Let The Sunshine

David Williamson writes what he knows, the Australian middle-class canapés and claret set, and he writes it very well.

This play from 2009 is about two Sydney couples who have made a sea-change to Noosa. Toby’s a left-wing documentary film maker, his wife Ros, a small-time book publisher, Ron’s a wealthy developer, and Natasha, his wife runs the local book club. Their kids both live in Sydney. Toby and Ros’ offspring Rick is a broke wanna-be songwriter, while Emma, Ron and Natasha’s daughter is a ball-busting corporate lawyer. The kids visit for Toby’s 60^th birthday, meet and fall in love, much to the chagrin of both parents who can’t stand each other. It’s a scenario ripe for exploitation but like most of Williamson’s plays the characters are all black and white, no grey areas and little depth. Toby is a disillusioned greenie, Ros misses the hustle of Sydney, Ron is crass and racist, and Natasha is a rich-bitch. We’ve seen them all before and there’s nothing new to discover here. The kids get married, have kids, and Rick becomes the breadwinner in the household.

It’s Andrew Heron’s second-time up as director for Villanova and it shows. The production is seriously under-rehearsed. Every actor fluffed lines, some more than others, which meant the jokes didn’t land as they should have. It was still funny, but it could have been funnier.

Trevor Bond was a terrific Toby with Robyn Kearney offering him solid support as Ros. Bill Bassett’s Ron was totally obnoxious, but it was Helen Ekundayo’s Natasha who ruled the day. Whether swigging a glass of red, or sipping a latte, she was the epitome of the Hasting’s Street set. As Rick, the music man who hasn’t found his niche yet, Robert Garnham had the appropriate scruffy edge and transitioned nicely to corporate suit, while Bethany Conwell’s Emma seemed to happily lose the corporate suit to motherhood. Williamson’s plays are written like film scripts with short, sharp scenes which require blackouts.

The pace of Heron’s production was hampered by full stage lighting which went to blackout then long stage waits while actors set-up for the next scene. It made it hard for the actor’s to keep up the energy.

Let the Sunshine is popularist entertainment. Not the best play in the Williamson canon, but no doubt it will be popular with Villanova’s audience.

Peter Pinne

Photographer: Ian Colley.