Melbourne Reviews

Opportunity is a funny thing; the word brims with promise, but just like talent, intelligence or privilege, it’s what you make of it that defines whether it will have a positive or negative impact on the world. As Eminem proposed all the way back in 2002 in Lose Yourself, “If you had one shot or one opportunity to seize everything you ever wanted in one moment, would you capture it or just let it slip?”

The character of Tom Ripley seizes the opportunities presented to him in Patricia Highgate’s psychological thriller with gusto, so much so that he has become infamous for his sociopathic levels of deception, greed and desire to both be invisible and be seen. Highgate’s book has been adapted many times with great success, and it would be remiss to not mention the 1999 film starring a cast of 90s ‘IT’ people and the Andrew Scott Netflix drama. However, the stage seems a comfortable place for Ripley; there’s space for him to reflect and explore his motives in a careful manner, which, instead of being purely calculated, gives him a relatable edge of humanness, making him all the more terrifying.

Adapted by Joanna Murray-Smith and directed by Sarah Goodes, the dream team of creatives includes set designer Elizabeth Gadsby, who combines minimalism with excess to excellent effect, and costume designer Emma White, who evokes 1950s Italian summer style perfectly. From the perfectly tailored suits of the locals to Ripley’s schoolboy-esque attire, the costumes tell just as much of a story as the text.

Will McDonald plays the anti-hero Tom Ripley, smoothing out some of the character's hard edges to make him more likeable. A down-on-his-luck hustler barely surviving in New York City, he’s approached by Herbert Greenleaf (Andrew McFarlane), who employs him to travel to the Italian Riviera and convince his son Dickie (Roman Delo) to return to the United States.

Opportunity has knocked.

What begins as an assignment to reunite a father with his wayward son quickly goes awry when Ripley is caught up in the exotic and luxurious lifestyle of Dickie Greenleaf. As Ripley basks in the glow of Dickie’s undivided attention, tensions are heightened between Dickie and his girlfriend Marge (Claude Scott-Mitchell) and his school friend Freddie Miles (Faisal Hamza). Inevitably, the privileged and enigmatic Dickie tires of his new companion, and as much as Ripley tries to keep him, the relationship begins to disintegrate as quickly as it was formed. Murray-Smith and Goodes dial up the romantic undertones of Ripley’s infatuation with Dickie to eleven, which makes the eventual “If I can’t have you, I’ll be you” plotline all the more visceral and tragic.

Ripley’s murder of Dickie and seamless assimilation into his identity is remarkable. Setting up decoys, manipulating authorities and being the recipient of pure dumb luck all play a hefty role in his transformation. His ability to be ‘invisible’ works in his favour, as does his absolute exterior of calm.

Things begin to unravel, with both Freddie and Marge suspicious of Ripley, but with nothing concrete to be proven and no body to be found, suspicions don’t amount to much, as any true crime fan will attest. As the production reaches its dramatic final twist, the darker undertones re-emerge as Ripley finally loses his hospitable veneer to reveal who he really is… Maybe?