Skip to main content

Review: When The Rain Stops Falling // Brisbane Arts Theatre


Written by Grace Wilson

Australian classics form the bones of contemporary theatre in this country, and revivals of these works always serve as a palate cleanser in an arts world that is continually evolving. Brisbane Arts Theatre’s revival of ‘When The Rain Stops Falling’ by Andrew Bovall is a welcome example of when Australian classics are given a hearty remounting with a strong sense of Australian spirit. The story itself is a multi-layered exploration of family trauma and how secrets, betrayal and love can span over decades and continents.

Direction by Hamish Chappell and Blake Young was a stand out with this work. Utilising the simplicity of the stage to help transform and transfer through continents and times was brilliant in establishing when and where the audience was. The dinner table was the centrepiece of this work, and Chappel and Young made sure this space was the space for heartfelt family discussions and raw, challenging arguments. The way double casting was also utilised by Chapell and Young added another level of intensity to this piece, supporting monologues that mirrored between old and young generations, and reflections of the past happened in real time. 

The cast itself varied in age and experience but together brought to life the main themes within this story. With quick paced changes between different decades and continents, each actor knew the stakes their character was facing and this was well delivered to the audience. Liam Wilson as both Gabriel Law and Andrew Price, gave a well rounded performance that was well paced and matured, showing a depth of understanding and characterisation throughout the entirety of the show. Claire Marchesi’s performance as Gabrielle York (Older) was another standout delivery, with poise and maturity that gave insight into the years of trauma that Gabrielle went through.

Set design by Scott Lymbery was minimal and simple, allowing for transitions between time and place much more quickly and allowing actors to make use of the stage as their own. Supporting the set design was lighting and sound by Zoe Power, which also assisted the quick movements across time and space. Of worthy mention is also costume design by Nick Scotney which very well showed a divide between generations and location, and helped establish connection between old and young versions of characters.

Overall, this production of ‘When The Rain Stops Falling’ was heartfelt and well rounded. It demonstrated an immense connection between ensemble and the way that Australian classics still ring true today and provide an eerie insight of what happens if we neglect the world and each other for much longer.

Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Article: Free Dance Classes To Incentivise Boys to Dance - Queensland Ballet

This month Queensland Ballet launched The Ballet Boys Project , a series of initiatives designed to explore and address the decline of boys in ballet and dance. Since 2020, Queensland Ballet Academy has seen a 36% decline in male enrolments, a downward trend that Christian Tàtchev, Director of Queensland Ballet Academy, observes is evident across the professional training industry globally. Queensland Ballet Executive Director Dilshani Weerasinghe said the company is taking the decline seriously by taking a market leading stand and addressing what is potentially a sustainability issue for the artform. “As such, we are encouraging the dance and broader community to join this movement with us to ensure the tradition of ballet – although ever evolving, lives on with strong participation from male dancers,” Mrs Weerasinghe said. The company has established a The Boys in Ballet Committee to identifying the roadblocks and take action to address the issue. As the fi...
Post a Comment
Read more

The Last Five Years // Gold Coast Little Theatre

  Gold Coast Little Theatre’s (GCLT) stunning production of The Last Five years is nothing short of a hit! This theatre nestled in the heart of Southport continues to create superb performances, and their recent production is no different! Directed by Artistic Director Amy-Louise Anderson, GCLT’s The Last Five Years is a spectacle from top to bottom. This famous one act written by Jason Robert-Brown is well known within the musical theatre community and has captivated audiences around the globe with its hard hitting music and emotional writing since it’s debut in 2002. The Last Five Years follows Cathy, a struggling actress and Jamie, a novelist about to have his big break. This unconventional show tells the story two ways: Cathy tells it backwards whilst Jamie tells it chronologically with the two characters only meeting and interacting once at their wedding at the half way point in the show. Directed by Amy-Louse Anderson, this production is stunning from the first down beat to t...
Post a Comment
Read more

Review: DOGHOLE - Underground Theatre & theatrePUNKco

Written by Jake Goodall  Ever been curious about the entanglement of fiction and reality? Dive into Underground Theatre & theatrePUNKco's latest venture, DOGHOLE, where the lines blur with captivating effect! Written by Grace Wilson, DOGHOLE follows DOG or Camille Evans (don't call them that to their face, though.) They think all writers are bad, they think Tim Winton isn’t that great of an author, they think they have the next big hit under their fingers. It's called DOGHOLE – and it's their ticket out of the middle-of-nowhere town they grew up in. But DOG knows it’s a bit hard to write a book with no characters and no plot. DOG knows that normal writers don’t get haunted by the ghosts of dead authors who insist they’re doing this writing thing wrong. DOG knows that normal writers don’t find the world of fiction and reality crossing over until they’re not sure what’s a line in a book or an event in real life. DOG knows this, they really do. But that’s just another ...
Post a Comment
Read more