The eagerly anticipated Queensland Theatre Company production of ‘Mother and Son’ opened to rapturous applause at The Playhouse last night.
Geoffrey Atherden’s classic Australian sitcom, which ran from 1984 to 1994, has an entirely new storyline for the same much–loved television characters. Penned by Atherden himself, the play is true to the original concept in many ways, but is brilliantly updated.
Noeline Brown, one of Australia’s best known comedic actors, plays the ageing Maggie to perfection. Her attitude of incompetence and bewilderment is occasionally belied by flashes of acerbic wit and insight, suggesting that, at least some of the time, she is not quite as helpless as she pretends to be. And she is very capable of manipulating her middle-aged son Arthur, and of thwarting his romantic aspirations. Arthur is well played by Darren Gilshenan who gets the balance between love and concern for his mother, and frustration over her manipulative ways, just right.
Arthur is hoping to go on holiday with a new girlfriend, Anita (Rachael Beck), and is asking his philandering, selfish brother Robert, a likeable rogue played by Rob Carlton, and his wife Liz (Nicki Wendt), to care for Maggie while he is away. Robert, who ducks his filial and marital responsibilities without compunction, but with considerable charm, does his best to avoid being landed with his mother, while at the same time managing to remain her firm favourite, to Arthur’s understandable chagrin.
PHOTOS: Opening Night Photos
In some ways, the comedy in this play is predictable sitcom fare, but with the deft handling from an excellent writer and cast, and its clever mirroring of real life situations, it allows the audience to identify very closely with the characters. As in real life, these people are complex, and your sympathies shift from one to another as the story unfolds, and this allows the humour to transcend the commonplace.
For fans of the original series, though, this is not simply a trip down memory lane. The characters now have all the technology we expect in modern life, from mobile phones to skype, and this provides a clever and resonant device upon which much of the comedy revolves. Who hasn’t experienced the frustration of picking up the wrong remote control, or trying to find the cordless phone, when you cannot remember where you left it? Add in a touch of early dementia, with confusion between the various devices, and comedy ensues.What a difference a few decades makes! Maggie’s character in this play is portrayed more sympathetically than in the television series. This may be in part due to the fact that Atherden was Arthur’s age when he first wrote the series, and at the time of this revival is now Maggie’s age, perhaps resulting in a slight change of perspective. For the audience, too, the passing of three decades since the original’s debut may also result in an altered perception of the problems of ageing; these effects may be additive.
There is so much to like here. The set by Shaun Gurton, complemented by Nigel Leving’s lighting, is marvellous and ingenious. The finely nuanced acting and direction are superb – comedy is all about timing, and there were no miss-hits in this production. Fans of the original won’t be disappointed, and if you are too young to remember ‘Mother and Son’ on the television, you are in for a rare treat- don’t miss it!
– written by Karen Hutt
