Published on artsHub, 4 August 2009
Red Stitch has a reputation as one of Melbourne’s eminent independent theatre companies, so it is disappointing that its latest production, Neil LaBute’s In a Dark, Dark House, is so riddled with faults.
Drew (Geordie Taylor) is a disbarred lawyer turned successful businessman whose love of the bottle has landed him in a psychiatric facility. He calls upon his older brother, Terry (Dion Mills), to substantiate Drew’s claim that he was sexually abused as a child.
The brothers share an awkward relationship, but it’s not nearly as awkward as the delivery of their lines. The play is set in the US even though it could just as easily be any wealthy western nation, and the use of American accents presents an unnecessary obstacle to fluent acting.
Taylor manages a consistent drawl, but the effort exerted stilts his timing. Mills’s accent roams all over the States and constantly switches between rough and overly mannered. The flimsy premise of the plot (what therapist demands proof of past traumas?) and the lack of chemistry onstage make for an unconvincing set up.
Fortunately Eloise Mignon is absolutely radiant as Jennifer, the 16-year-old mini-golf manager. Evidently Mignon can act and enunciate at the same time, even creating some chemistry with Mills. However, her otherwise flawless performance can’t rescue a script that has her oscillating randomly between a wholesome all-American teen taking care of the family business and a saucy little temptress hell-bent on being a bad, bad girl.
There’s a real laziness that permeates this production. The script feels unfinished and unconvincing. Energy spent on voice coaching should have been directed elsewhere. There is no sound designer, which is made painfully obvious when bird calls are cut off mid-tweet. Too many easy, cop-out choices have been made and some aspects are simply sloppy.
Even the title of the play is irritating. It’s called In a Dark, Dark House and yet all of the scenes take place outside, Drew’s alleged abuse took place in a treehouse and the only mention of the family home comes when Terry remembers running away from camp and hiding in the garage. Except in the next line of dialogue he has mysteriously moved to the attic.
The play does deal with some interesting themes. The notion of childhood is wrung out like a sodden towel – Terry never really had a one, Jennifer is trying to shed hers much too fast and Drew has never grown up. The twisted confessions in the last act raise some interesting, and very unsettling, questions regarding what constitutes abuse and consent, although any poignancy or meaning that could be found in this is ruined by some very gratuitous final touches.
LaBute’s writing is known for its dark themes and outrageous plots, and Red Stitch excels at tackling challenging works. In this case, though, the company has failed to hit the mark.
In a Dark, Dark House: Red Stitch Actors Theatre
By Neil LaBute
Directed by Wayne Pearn
July 22 – August 22