FEFU AND HER FRIENDS
Fefu's House (127 Silverdale Rd, Hillcrest, Hamilton
21/06/2014 - 12/07/2014
Production Details
Join Us at ‘Fefu’s House’ For a Unique Theatrical Experience
Remote Fiction Theatre proudly presents ‘Fefu and her Friends’ a classic play from the American Realist Movement by Cuban-American, lesbian and feminist playwright Maria Irene Fornes.
Set and staged in a real house, ‘Fefu and her Friends’ is a deeply personal glimpse at the interpersonal dynamics of a complexly knit group of friends and acquaintances.
The play follows a group of intelligent women who gather to plan a conference, but all does not go smoothly. Fefu, an eternally mischievous troublemaker, shoots her husband and announces “women are loathsome!”, much to the chagrin of new-to-the-group Christina. Julia, mysteriously crippled and constantly judged, desperately tries to save Fefu from the same fate. Cindy grapples with an internal struggle that she’s afraid to acknowledge. Old feelings are dragged up between old flames, Paula and Cecilia, which does not go un-noticed by Sue. And Emma can’t stop thinking about genitals!
“Women are restless with each other. They are like live wires… either chattering to keep themselves from making contact, or else, if they don’t chatter, they avert their eyes.”
The play presents a sharp, yet light hearted, commentary on contemporary society and gender politics that continues to ring true to this day, with events such as the Elliot Rodger shootings, the Nigerian kidnapping of hundreds of girls for attending school and the gender pay gap that refuses to disappear.
This informs the Directors’ (Nick Sturgess-Monks and Amanda Wallace) decision to set the play in the modern day, despite it having been written in 1977 and set in the 1930s.
Dates: 21st and 28th of June and 5th and 12th of July
Time: 7pm
Venue: Fefu’s House (127 Silverdale Rd, Hillcrest)
Tickets: Pre Sales: www.showbookings.co.nz | Door Sales: cash only
CAST
Fefu: Lisa Louw
Christina: Hannah Doherty
Cindy: Lily Empson
Emma: Amelia Williams
Paula: Rachel Clarke
Julia: Hannah Grant
Sue: Ajsha Trebilco
Cecilia: Lauren Millar
CREW
Stage Manager: Antony Aiono
Producer: Mary Rinaldi
Photographer: Chloe Taylor of Love, Chloe Photography
Saturdays only
Unique experience
Review by Ross MacLeod 23rd Jun 2014
It may seem gimmicky to stage a play in a real house but Fefu integrates both script and performance into the space so well that the novelty never feels contrived. The plot revolves around a group of women gathering at the home of the somewhat eccentric Fefu (Lisa Louw) to discuss an upcoming presentation. What unfolds is more an exploration of character and ideas than of narrative, hopes and fears, loves and secrets gradually revealed.
The second act breaks the audience into groups, scenes occurring in different parts of the house simultaneously. While the sound bleed from other scenes is initially distracting it layers together to generate a wonderful organic sense to the experience, interlinking the different parts into a whole.
The venue amplifies the smooth ensemble naturalism of scenes, providing a window into a believable world, playing with ideas of uncomfortable silence, claustrophobia and domestic practicalities. Rachel Clarke and Ajsha Trebilco have some beautiful moments of naturalistic delivery and Hannah Keeley Doherty punctuates her silences with fantastic soulful expression.
Remote Fiction works heavily with physical training and expression and, while in the past I’ve found this a little overdone, here it’s used sparingly and to maximum effect. Amelia Williams hilariously overplays a speech about drama and Hannah Grant moves in one scene with eerie somnambulant fluidity.
The script isn’t perfect, sometimes slipping heavily into the writer’s voice, sometimes into the very artistic indulgence it critiques elsewhere, and ends on a symbolic note discordant to the naturalism.
But the performances are strong and the theatre experience is a unique one I highly recommend. The venue means very limited seating so take care to book at showbookings.co.nz.
Copyright © in the review belongs to the reviewer
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