State Theatre Company of South Australia. Space Theatre. 27 May 2014
The modern obsession with living our lives online, either through social media or via streaming video and music sites such as You Tube could be described as an epidemic. This unnatural fixation forms the central theme for the State Theatre Companies ‘State R & D’ commissioned work written by both Patrick White Award and Young Playwrights Award winner, Phillip Kavanagh. That theme, however, seems a little unfocussed, and what we get instead is a broader, far more deeply concerning, look at one particularly unhinged adolescent female with more issues than just a web obsession.
Directed by Nescha Jelk, with design by Olivia Zanchetta, the look and feel of this play was simple, clean and very effective. Will Spartalis’s sound lent a particular realness to an otherwise plain setting.
In the title role, Kate Cheel delivers a graphic account of her selfish, egocentric life as she manipulates, lies, bribes and self-harms in a vain, deluded attempt to become famous. Cheel is reminiscent of today’s You Tube stars as she updates her video blog, live for the audience, simultaneously projected onto the cyclorama behind her. She is believably awkward, painfully attention seeking, and prone to outbursts of rage and angst. Her Jesikah is brilliant; modern and realistic she has us believe she is truly unhinged.
Cheel’s co-star and best-friend/mother/teacher – yes, three different characters – is played by Elizabeth Hay. In a triumphant performance, Hay gives us three starkly different characterisations, all believable in their own right, which aid in drawing out the almost psychotic tendencies in Jesikah. Both players are spectacular and together they create a dynamic and evolving production.
The flaws for me though where all in the writing. On the promise of a witty, exciting and scathing look at our fame obsessed culture where a schoolgirl develops an unhealthy obsession with You Tube, I expected a story about every teen. A play which would stand as a comment on the mania linked to living life via the web. But I ended up watching a character I didn’t want to know. The type of person I would just as easily give up on in the real world as I did in the play. At the halfway mark Jesikah had taken a turn for the worse and her manipulative and ever desperate actions pushed me away. The penultimate ending, already reaching for believability, was cold rather than poignant. The final scene sealed the deal.
I left the theatre confused about what the play was trying to say – if anything at all. Misled by its pretences and frustrated by its conclusion. Perhaps there was no point to miss. It is worth a look if only to see the fantastic performances and interpretations of the actresses.
Paul Rodda
When: 27 to 31 May
Where: The Space Theatre
Bookings: bass.net.au
Photography by Sia Duff
