Emerald City
This is a recording of the wonderfully luscious 2014 production which is given a decidedly 80s setting with the aid of a vibrant backdrop and set design by Ken Done. This clearly consolidates the era and all the values that characterised the period. Williamson’s astute and accurate assessment of a variety of important cultural rivalries are beautifully brought to life. The competitiveness between marriage partners, film industry business partners and the cities of Sydney and Melbourne feature in this extremely witty text.
The main character Colin (Mitchell Butel) is at the centre of all these rivalries. In order to stay relevant as a filmmaker, he and his wife Kate (Lucy Bell) move the family to a hedonistic Sydney after many years of living and working in a more sober, left-wing Melbourne. The tensions in their marriage are exacerbated by the increasing rift between his high-brow culture sensibilities and the Sydney lure of sex and money. The crass commercialism that surrounds him is vigorously personified by Mike (Ben Winspear). The play pits intellectualism as fundamentally opposed to commercialism in an era when such divisions could be more easily demarcated geographically, politically, and industrially.
The energetic performances have impeccable timing and bring all the exasperating elements of these rivalries to the forefront. This allows the style of the prose and sharp humour in Williamson’s dialogue to shine. Butel delivers Colin’s rant at the end of the first act with remarkable gusto which results in a hilarious explosion of frustration. Moments like these capture the essence of the play perfectly.
In a live post-screening Q&A, director Lee Lewis explains the importance of preserving the play’s epoch to highlight how such rivalries have managed to persist over time. Bringing this masterpiece to life is undoubtedly a worthwhile enterprise. Williamson’s critical lens remains incredibly relevant even today. However, preserving the play in this way overlooks how the distinct cultural lines that Williamson draws have become increasingly blurred. In a fast changing, digital and globalised context the nature of all these rivalries have become far more intense and complex. The historical emphasis of this production, therefore, keeps the play firmly in the sphere of a period piece.
Patricia Di Risio
https://riversideparramatta.com.au/show/emeraldcity-ondemand/
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