Girls and Boys

Written by playwright Dennis Kelly in 2016 Girls and Boys features Justine Clarke in the demanding one-person work with evocative direction from State Theatre Company’s Mitchell Butel.  Ms Clarke’s performance is a revelation and her immersion in the character is intense and riveting throughout this soliloquy where the audience is privy to reminiscences, opinions and confessions in our assumed role of listener; a kind of second character implicit (perhaps even complicit) in the narrative.

The six sections, or episodes, of this 110 minute play lead the audience to discover different aspects in the life and outlook of the solo Woman on stage.  The atmosphere alters with each new revelation until the stillness and concentration in the theatre was palpable and the tension held us in thrall.  Kelly’s text is wide-ranging and dense but completely relatable and Clarke embraces every nuance as we barrel toward the climax.

Beginning with an air of energetic, yet endearing, stand-up comedy and in a loveable Estuary accent the Woman regales us with hilarious tales about meeting the love of her life in the Easyjet queue in Naples.  The rapid fire chat is dotted with bawdy Londoner phrases and confident expletive-filled opinions on the world, on travel, on men and sex as well as a frank look at her less than successful life choices to this point.  Clothed in warm-toned casual shirt, trousers and trainers, Clarke positively bounces around the stage addressing us as mates and equals and revelling in the fun and the idiosyncrasies of young life and love.  The energy the actor brings to the role is tempered by naturalness, generosity and an innate humbleness allowing the comedic text to sit profoundly beside more serious moments without being overwhelming or obnoxious.  Also notable was Clarke’s superb vocal range.  Her deft use of tone and accent to create other characters and change the ambience within the story imbued the work with light and shade and strengthened the gravitas toward the end.

With the gradual unveilings throughout, the Woman subtly shifts in maturity, attitude, outlook and reactions.  Humour still plays a part but small clues begin to alter the atmosphere of the revelations and alert us to the possibilities of other less comfortable outcomes.  We discover a woman who boldly blusters her way into her chosen career then thrives against the odds and ups her social standing.  We meet her (not visible) children Danny and Leanne through whimsical interactions, both spoken and physical, and navigated by Clarke with precision, charm and tenderness.  There is also the tale of a disintegrating relationship and opposing career trajectories which deliver troubling complications for the formerly happy couple.  Intermingled with the personal journey are passionate sentiments from the increasingly self-aware character on gender, violence, society and what it means to be a functioning part of humankind.

Set & Costume Designer Ailsa Paterson has created an over-large and slightly surreal ‘box’ which gives the impression of a comfortable home but also a contained, captive and uneasy environment.  For each section of the play, the Woman inhabits various aspects of the set where her sometimes stream-of-consciousness but always meaningful words are framed by subdued pinks and blues and tall de Chirico style arches.  This strange space is lit beautifully by Nigel Levings, warmth contrasting with subtle cooler tones as needed and the shifts between each section given thoughtful attention so that light levels complement mood.  Equally, Andrew Howard’s inventive musical compositions and some subtle background sounds serve the play well as a kind of aural punctuation. 

The totality of the design elements alongside remarkable acting and seamless direction completely enthralled the opening night audience and elicited a deserved standing ovation.  I suspect most of the audience, including myself, will be pondering the work for some time.

Lisa Lanzi

Photographer: Sam Roberts.