Olivia’s arc is less compelling. The action is at its most theatrical when it equivocates and leaves room for interpretation, rather than beating you over the head with predictable emotion.

One scene in which Olivia ransacks her daughter’s bedroom and finds a sex toy is arresting because you’re unsure whether Molly is still alive or not – is it an invasion of privacy or a desperate attempt to be close to a lost child?

That implicates the audience in a way Olivia’s whimsical perfume quest doesn’t. (Maybe signposting it as magical realism and employing a heightened, overtly satirical style – as if Olivia were visiting a psychic or something – might have worked better.) Still, this production features two talented younger performers to watch, and it’s a promising start for a playwright learning the ropes.
Reviewed by Cameron Woodhead

THEATRE
Unestablished ★★
La Mama, until June 30

Structural racism and sexism in the theatre world inform Yogashree Thirunavukarasu’s debut play Unestablished. Activism in these areas has been ongoing for decades, and equity and diversity considerations are now prominently baked into the system of arts bureaucracy, even as funding for theatre artists has fallen in real terms almost across the board.

One doesn’t need reminding of the grotesque gender inequity of mainstream theatre programming in the 2000s, or the sheer whiteness that prevailed, especially in naturalistic drama, before widespread advocacy for adopting what was then called “colourblind” casting.

Our theatre culture has changed since then, so why are the artistic directors of mainstream theatre companies still overwhelmingly white? It’s a question Thirunavukarasu throws into sharp focus as she explores the dilemmas of an ambitious, culturally and linguistically diverse queer theatre director, Archana, who lands a dream gig directing at the (fictional) Established Theatre Company.

The dream becomes an ethical nightmare when Archana catches the company’s middle-aged artistic director (Doug Lyons) – a sleaze with an impossibly Eurocentric frame of cultural reference – sexually harassing an intern.

Her girlfriend (Lucy Payne) writes a play that eerily resembles the incident and Archana must direct it, drawing out the perpetrator’s guilt. But she resents doing the right thing so badly it dooms her relationship: the damage to Archana’s career could be irreparable, after all, and she has had to work extra hard to succeed.

Meanwhile, Archana’s best friend, the flamboyantly gay sex worker Jimi (Vasi Samudra Devi), faces overt racial prejudice in the private realm of sexual attraction and fantasy.

Various implausibilities do affect suspension of disbelief in the central plot of Unestablished, although dramaturgically it’s a searching piece that rejects naturalism as sufficient to convey the minutiae of marginalised experience.

One of the most striking sequences contrasts the internal monologues of two intimate partners, and is performed with sharp tragicomic insight into relationship breakdown. Other formal experimentation verging on protest theatre falls short.

Abbreviating the narrative to minimise unconvincing aspects of plot and character and expanding critique wouldn’t hurt, and perhaps a more comprehensive elision of art and activism may be required to break fresh ground on a theme that’s producing some of our most daring contemporary theatre.
Reviewed by Cameron Woodhead
The above review was written from a preview performance.

MUSIC
Altstaedt Plays Haydn and Tchaikovsky ★★★★★
Australian Chamber Orchestra, Hamer Hall, June 23

Guest-leading the Australian Chamber Orchestra, German-French cellist Nicolas Altstaedt juxtaposed older and newer works in a program that was as thoughtfully conceived as it was enthusiastically executed.

Sandwiched between the dramatic introduction and final earthquake of Haydn’s The Seven Last Words of Christ came three short utterances from Hungarian composer Gyorgy Kurtag’s Officium breve in memoriam Andrae Szervanszky. Although composed two centuries apart, both works had elements of devotion and drama that spoke eloquently one to the other, underlined by the players’ nuanced attention to rhythm and sonority.

By way of contrast came all the sweetness and light of Tchaikovsky’s justly popular Variations on a Rococo Theme, Op. 33. Moving from sitting with the other cellos to the soloist’s central position, Altstaedt displayed equal measures of rapture and fearlessness in navigating the variations’ demanding technical terrain, particularly in his stratospheric harmonics and rapid-fire delivery. Moments of repose were marked by a rich, sweet timbre from Altstaedt’s 1749 Guadagnini instrument.

Sandor Veress’ Four Transylvanian Dances (where folkloric elements are successfully refracted through a modernist lens) provided listeners another opportunity to experience Altstaedt’s happy rapport with principal violin Helena Rathbone and principal viola Stefanie Farrands.

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Altstaedt’s genius for unusual programming saw the startling but effective coupling of Aroura by Greek avant-garde composer Iannis Xenakis with Haydn’s feel-good Cello Concerto in C. Instead of exploiting Xenakis’ “barbed wire” music for shock value, but plumbing its raw, emotional depths, the Haydn seemed all the more refreshing as a result.

Acknowledging historically informed practice, Altstaedt, dispensing with an endpin and using a period bow, gave a delightfully zesty account of the concerto, backed up by the ACO’s customary disciplined yet joyful playing.

Full of congeniality and collegiality, this concert was collaborative music-making at its best, backed up by seasoned professional experience and innovative programming.
Reviewed by Tony Way

JAZZ
Gian Slater and Barney McAll: Uncover ★★★★
The Jazzlab, June 24

Gian Slater and Barney McAll are both unique musical stylists with a very personal, distinctive sound. As artists, they have each honed their creative approach over many years, focusing on original compositions that reflect and enhance their musical identities.

It’s rare to hear either of them performing jazz standards – which is why their latest project is so intriguing. As the name “Uncover” suggests, their aim with this band is to unearth, or uncover, lesser-known standards from decades past. It’s a cover band that plays covers of tunes you’ve never heard of.

At Jazzlab on Monday night, the pair introduced us to songs from obscure musicals and half-forgotten films, and delved into the back catalogues of some of their favourite jazz singers and composers. Their aim was not to twist these songs into boldly contemporary shapes, but to highlight their beauty and make you wonder why they’re not better known.

Slater and McAll are both technically brilliant musicians, but in this setting the emphasis was on subtlety and understatement. Slater’s exquisite voice harnessed the poetry and eloquence of each lyric, alighting on words and phrases with effortless grace and clarity. Her scatting allowed her to dart and glide expressively, without diluting the emotional essence of each tune.

Likewise, at the piano, McAll eschewed any hint of flashiness, carefully shepherding the melodies and harmonies with deep sensitivity and restraint. Bassist Ben Hanlon and drummer Danny Fischer were also marvellously subtle in their accompaniment, shorn of any unnecessary embellishment. Most pieces were pinned to slow or unhurried tempos, though one song (By Myself) had the band conjure a more dynamic mood, propelled by McAll’s plunging chords and exuberant soloing.

The concert closed with an intimate duet by Slater and McAll, underlining the profound rapport between these two remarkable artists with a shared love of neglected musical treasures.
Reviewed by Jessica Nicholas

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