Summer of the 17th Doll

What is theatre? Theatre is the ability to tell a story on a stage.

What is great theatre? Great theatre is the ability to totally engage an audience while telling a story on stage.

Noosa Arts production of Summer of the Seventeenth Doll is a piece of great theatre.

The 1950s is by far the most important decade of theatre of the last century. For the first time the common man was given a voice. For the first time theatre was not about the failings and foibles of the middle and upper classes. For the first time the Wildes and Cowards and their glorious trivial and pithy worlds were dethroned by the cold, real and angry world of the working classes. For the first time the man in the street said “Yes! This is me! This is about us!”. Britain had Look Back in Anger, America had A Streetcar named Desire and Australia – well, we had Ray Lawler's Summer of the Seventeenth Doll. Its appearance on the timeline of social history makes it a classic play. But it is the story it tells that makes it a great play.

It’s set in the 50’s. It’s in the twilight careers of Roo and Barney, a couple of analogue FIFO workers. Seven months cutting cane in Qld and then five months making merry in Melbourne. The five months are spent with Olive (and her friend) - the woman who waits for them, and more importantly for those five months that make her actually feel alive. This ritual has been happening for 17 years. But everything is changing.

And does it have relevance today? It’s about people not being able to change from their rituals. It’s about the pace of change and the chaos it can cause. Sound familiar? Society is changing so rapidly at the moment. Sexuality, individuality, inclusivity .. .. As I said, it’s about the pace of change and the chaos it can cause.

As far as the Noosa Arts production of this play goes – well it’s nothing short of brilliant. Director Ian Mackellar has shone fresh new light through this old window. As a fellow director I can see the meticulous time and talent he took to direct this play. It is one of the finest pieces of direction I have yet seen on the coast. His ensemble of creatives (cast, crew and designers) are so obviously in sync with Mackellar’s vision. And just as importantly they were obviously in tune with his passion for this project. Hats off to all concerned. From set design to lights, program to sound, costumes to the cast – across the board it was strong and had quality. For two hours they didn’t just remind us of the 1950s they showed us how similar we really still are. The language and structure of the play may have seemed a bit dated but the conviction and humanity of the cast kept us engaged and .. .. invested. They attained this by being natural.

The acting ensemble is one of the finest seen for years. And they all took their turn in delivering the full gambit of emotions. I suppose it’s Olive’s story (Alison Venning). She has a dead-end job as a barmaid that buys her the five months to live! She is in denial as the cracks and rents appear as slowly but surely her pleasure palace gets pulled down. Shattered dreams on desolation boulevard. Alisson Venning gives a truly, truly remarkable performance. She absolutely nails the aforementioned journey. Roo (Glen Miller) is her man, The hard man of the cane cutters. But the trouble with being one of the last-of-the-knuckle-men alpha male is there is always someone faster and younger waiting in the wings. He knows his days are numbered and his cane rules don’t apply in the real world. He is watching his world collapse and struggling in the process. Mr Miller's performance is worth the admission alone. Layered, geared and controlled. Great work. And then there’s Roo’s best mate Barney (a strong, committed performance by Tom Middleton) – who proclaims the myth of mateship yet hedges his bets! The fact that he can see which way the winds are blowing only emphasises Olive and Roo’s refusal to see the wood for the trees. Pearl (Oriana Packman) has been dragged in by Olive to be Barney's “squeeze” for the season. Oriana delivers the moral metronome to Pearl. It’s the one role that could drift towards the melodrama but is done splendidly by Ms Packman who keeps it real and nicely balanced. Add to this Emma the landlady (Magaret Courtney) who represents the old world and Johnnie and Bubba (Alex Cox and Tenai Quinn) who represent the new world then you have the strong and committed ensemble. Excellent work from everyone.

Thank you, Mr Mackellar. You deserve all the kudos this production is receiving.

Simon Denver

Buy the play script.