By Phil Ormsby. Flaxworks Theatre. The Q Theatre. 30 May 2015
With the endless stream of casualties churned out by the ‘Hollywood machine’ over the past century, one would think that new generations would be able to resist the siren song of the film industry. But sadly there seems to be no shortage of young and ridiculously good looking hopefuls willing to trade in their pound of flesh for a shot at the big time.
Veronica Lake is perhaps the epitome of LA LA Land road kill, rising to dizzying heights as a sex symbol of the silver screen in the 1940s, only to plummet to rock bottom before her untimely death at age 50. Drowning in Veronica Lake is the harrowing story of this infamous starlet, told from her own perspective rather than the hyperbole of the tabloids.
Seductive from the moment one enters the theatre, we are greeted by Lake’s (Alex Ellis) voluptuous silhouette encased in a glamorous, figure-hugging gown a la Film Noir (by Sara Taylor) with a train overflowing into a gargantuous pool to encircle her – a stunning visual metaphor that renders her literally trapped inside the fantasy of her own image. Interestingly, Lake herself rejected the label of sex symbol in her later years, insisting she was in fact a “sex zombie”.
This one-woman show takes us back and forth through Lake’s tumultuous life, exploring the mental health issues that erupted as a child and her mother’s ambition that drove her to succeed in the world of entertainment, to her ill-fated marriages and alcoholism. And while this is quite enough scandal against most people’s standards, the play was also suggestive of more disturbing events that were never revealed to the public eye but may of played a part in Lake’s majestic downfall.
Interestingly, Drowning in Veronica Lake has the leading lady reflecting on her life from the present day, which allows some illuminating comparisons to what was an acceptable lifestyle for a woman in the conservative mid-twentieth century as opposed to now. But despite not having access to birth control and being pressured to be ‘the good, stay at home wife’, I can’t help but think that, despite the wave of progressive female leaders currently rising up to challenge the status quo, women in Hollywood still have a ways to go in breaking the mould.
Alex Ellis as Lake gives a beautifully fluid and polished performance, no doubt from her many years of touring the production. Her frenetic transitions of character and states of mind are seamless yet gripping, with the audience eating from the palms of her manicured hands. Also impressive is her sheer stamina in wresting with that epic frock for the duration of the show, displaying an inconceivable level of statuesque poise despite her physical restrictions.
While stories like these clearly don’t conclude with a ‘happily ever after’, the exquisitely crafted script did allow for an ending that was thoroughly satisfying, and just haunting enough to stick with you for some time after leaving the theatre.
Like Hollywood, Drowning in Veronica Lake essentially takes a well-worn story and freshens it up for a new generation. However, I would bet the entertainment value of this show far exceeds the majority of releases that will grace cinema screens over the coming months, so a ticket to the theatre will likely be a greater return on investment.
Deborah Hawke
When: Closed
Where: The Q Theatre
Bookings: Closed
