Toy Symphony

In the world of music, a ‘Toy Symphony’ is a piece played on children’s toy instruments, resulting in a juvenile cacophony of dings and squeaks backing a melody with an underlying strain of sadness. You could say the same of Michael Gow’s Helpmann award-winning play Toy Symphony ­– written in 2007 after a writing break of nearly a decade while working as Artistic Director at Queensland Theatre. It is about a writer (Roland Henning) struggling with writers’ block. I can’t help but think that the background and the play’s theme are inextricably linked. Gow’s work seems drawn to high-school memories (his most well-known play, Away, is set at the end of a school term) and perhaps his time in Brisbane reminding him of feeling adrift from Sydney, growing up in suburbia – the play’s central (autobiographical) character is from Como, about an hour away from the action of Sydney’s city centre. The play’s Sutherland Shire also serves as a microcosm of colonial Australia, tethered to England, even in the ‘swinging ‘60s’. We get to meet Roland’s friends and teachers, albeit with a pinch of magic realism, as Gow’s piece sets about illustrating the creative process through dreams, memories, monologues – and psych sessions about the dreaded ‘writers’ thing’.

The piece perfectly displays good old Aussie discouragement for anyone with imagination as the young Roland is ridiculed for his innate ability to bring to life figures from history and literature, and he is pitted against the school bully Steve Gooding who is hailed a genius for being a Rugby hero. Roland’s final rebellion, the restaging of his banned school play, is a hilarious sci-fi pastiche in the Rocky Horror Show vein. Despite his bravado, Gow’s undercurrent gay theme is coy and feels like mere mischievous grafitti hidden at the back of his school notes. Despite this, Ad Astra proves again that they don’t shy away from interesting material. The impeccable cast are wonderfully warm, likeable and moving and maximise every ounce of humour and energy in the play. Audience members both young and old thoroughly enjoyed the production.

Gregory J Wilken’s Roland is charmingly childlike but also grumpy and conniving, as Act 2 reveals some of the writer’s darker side. Ultimately he gives a heart-warming and humorous portrayal of the contradictions of a creative persona. Caitlin Hill joyfully displays her versatility as Nina the Psychologist, Julie the primary student and Miss Beverley, the student fantasy teacher. And Bernadette Pryde as Mrs Walkham, the friendly high-school teacher was an audience favourite. Also winning over the crowd were the three supporting character players: Greg Scurr masterfully portrayed contrasting characters, Roland’s bestie Nicolajs, and the frightening Headmaster; Sam Webb shone as Rugby star bully, Steve Gooding; and  (in the cast I saw) Jonathan Weir was equal parts amusing as the Copyright Lawyer and moving as Daniel, a young acting student and fan of grumpy Roland. All the cast play multiple roles and there are some absolute gems as they bring the characters from Roland’s imagination to life on stage.

Director Michelle Carey has helped her cast balance the right amount of humour and pathos in Gow’s script. Wilken’s final scenes as Roland describes his parents’ funerals was particularly emotional, and the classroom scenes were so evocative of the humour of Australian school days. The set design was brilliant, transforming the small Ad Astra studio into a black box classroom with scrawled chalkboards to show Roland’s restless mind. Suitcases are sometimes overused in theatre but this collection of retro luggage, school ports and shabby holiday suitcases was the perfect visualisation of Roland’s mental state as well. The lighting design by B’Elanna Hill was economic and effective and costume designer Eleonora Ginardi had enormous fun with the school uniforms and the teachers’ 1960s classroom fashions. In a small theatre space, the technicals can not afford to distract, and stage manager Cale Dennis and sound/technical designer Theo Bourgoin ensured a seamless show. The David Bowie soundtrack was the icing on the cake for me in this nostalgic and melancholic remembrance of things past and highly recommended production.

Beth Keehn

Photographer: Christopher Sharman

Find out more: https://www.adastracreativity.com/productions/toy-symphony