Sydney Reviews

Sadness and spleen, anger and ambition and ovarian cysts. Grace Wilson’s Gia Ophelia is a blistering examination of thwarted art and choices denied.

The solo, central character of the play, Gia, is self confessed Shakespeare tragic, bard to the bone, a fool for the Folio, spurred by the euphoria of a playing Ophelia as a sixteen year old student and longing to reprise that role before she is too old to portray that ephemeral role.

In a one hour show, Gia Ophelia encapsulates a thirteen year quest, a struggle to surmount her passion for the theatre, a juggle with her personal relationship, to settle, to conform, to abandon ambition and embrace domesticity.

Annie Stafford’s performance as Gia is a cool calculation, an emotional compass which points to comedy and tragedy as she navigates the jagged rocks of laughter in pursuit of a life in art and the art of life, its securities and secrets, its expectations and its exemptions. Climbing and struggling and stumbling, bursting with will and intelligence and dignity, it is a consumate performance of reveals and conceals.

Holly Nesbitt’s lighting design match fleet footed changes of scene that are swift and stunning on a sublimely simple set by Geita Goarin and Jo Bradley.

Gia Ophelia has been resurrected from a remarkable run at Sydney Fringe Festival and deservedly so. The pity is that it is such a short season. Directed by Jo Bradley with a clear, clean physical dexterity, Gia Ophelia is a resounding, rebounding palpable hit.