Mum’s Gift

Therry, like several other community theatre groups, has been the launch pad for the careers of many celebrated theatre and television luminaries. It also continues to provide opportunities for graduates of excellent theatre programmes, including Flinders Drama graduates, and Jessica Corrie who skilfully steers Mum’s Gift, is an excellent example of one of those highly skilled graduates.

Written by Phil Olsen, Therry Theatre has been given permission to update this 2013 American comedy so that it has a Melbourne setting and so accents are natural Australian accents and jokes become local, if a little state competitive.

Directed by Lucy Johnson, the Don Oswald designed set is fresh, modern and colourful, featuring interesting details like fun shaped doors and a ‘barely there’ front door area that allows the audience to be part of outdoor chats. It is a little cluttered, but the actors use the space confidently and fulfill the basic actor’s instruction of ‘not bumping into the furniture’, all moving particularly well around one non-existent character; but more of that later.

Some of we romantics have loved stories like The Lakehouse and Just Like Heaven and this play also has that same presence of a not yet completely departed spectre. Killed in a car accident some 11 months earlier, Mum, beautifully portrayed by Katie Packer, has a mission to complete before she earns her heavenly wings; to do this, she becomes visible only to her older bad tempered, irascible daughter, Kat. The interplay between Corrie and Packer stands them apart from the rest of the cast. Their style is natural, well-paced and utterly believable as a mother and daughter chatting. Both have mastered excellent pace and Corrie plants humorous lines with aplomb.

Zoe Battersby as the dizzy younger sister, Brittney comes into her own in the second act when we discover that there is more to her than meets the eye, and with good direction and work on projection, Battersby could be a leading lady in the making. The chemistry between mother and daughter does not extend to the two sets of love interest. Rodney Hrvatin, well known in musical theatre, as Dad, is lacking in gravitas, and his love affair with glamorous Trish, played by Jenny Allard lacks the sort of passion that would result in a marriage proposal. She, in turn, drifts through the play, hampered by writing that limits the impact that she can make. Paul Pacillo, believably handsome is somewhat ‘underdressed’ to make an impact, and again, the writing may be a hindering factor, does not appear really passionate about his love interest, Kat. Small directorial tweaks such as getting actors to touch to establish contact and interest in each other, would improve the believability. Angela Short in a cameo as nosy Mrs Norquist is suitably interfering and would benefit from added voice projection so that everyone hears all of her clever dialogue. In fact, side-on projection, for all except Mum and Kat becomes problematic at times.

Mum’s Gift is a gentle, heartwarming start to Therry’s year of plays. It is unashamedly sentimental and is an excellent vehicle, particularly for two strong female actors. It is light, fun and a really pleasant two hours of feelgood theatre.

Jude Hines