BLUE ITALIAN & NIL BY SEA

Leichhardt Town Hall Sydney

Director: Rachel Chant

Playwright: Katie Pollock

Performers: Jennie Dibley, Nat Jobe, Alex Malone and Sarah Meacham

Synopsis:

In BLUE ITALIAN, a young woman finds herself in a state of perpetual motion. Setting out on a freewheeling journey to an unknown destination, she begins a worldwide search for place, meaning, memory, family connections, love and self. Battling herself and the threads that bind her to home, she comes face to face with characters who divert, confront and entice her.

In NIL BY SEA, a man lies in a suburban street, his face split in two, his body shattered. Neighbours awake to this vision of horror visited on them from above. Who is this man? How did he get there? Will any of them claim him? An investigation into the identity of the body begins, the sharp-edged prism of doorstep gossip builds, and in the skies above, suspended in the briefest moment like Icarus before the plunge, a young man sends his prayer of hope to the world.

Review: Katie Pollock is a playwright whom has a poetic way with words that make even the gruesome of circumstances come across romantic. I am choosing to highlight ‘Nil by Sea’ before ‘Blue Italian’ as my connection to this story resounded much stronger than the first performed piece. These plays have been written a decade apart and though they are strong plays in their own right you can sense how far Pollock has advanced over the ten years in her writing. Her voice is clearer and the state of the work feels veridical with a finer polish. Not to mention up to par within our Australian political and social climate making it a relatable topic to a broader audience bracket.

Rachel Chant did a shining job with both of these short plays. Leichhardt town hall is situated directly under a flight pathway which had airplanes pass over head every 5 minutes or so. Chant embraced this locational sound scape incorporating it into the work which rang true to both plays given circumstances. Wether the venue was chosen purposefully to utilise this natural sound scape or was embraced during the rehearsal process is a mastery choice that I found unique and engaging for the imagination of the audience. As a Sydney reviewer it is rare to see directors think outside the architecture in this way which was a refreshing twist to the norm. Rachel Chant has a unique non-naturalistic approach to her work, her and David Jackson (physical coach) directions gave the work choreographed artistic elements  that breed intrigue and personal directorial style. Though the movements in ‘Blue Italian’ didn’t always translate into tangible understanding from an audience perspective they presented an inner man struggle that was engaging. The experiment was worth its weight, even if it just generated curiosity for the audience.

The relationships within ‘Blue Italian’ unfortunately did not translate to the degree you would expect. The family memories and the present unfolding of this travelling gypsy like woman did not marry or feel connected. The symbolic nature of the piece was unclear and came across as art for-arts-sake instead of useful choices to enhance the narrative. Though I enjoyed the staging, and placement as well as the physical action the story itself didn’t gel. Regardless, Chant’s style shone in this piece.

‘Nil by Sea’ on the flip-side offers a simpler format of understanding for the viewer. I had seen the play reading of this work at 505 Theatre in ‘Asylum’, a multiple plays readings that reflected on the topic of asylum seekers in Australia. The actors in the reading of ‘Nil by Sea’ at 505 were stronger choices for this work in regards to the three neighbours. I didn’t feel drawn in by the three actors portraying the neighbours of this serious portrayal of an asylum seeker falling to his death from the wheel of a plane. Nat Jobe, who played the asylum seeker on the other hand gave an honest, heart-felt performance that gave the richness and intensity the work needed.

There is no doubt the performers in both of these works brought individual dynamics that made these stories come to life. Jennie Dibley, as Old Woman/Daisy gave a vivacious performance with assurance. Dibley is a passionate performer who throws herself into her characters scattering treasure into the audience with her honesty and her youthful energy. Always a delight to watch.

Nat Jobe, wears his heart on his sleeve in his performance as the Young Man who has dreams of a new life in a free land. Jobes’ performance is captivating and rich, his performance as Jose Matada and other small characters in Blue Italian were also fully immersed in objective and intensity. His physical comprehension and response to direction was interesting to watch.

Alex Malone, as Young Woman/Dolly portrayed vulnerability within her performance and a determination in spirit that was relateable. Her character in Young Woman was scattered yet grounded. I didn’t care much for her performance in Nil by Sea but that comment goes across the board for all bar Nat Jobe in ‘Nil by Sea’. Due to the relevance of this story to us today in Australia, I expected the performances to be more connected, more genuine. They were too light hearted with thin beat changes that came across as nonchalant which I didn’t like much.

Sarah Meacham as, Young Girl/Dory gave a fine performance. Her youthfulness as Young Girl was fun and vivacious but translated like I said before thin and unexplored in Dory. Meacham performed with ease and appeared confident in her characters objectives. I would have liked to have seen more exploration in her physicality as a whole to bring some depth to her performance.

Director Rachel Chant and set designer/lighting designer Benjamin Brockman have teamed up well by producing a set within a unique architecture to bring Pollocks work to life in a modern, fresh and unique environment. I enjoyed these elements immensely and now expect this style from Chant in her productions. Her style puts her on the map as a director with exploration and experimentation as a forefront within her directing approach, which I respond to with a big thumbs up.

‘Blue Italian & Nil by Sea’ runs at a bite sized perfect time of one hour with no interval making this a treat of a night out with performance and style worth venturing out to Leichardt to see.

Running until the 17th of May