According to scientists, when family members sing together, they create a vocal magic that the non-genetically related can never attain.
It is why the Bee Gees, Beach Boys and Von Trapps sounded so good. In 'After You', the mother-daughter duo of Angela and Hannah Norris prove that a similar form of artistic alchemy occurs when family members act together on stage.
Angela Norris always had natural acting talent. As a novice 11-year-old, she outshone a room full of rambunctious child stars to land the role of Brigitta Von Trapp in the original Australian stage production of 'The Sound Of Music'. In 'After You', when Angela is re-introduced to audiences after a 55-year hiatus by her daughter, acclaimed professional actress Hannah, it is as though she never left.
'After You' is a dramatised deep and meaningful conversation between mother and daughter; the type of frank discussion among equals that almost every child wants to have once they reach the age when youthful mythology has been replaced by a mature understanding and empathy born of shared mutual experience.
While the play is meticulously scripted and replete with an array of theatrical techniques, such as the breaking of the fourth wall, it somehow always manages to feel organic and utterly real. This is undoubtedly due, in part, to the duo’s combined acting talents and their diligent rehearsals, but also to the authentic bond and radiating love that exists between them.
This is a show for both the millennials and the baby boomers, and more importantly, for those who want to bridge the gap between the two.
★★★★★
