The Swimming Club

Sarah MacNeill … A White Knight for a Black Swan

 I like Hannie Rayson’s work, although for a bloke, it can be a little “Chick Flickie,”  borne out by the predominance of women in last night’s PREVIEW audience for THE SWIMMING CLUB.

As it turned out, Monday night was a virtual opening night – some sort of hideous fall-out between the actor Angela Punch MacGregor and Black Swan’s partner, Melbourne Theatre Company, had seen the wonderfully accomplished and gifted actor leave the production – two days before it was due to open!

Black Swan cancelled the planned Saturday night preview and put out a desperate call for a replacement actor – a virtually impossible task. However Sarah McNeill, with extraordinary courage, put her hand up to take on what is in reality, a lead role.

Personally, I find Sarah McNeill a little difficult, she’s always been stand-offish with me, somewhat condescending. So, there I was in the audience, a bit concerned I was going to be bored to tears with angst-ridden ‘Chick Flick’ stuff and confronted with an actor I find it hard to relate to.

Director Kate Cherry spoke to the audience before the play commenced, telling those who were not aware, of the change in actors and that Sarah McNeill had had only two days to prepare for the role, I was genuinely gripped with sheer fear for her.

“Beginners please,” McNeill was on first, no time for other actors to break the back of things, worse, for me, her character is that of a  brittle, repressed person – one of those pursed-lipped women who have ‘Hard Work’ stamped on their forehead.

Sarah McNeill, you were bloody magnificent, sure relaxed facial characterisations weren’t quite there (yet!), however in terms of lines, I noticed ONE slip, with the word ‘daughter’ and to get the blocking down – even the inevitable Zorba dance, as well as the lines and cues, still astounds me. It was an incredible display of discipline, professionalism and ability.

It’s a very effective set – sand, water and the odd starry, starry night, depicting a Greek island beach – do all middle aged women head for the Greek Isles, in much the same way middle aged men apparently head to Thai Bars? My only complaint about sound, was with the music before the play commenced, it was pointlessly, painfully loud, otherwise excellent, as was vocal projection, fully accepting that McNeill’s execution was a touch nervously inaudible here and there – observation, not criticism, given the circumstances. The lighting was evocative, with one or two scenes almost marionette-like.

Megan Holloway, as the Goth daughter, vamped up her teenage character superbly – anyone with daughters will understand EXACTLY what was going on.  John Waters is a warmly, natural fit for the role of the cuckolded husband, the combination of his portrayal, the lines and perhaps his own personality, made Water’s character immensely likeable and real. Carolyn Gillmer plays the dumped breast cancer survivor extremely realistically, although I feel hers was the weakest written role – very, very strong in the first act, there wasn’t enough meat for her to work with towards the finale. Tina Bursill plays the motorcycle-riding Canadian travel writer utterly convincingly – the character nuances were so believable, I wanted to ask her to go riding with me to Broome in a couple of weeks, however the end sequences where she’s duded by her partner were messy, not in the actor’s execution, but in the writing, it was jumbled and simply not convincing.

So was it a “Chick Flick?” No! It’s obviously written for Baby Boomers, takes none of the usual “men are stupid” cop-outs, is wonderfully, gently funny and instantly recognisable for so many of us. I wondered whether they change the names of place to suit the city the play is being shown in – would Melbourne audiences know, (or even care), about Cottesloe, or PLC? The work had its genesis as a workshop, rather than a planned concept, it does show with the trailing off of some characterisation and the ending was a bit too ‘Hollywood Happy Trite,’ however it is engaging, thoughtful and entertaining theatre, marvellously Australian, with great acting and superb direction. I’d go again. Oh yes, both the audience and the cast, gave Sarah McNeil special, fully deserved applause and cheers at ‘Curtain Call.’

 THE SWIMMING CLUB is on at The Playhouse, from 31 March – 18^th April, it is a long play (2 hours 30 minutes, including interval), bookings can be made at BOCS, (08) 9484 1133.