What happens when a child diagnosed with mental health issues under the age of ten is prescribed medication and stays on that medication until adulthood?
This is the overarching question of Melbourne Theatre Company's production of 'The Almighty Sometimes' starring Nadine Garner ('Savage River', ABC) as Renee, the mother and Max McKenna as Anna, the daughter. The play, written by Kendall Feaver (an adaption of the novel of the same name) had its debut in 2018, and is also Director Hannah Goodwin’s first outing. Rounding out the ensemble are Louisa Mignone as Child Psychiatrist and Anna’s boyfriend, Oliver played by Karl Richmond.
The play opened with a sparse stage featuring a minimal set design by Jacob Battista based around moving blocks. As the work progressed through its two-hour run time, these blocks were moved around to create spaces, kitchen, hall, doctor’s office etc. The design also reflected in some way Anna’s mind and its dissembling as she made choices about her life, including coming off medication. Complementing the set design, Amelia Lever-Davidson made clever use of lighting for the ‘light’ and ‘shade’ of the complex mind.
Garner and McKenna present a beautiful and complex relationship between mother and daughter. The performances were powerful, and I felt quite emotional as the mother of a daughter watching mother and daughter ‘duking’ it out on stage as Anna struggles for independence and to self-differentiate from Renee. The larger question around trusting professionals to do the right thing for our children is complex, and Garner brought a beautiful desperation for answers to the performance. Garner truly is a remarkable actress, so believable in the role that at times I wondered if she was ad-libbing. McKenna ('Muriel’s Wedding The Musical') is a real talent to watch and managed to bring tenderness, rage and that bursting sense of 'what’s next' (that only the young truly have) to the role. I was also really impressed with her performance in delivering a masterful unravelling of Anna’s mind.
Image © Pia Johnson
While we never discovered what the mental health problem was, there was a moment where the audience wondered if Anna was ever ill. We discovered that she was a precocious child and a gifted writer. As an adult, she questioned if she ever needed the medication. What follows was a predictable journey, familiar to anyone who has a friend or family member with mental health problems that require lifelong medicating.
Renee’s search for answers was understandable, as was her desire to connect with the person who has played such a big role in her daughter’s life. Larger questions around boundaries and professionalism were explored with the dynamic here. Anna’s life, as expected, unravelled, and with that her relationship with her boyfriend Oliver (who carried his own demons of an obese father) failed. Karl Richmond brought a wonderful adolescent awkwardness to the role and we felt a real empathy for the struggle of wanting to love someone and knowing you can’t help them. It’s desperate stuff and was tough to watch, but so relatable for any parent who has struggled with their children and mental health, particularly in the post-lockdown society of 2024.
'The Almighty Sometimes' tapped into every parent’s nightmare, a child who doesn't want to be here, struggling with life. Goodwin’s direction of this multi award-winning play was on point. She picked up on the nuances of mental illness and the struggle of trying to live life as a teenager, taking those first tentative steps into the world and adulthood.
The play was tender and tough, heartbreaking and beautiful, and opened the door for the larger conversation around our youth and the mental health crisis our country is facing.
★★★★★
