability to stop jabbering and her hilarious personified relationship with her stuffed animal Gooby. Resneck’s physicality and comedic timing were among many of the notable qualities that made Buster so exciting to watch.

The ensemble cast were equally as brilliant as McConville and Resneck. Kate Mulvany made her first reappearance in 16 years for Sydney Theatre Company as Marge, Buster’s mum. Mulvany played the difficult life of a ‘single’ mother in the 1850’s with graciousness, allowing us to sympathise with her. With a contemporary outlook, we detested Marge’s maternal choices. However, Mulvany allowed us to see Marge as someone stuck in an unfair world where she was doing what she had to do to put food on the table. 

Steven Anderson, primarily playing Donnie amongst other characters, was intriguing to watch. Donnie exchanged sex and companionship with Marge and in return provided her with a better quality of life. Similarly to Marge, Donnie was complex. Anderson amazingly portrayed this evil character as tender and caring; Marge’s hero for providing for her and Buster. 

Paul Capsis was so captivating as Desmond, a strange and flamboyant bush poet, giving us songs and ‘interesting’ poetry. Capsis played Desmond as sincere, honest and slightly socially unaware, becoming a lovely companion for Buster.

Tommy, a blind, aboriginal waystation owner, was hilariously played by Aaron Pedersen. Sitting still on a stool with sunglasses and his eyes forward, Pedersen’s comedic timing curated an amazingly funny and charismatic version of Tommy.

Catherine Văn-Davies played Matilda the swagswoman amongst other characters. Văn-Davies’s Matilda was a warm depiction of a rural woman traveling through the country. 

The set, designed by Jeremy Allen, was an extravagantly constructed timber floor curving up at the back of the stage, like a skatepark’s half pipe. The space embodied the essence of the country, a self made house with natural exposed timber. It felt warm and inviting, complementing the sincere hospitality of rural folk. Trent Suideest, the lighting designer, created stunning lighting effects that helped create both an emotional response, but also a sense of space and tension. 

The Shiralee was a beautiful adaptation of D’Arcy Niland’s novel of the same name.  Jessica Arthur did a fabulous job at transferring the thoughts, emotions and tension of the original book onto the stage. While definitely not avanteguard by any means, The Shirralee is a play that everyone would find entertaining. It beautifully fuses all the visual storytelling elements with classical and contemporary Australian values. 

RATING 

Performers Skill 5 / 5

Stage and Atmosphere 5 / 5

Value for Money PAID $44  5 / 5

Entertainment value 5 / 5

20 / 20