Caress/Ache

Caress/Ache is a touching, beautifully acted piece from WAAPA’s 3rd Year Acting Students, superbly designed built and crewed by WAAPA Production and Design students. A moving production that was sadly under-attended on opening night.

Playwright Suzie Miller wrote Caress/Ache in response to the execution of Van Tuong Nguyen in Singapore in 2005, inspired by the cruelty not only of the execution, but the cruel order not to allow his mother to hug him before his death sentence was carried out. This play explores the sense of touch.

In a series of, initially seemingly unrelated vignettes, we explore different nuances of touch - moving towards a realisation of how lives are interconnected and touch each other.

Nicole Denholm’s set - a seeming checkerboard of images - is a fitting backdrop to this play of many storylines and various degrees of translucency, and a perfect backdrop for Lachlan Kessey’s sensitive and emotive lighting design. Composers Jane Stark and Koen Smailes, with Sound Designer Robbie Corbet, have worked together to create a beautiful soundtrack that underscores the story with beautiful and sometimes almost subliminal music and sound. Costume designer Sarah Halton gives us costumes that are beautifully supportive of character and make actors almost unrecognisable as they transform between characters. Stage Manager Rowan Houlton leads a costumed stage crew who keep this show moving swiftly and effectively through multiple scenes.

The performances are excellent throughout, with every actor, in every role, giving heartfelt and deep performances. Giuseppe D’Allura, as Dr Mark Anders (the closest thing this show has to a lead as it is very much an ensemble piece) gives a compelling performance that eventually helps to tie the show together as a whole. He works well alongside on-stage romantic partner Libby, played by Karina Skala, who also plays the emotionally charged Saskia, who suspects her husband may be having an affair - leading to a series of highly fought scenes, played spectacularly with Dominic Masterson as Cameron.

Radhika Mudaliar, working mostly in monologue, tells a beautiful but dangerous tale of a longing for a home you don’t remember - a beautifully drawn performance, while Shontane Farmer expertly plays two very different roles - notably the mother who aches for a last hug from her condemned son - in turn sensitively played by Sean Halley.

Roxanne Gardiner is very strong as a young mum working on a phone sex line, to provide for her autistic son, nicely played by Adrian K Sit. Adrian also aces the play’s most (ironically) comic moment as a flight attendant with excellent subtext - comedy that is appreciated but then turned on its head.

It is a shame that this production sits in the shadow of WAAPA's very popular annual “large scale” musical, as this gentle little show has much to say, has performances and production work of outstanding calibre and much to offer. Very much worth a look for lovers of interesting and thought-provoking theatre.

Kimberley Shaw

Photographer: Stephen Heath