As it turns out, lightning can strike in the same place twice.
In ‘The Lark’, Australian stage and screen legend Noni Hazlehurst is back where she belongs – a master of her craft, she paces back and forth in this empty pub, embodying Rose, a woman reflecting on many aspects of her life, and coming to terms with the demolition of a space she’s inhabited for most of it.
This is the second one-woman show from Writer Daniel Keene and Director Matt Scholten, with Noni as its star. ‘The Lark’ feels like it lives in the same universe as their first show, ‘Mother’ – in that it’s an exploration of another older woman’s experience in Australia. Truthfully, there could be a million different one-woman shows from this team telling a million vastly different stories from a million vastly different Australian women. . . But for now, ‘Mother’ and ‘The Lark’ are two very striking places to start, which exist and thrive on their own, but are thematically and structurally similar.
It is, simply put, theatre in its purest form. Noni is an exceptional storyteller, and this is made apparent through her ability to draw you into the intricacies of Rose, to the point where you not only believe, but are swept away by, all of her words.
Image © Cameron Grant
The flowing river of Rose’s life, not once still or quiet, is explored through many avenues – reflections on her absent mother, musings of the regular guests at The Lark, contemplations about mortality. We listen as Rose’s words build the world of The Lark around us, brick by brick. . . At the precipice of its demolition.
Set design by Emily Barrie is to be commended – it's relatively sparce, but this is effective – leaving room for the writing to shine. Lighting from Richard Vabre is similarly powerful in its sublety, with slow, minimal fade-ins and fade-outs at points of tension or sorrow in the script.
This is not a sad story – it’s a real one. Life is a scary thing. . . People disappoint us, loved ones leave us, the places we grew up in change – and some get torn down, forcing us to move on whether we want to or not.
‘The Lark’ is a masterclass in the power of theatre – with an immensely talented performer at its centre. It reminds audiences that life is fleeting, but never feels too grim in communicating this message. Rose’s stories are grounded in humanity and brushed by grief, delivered by one of the greatest performers Australia has ever seen.
★★★★★
