Evil’s song arrests stage
WOLF LULLABY
TOWNSVILLE LITTLE THEATRE
THE discovery of the body of a twoyear-old child and the search for the killer is the basis of the plot for Australian play Wolf Lullaby, Townsville Little Theatre’s latest production.
It sounds like a regular murdermystery but when the finger of guilt points to a nine-year-old girl, our perceptions are turned on their heads.
We are posed with the perennial question, what causes evil to exist? Is it nature or is it nurture that creates a monster? As we discover, the question can never be truly answered with certainty.
Lizzie Gael is the young girl in question. Played to perfection by Lucy Gounaris, the audience never questions the age difference between the actor and the character she plays.
Gounaris totally inhabits the role in a standout performance.
Are Lizzie’s somewhat distracted, separated parents to blame? They are certainly guilty of being oblivious to her problems.
In a fine performance, Zia Macey plays Angela Gael with a nuanced blend of overbearing love tinged with neglect of her daughter’s needs.
Dylan Mcgaw is impressive as the father. His at times measured indifference to his daughter’s cries for recognition gives the audience cause to question his partial responsibility for her possible actions.
His anguished attempts to show his love after the suspicion falls heavily on her give us an insight into his true, but flawed, nature.
Trying to piece together the case for or against the guilt of Lizzie is Sergeant Armstrong, played by Colin Livesey.
This is a difficult role, having to evenly balance the “good cop/bad cop” scenario. Livesey handles it well while also conveying his sympathy for Lizzie’s plight.
But the real star of the show is the wolf. Or, I should say, the pack of wolves. Is it the wolf of her imagination that leads Lizzie astray, haunting her dreams and encouraging her to commit evil acts?
They are brought to life by a number of young actors in terrifying costumes who cause quite a start among the audience each time they make an entrance.
They are genuinely scary.
But are they the real reason for Lizzie’s actions?
There are some problems with the script in providing a few cases of unrealistic dialogue and the number of scene changes, especially early in the play, cause the action to slow.
The actual ending is unsatisfyingly disjointed, once again a problem with the script.
Those are minor concerns and you should see this somewhat disturbing play to experience an example of fine community theatre.
Director Shelley Keehn has undertaken a difficult and disturbing script and brought it to life with wonderful but frightening realism.
It is an achievement of which she can be justly proud.
The set design is practical and lighting is particularly effective.
Wolf Lullaby is at PIMPAC at Pimlico High on Fulham Rd nightly at 7.30 until next Saturday, with a 2pm matinee on Saturday. Book through trybooking.com or tickets may be available at the door.
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