She Wrote the Letter

Based on a true story, this play recounts the long-term friendship between performer Tania McNaughton and Ute Dahike. Their friendship spans decades and media platforms. They started out as teenage pen friends in two remote and distant places: Tania in New Zealand and Ute in East Germany.

This remarkable story has been poignantly transformed into a play and captures all the deep emotion and genuine sentiment of love and friendship. Their exchanges in the letters express all their teen angst and, as time progresses, they share all the important milestones in their lives. Although a deeply personal story, the stage of world politics is seen to have a great impact on the way they are able conduct their friendship.

Carroll cleverly contextualises the politics to show how global events can alter our personal lives in very significant ways. The story is wonderfully transformed to the stage but the production relies heavily on the strength of the text. McNaughton essentially plays herself while Ute is performed by Maria Nordenberg. The juxtaposition of the two characters is well structured and allows their exchanges to flow beautifully, sometimes seemingly speaking directly to one another even though they are clearly at opposite ends of the globe. Such strategies effectively reiterate the strength of their fabulous bond.

While there is some inventive use of the stage and the performances are quite strong and engaging, the structure does come across as somewhat laboured. The decades-long friendship inherently also means the performers are required to portray vast age ranges and this is not always easily achieved. Nonetheless, this is a truly extraordinary story that has great potential for the stage.

Patricia Di Risio 

Photographer: Brent Lukey.