In Sight of the Sea

Harbour Theatre’s In Sight of the Sea is a locally written play, set just up the road in Cottesloe, in a shared apartment “in sight of the sea”. Playing for the first time with the current script, this play has passed through several incarnations, including being part of the WAAPA Diploma of Acting showcase in November 2021. Several graduates of that course also appear in this production.

Insecure Toby, and best mate Adam, move into their new beachside apartment. Against the terms of their lease, outlined by real estate agent Juanita, they are soon joined by Adam’s girlfriend-of-sorts Sam, while Tobey attempts to win the affections of “it girl” Bree.

Joe Haworth is convincing as awkward and uneasy Tobey, maintaining a convincing friendship with Henry Freeman Dick, who portrays the complex musician Adam, very well. Elise Downes is lovely as Sam, who feels rejected and unloved by her family, while Clovelly Rule brings confidence and flair to the unobtainable Bree. Federica Longo fills the shoes of estate agent Juanita nicely, while Altus Vernon completes the cast well as Damien. The acting performances are all natural and believable, but dialogue was sometimes hard to hear (and Camelot is notoriously unkind to female voices).

With such natural performances, I found some inconsistencies in the production a little distracting. Would love to have seen smoother transitions between scenes and I was left with questions that were never answered such as “Why was the apartment leased with unfinished light features and painting drop sheets left on the floor, yet Juanita was worried about their cleanliness?” and “Why did Sam wear the same mismatched socks for several days?” In a performance with less skilled performers, these things might go unnoticed, but they became Chekov’s guns that never were fired.

Some effective lighting designed by Jasmine Lifford and Rob Tagliaferri, helped establish different spaces and times one a well-constructed box set.

Short and sharp and just eighty minutes, it was lovely to see Harbour take a risk with a new work - especially one set so close to home.

Kimberley Shaw