The world premiere of 'Ladies In Black' opened at QPAC just in time for Christmas – befitting the play's festive season setting.
Carolyn Burns has adapted Madeleine St John's 1993 'The Women In Black' as a musical. The result is a triumph: comedically, musically and theatrically.
Lisa is a bright 'slip of a girl' leaving school in Sydney in 1959 awaiting exam results before venturing to university. The intervening Christmas holidays find her working as a temp at Goodes, an upmarket department store – the setting for the play's varied exploration of gender equality, white refugees in mainstream society, womanhood, relationships in their varied guises, fertility … and the rest!
L.I.B. is far from heavy – songwriter Tim Finn's explanation of his own work, "'The Women In Black' is a gift for any songwriter looking for a narrative to explore. Rich enough to provide satisfying themes… but… a lightness that invites interpretation.", is an apt assessment of 'Ladies In Black' as a whole.
Maestro Finn, OBE, (Split Enz, Crowded House) has met the spirit of the script by penning a quality array of memorable (and technically challenging) songs which wonderfully capture the play's broad gamut including the soon-to-famous anthem 'He's A Bastard'. The stone-faced, deadpan delivery of 'Bastard' from the resigned-to-the-male-of-the-species ensemble is almost worth price of admission alone.
The script offers many laughs – both situational: escaping to Wagga, male bastardry and mangled colloquialisms; and also societal: white 'refos' and the pace of life, generally.
The cast all sing well and returned mostly strong acting performances. Naomi Price plays Fay – a hitherto unlucky-in-love Aussie girl – to nuanced perfection. Bobby Fox's 'Continental' Rudi – Fay's love interest – also deserves mention as does Sarah Morrison's Lisa (lead).
Simon Phillips' directing was slick. Scenes blend seamlessly and occassionally run in parallel – helped by a well-conceived, clever yet simple set. The store's costumes and gowns are beautiful and play their part in the transportation to another time.
No surprises then that a capacity Playhouse audience rose as one to acknowledge an entertaining, fast-paced and memorable play that deserves to do very well before it heads to Melbourne in January for a five-week run.
Very hard not to award five out of five 'total bastards'. Bravo QTC!
