Driftwood The Musical

After a sold-out world premiere last year, Driftwood The Musical will grace the boards again not only in Melbourne and Sydney but potentially in New York and beyond.  Very exciting prospects indeed for an original home grown musical!  Driftwood follows the compelling lives of six relatives enduring the struggles of WWII in Europe and its after-effects upon their relationships. It’s a tale of displaced Polish Jewish families struggling to stay together despite the harsh odds continually stacked against them.  

Director Gary Abrahams along with writer Jane Bodie and their creative team have given us a heartwarming two-hour precis of an epic story of love, courage, survival….and foldable umbrellas! 

The narrative is told mainly from the perspective of Eva, whose true-life memoir is the basis of the story.  Through her discovery of letters, photographs and works of art belonging to her parents, Eva spends countless years trying to unravel the untold stories of her family and the deep mysteries of her parents’ unspoken sadness.  This new and improved version puts more emphasis on Eva’s role as the storyteller.  I felt this created a deeper emotional impact throughout. 

It doesn’t take long to get attached to the plucky teenager Eva, her loving and protective parents, Karl Duldig (acclaimed sculptor) and Slawa Horowitz-Duldig (artist and inventor of the foldable umbrella), aunt Rella, the spirited actress, Marcel (her French husband) and Karl’s brother, Ignaz.  Six very different and somewhat strong willed, yet likeable and relatable people. 

Seasoned musical theatre performer Bridget Costello (Christine in the recent Sydney and Melbourne productions of The Phantom Of The Opera) is perfect in the role of Eva.  Her compelling performance of teenage Eva in Act 1 to the more sophisticated woman in Act 2 was flawless.  The audience were drawn into the narrative by means of her tender, emotive and at times powerhouse vocals and by her effervescent knack of storytelling.  Anton Berezin (Phantom, Evita, Miss Fisher’s Murder Mysteries) portrays Karl Duldig with panache, heart and a sense of pathos. Anton’s years of acting and singing experience are apparent as he portrays a rollercoaster of emotions solidly. His solo ‘Beneath the Southern Cross’ is a highlight of Act 2.  Acclaimed soprano, Tania de Jong (Victoria State Opera, Pot-Pourri) as creator of Driftwood The Musical and daughter of author Eva de Jong-Duldig, possibly has the greatest load to carry playing her real-life grandmother. Happily, Tania does her portrayal justice, and we empathize with Slawa’s moments of melancholy and warm both to her kind nature and tenacity.  Tania is very connected to her character, and oozes tranquility,  particularly during her solo numbers and during her heart-wrenching duet (‘Sisters’) with Rella.  I doubt there was a dry eye in the house.  Michaela Burger as Slawa’s sister Rella (an actress, madly in love with life) is a tour-de-force!  With effortless vocal prowess and bubbly stage presence Michaela commanded her scenes well.  Nelson Gardner was incredibly versatile, transforming into numerous roles including Uncle Ignaz and Rella’s husband Marcel amongst others. His rendition of a Jewish influenced canticle was divine.  

Kudos to the trio led by Musical Director, composer and pianist Anthony Barnhill, accompanied by violinist Roy Theaker and cellist Kalina Krusteva, who played for almost two hours without missing a beat!  This exquisite and complex original score by Barnhill features both traditional musical theatre and Jewish flavored songs and underscore. Sophie Loughran’s choreography of the ‘Wedding’ dance was authentic and the movement in the ‘Letters’ scene was very ingenious, as letters were passed backward and forth at a swift pace between the characters.     

Jacob Battista has used the furniture, sculptures, Slawa’s umbrella design and other décor from the Duldig’s Australian home as inspiration for his versatile set design.  Above the set is a large screen in the shape of a ripped piece of paper where stills and live footage of the era are projected at various intervals during the show.  Here we see photos of the real people, maps of their travels, footage of WWII and an Australian starry night sky.   

Lighting design by Harrie Hogan, AV design by Justin Gardam and Sound design by Marcello Lo Ricco were used to great effect, particularly during a scene depicting a steam train leaving the station, complete with whistles and steam billowing out over the audience.  Although there are minimal wardrobe changes, designer Kim Bishop has created a practical assortment of costumes depicting the ‘40s and ‘60s eras, both in Europe and Australia.  Eva’s ‘60s influenced red coat and navy flares are a standout.

Plans are underway to workshop Driftwood in New York after its Australian run in Melbourne and Sydney.  How will this musical fare on the Great White Way alongside long-running spectacles, many with budgets in the millions?  As Peter Hunt (Tania de Jong’s husband) says “You don’t want to die wondering!”

Driftwood ticks all the warm and fuzzy boxes. That’s what audiences need and want!  To leave the theatre feeling uplifted and grateful for their lot in life.  Maybe some will gain a desire to find out more about their own his/her stories.  

This musical might be ‘small in scale, but it’s big on emotion!’ 

Don’t miss it!

Jonathan Cox

Photos:  James Terry