In the Next Room or The Vibrator Play

The title suggests that this play might be wholly and solely about vibrators but there is a lot more to it than that.  Set in the 1880s, it also covers the introduction of electricity into people’s homes and the medical assumption that sexually dissatisfied women were in fact affected by hysteria.  Most importantly though, this play boldly addresses the female frustration and solitude in a male-dominated society where the sexual and emotional needs of women are often overlooked.

First on stage and with a personality ultimately ranging from modest to vibrant and compelling, is Kate Gandy in the role of Catherine Givings.  Catherine is privileged and unable to respect boundaries which can be alarming and amusing all at once.  We can’t help but feel sorry for her though because she feels neglected and subordinate to her husband’s patients and also struggles with feelings of inadequacy with regards to her newborn baby.  Gandy displays each and every emotion with boundless energy and authenticity.

Her husband Dr Givings is played thoughtfully and convincingly by Paul Sztelma.  His character arc develops from being an almost impersonal scientist to becoming quite a passionate lover.  As always, Sztelma is very articulate with his dialogue and his delivery is never rushed. His quiet assistant/midwife Annie is sensitively portrayed by Kimberlea Smith.  She doesn’t have a lot to say but when she does speak it is mostly poignant.  She also proves to be very skilled with her hands. (Before the advent of automatic vibrators, there was in fact a long -standing practice of manually massaging female patients to orgasm as a treatment for hysteria).

Mr Daldry and Sabrina Daldry enter, played by an earnest Chris Scarpellino and an increasingly effervescent Lana Jean Hill.  Scarpellino is consistent throughout as the caring but unenlightened husband who has no idea that his wife can and should be pleasured.  Hill on the other hand rides a rollercoaster of emotions that include being initially speechless, then delirious with pleasure, and then blossoming into quite the talker.  The discovery of her own erogenous zone is highly transformative for her.  (You go girl).

Christine Wilson plays the slightly smaller but important role of Elizabeth, the wet nurse that the Givings family hire to breastfeed their baby.  Wilson’s delivery of the speech about the loss of her own child and the damage this did to her religious faith was deeply touching.  Some of the older ladies near me audibly sympathised, as if they wanted to run down onto the stage and comfort her.

Finally, in Act 2, we meet the charming artist Leo Irving who is brought to life by the charismatic Julian Floriano.  Floriano directed Funny Money by Ray Cooney for this group earlier this year and it was highly entertaining.  In THIS play he proves to be just as comfortable on the other side of the curtain which is great to see.  This reviewer is a firm believer that every onstage performer should be on a production team at least once to gain an appreciation for everything that is involved. Conversely, everyone on production teams should tread the boards occasionally too, to remind themselves of the buzz one gets from performing whilst polishing their skills.  But I digress.

This play alternates between comedy and tragedy with remarkable ease. The author, Sarah Ruhl, has combined the themes of repressed sexuality, bodily autonomy, womanhood and intimacy with a sensitivity that I suspect only a female writer could conjure. Similarly, director Meredith Jacobs has brought a feminine perspective to this piece and the result is very entertaining without leaning into anything awkward or slightly vulgar.

The potentially provocative nature of this play is cleverly established right from the get-go with the large keyhole motif on the program that is also projected onto the front of house curtain.  You feel as if you are doing something naughty simply by sitting in your seat.  When Catherine tries to look through the keyhole in the middle of the stage to see exactly what her husband is doing ‘in the next room’ she is perfectly imitating the curiosity of the audience at the start of the play.

As is usually the case with Castle Hill Players, the scenery makes the most of the space and for this play feels appropriately warm and cosy on the living room side but cold and quite sterile on the operating theatre side.  The absence of a solid backdrop allows for some lovely time-of-day lighting changes in the background that are really all that is needed to set the scenes here.  Congratulations to Trevor Chaise and James Winters respectively.  Special mention to costume designer Annette Snars and her seamstresses who had to merge 1880’s multi-layered fashions with quick undressing and redressing on stage ….  Not an easy balance to strike.

In the Next Room or The Vibrator Play will continue to buzz at the Pavilion Theatre in Castle Hill until August 19^th.  Secure your tickets now because trust me ….  You’ll be glad that you came.

Fiona Kelly

Photos by Chris Lundie