Left – Antony Talia and Madeleine Withington. Cover – Sylvia Keays and Madeleine WithingtonLike the mythical city it takes its title from, Paul Gilchrist's Atlantis, is about sinking ideals and submerged truths, the manipulation of myth, the power and danger of stories.
Sarah and Tom are on the lam. Sarah, an aspiring actress whose career is spiralling out of existence has lost her job in a cafe and Tom, her charming but rough trade drug dealing partner has fallen foul of his suppliers.
They seek succour with Sarah's estranged aunt, Zelda, a New Age entrepreneur in her secluded mountain retreat.
Sarah is not impressed that she has to fall on family favours as a fixative for her and her boyfriend's failures.
Sarah's issues with Zelda stem from her no show at her sister's, Sarah's mum, funeral and a fundamental scepticism of her woo woo philosophy. In trying to remember the name of Zelda's company, Sarah tells Tom it's Atlantis or Aquarius but it might as well be Avarice.
Zelda, born Mandy, has reinvented herself as a financially savvy free spirit, cashing in on the lucrative market of crystals, dream catchers and prayer wheels. Her I Ching is apparently Ker-ching!
Gilchrist's script is full of zingers, some of the most killing about the practice of acting, where practitioners spend their time searching for truth and then pretend to be someone else, the Western appropriation of indigenous art and culture, and the subversion of spirituality by dogma and cant.
Director Kit Bennett, recently assistant director on projects for theatre companies, subtlenuance and Sport for Jove, shows just how well she has mastered her apprenticeship, deftly choreographing her attractive cast through the traverse of both rich and detailed text and small, square space.
Madeleine Withington's exquisite stage presence is matched by a precise stage craft in her realisation of Sarah, and she creates a tremendous, palpable chemistry with Antony Talia's Tom, a tempered time bomb of testosterone, wanting so desperately to be her romantic hero but knowing he has a villainous flaw that will disgust and alienate her.
Sylvia Keays gives a breezy unruffled mini Mame rendition of Zelda, a pragmatic providore of supernatural and spiritual accoutrement.
A simple and evocative set of suspended dream catchers married with a sound scape of wind chimes and nocturnal noises are beautifully highlighted by Liam O'Keefe's lighting design.
Atlantis is a thoughtful, considered and provocative piece that deserves a bigger season than a four day play at the Sydney Fringe.
subtlenuance presents
ATLANTIS
by Paul Gilchrist
Directed by Kit Bennett
Venue: KXT - Kings Cross Theatre | Level 2, Kings Cross Hotel, 244‐248 William St, Kings Cross NSW (strictly 18+ venue)
Dates: 6 – 10 September 2016
Tickets: $24 – $18
Bookings: www.sydneyfringe.com
