Adelaide Fringe. Martha Lott. Holden Street Theatres. 6 Mar 2019
Hot tip. This is going to be one of the must-see shows of Fringe 2019.
It has lured back to the stage Martha Lott. She is Holden Street’s entrepreneur and curator of five-star Fringe show programs. But the stage is where she really belongs.
Of course, she could not have taken on a more difficult piece of theatre.
Grounded is an award-winning work by American playwright, George Brant. It depicts a dedicated F-16 fighter pilot forced down to earth mid- career when she becomes pregnant. She’s a tough nut and life “in the blue” is her steely passion so she is aghast to find that returning to work means that she is grounded, committed to the “chairforce” whence she must become a drone pilot. She finds love as a family woman in her new circumstances but killing the enemy from a skyless trailer on the other side of the world is a very different kettle of fish. The denouement of this gripping one-hander is absolutely riveting, evoking emotion from even the most jaded among us. And it’s a tour de force by Martha Lott.
The actress taps profound resources in reaching for the depths of expression summoned in this potent play. It is way out of the ordinary and has audience members spontaneously springing to their feet in acclaim.
It is a five star play with a ten star performance.
Samela Harris
5 Stars
When: 6 to 16 Mar
Where: Holden Street Theatres
Bookings: adelaidefringe.com.au
