VOX POPULI: A reflection

The dust has settled. The play Vox Populi has come and gone and, having had its brief moment in the sun, has now (most likely) retired to the graveyard of scripts past. It was moderately successful, came reasonably close to breaking even and earned a bit of praise along the way which was all very heartening. And in my personal, very biased opinion, the performance was outstanding.

One thing that was a bit disappointing was that the show wasn’t reviewed. Some people were approached but to no success. In fairness, Sarah Trama was all set to review it until we lumbered here with a bigger, more crucial task as part of the tech team. But still, t would have been nice for the cast and crew to get the sort of recognition and plaudits you tend to get from a review. And it occurred to me that I can scarcely review a show I wrote. Surely?

But if I circuit around commenting on the actual story and script, maybe I can still reflect on the performances that time and again knocked me out of my seat and kicked me in the guts. It does all feel a bit incestuous writing this as the playwright and producer, but I wasn’t really a part of the gang, the ensemble, so perhaps there’s enough distance there for me to write something that doesn’t focus on the story, but instead focuses on the people. A reflection, if you will. So here goes. Above photo by ELIZABETH SCIBERRAS.

Compared to a lot of plays, Vox Populi had a big cast. Not only did it have a lot of roles (something like 35) it also had a lot of actors. Initially there were to be 11 actors and that number grew to 14 as the production continued. There was a lot of doubling required to make that work and a lot of actors playing a variety of characters. But it was still a play that had a few central roles, specifically Luca Zellig, played by Cara Robinson, and John Burman, played by Marty Sanders.

The role of Luca was a very wordy one in which Cara Robinson found new emphases and nuances in every performance in a very Meisner manner, open to instinct, experiencing the moment and the emotional truth of what was happening in that moment. There were so many choices she made that gave life to the character that weren’t on the page… some just in delivery, some like her comments to an unseen debate moderator when Burman would go to far. She created a coherent Luca. It was a mesmerising performance in which she ran the complete emotional gamut from softer moments with her family, with Terry Cohen (Brad Souter) and with Personal Assistant Maddie Benson (Becker Wheeler), great personal power such as her scene with Shaun O’Sullivan (Jock McLean) and the final part of the debate with Burman, and then tragic fragility tinged with steely resolve in in her scenes in the cell. Those two scenes had me in tears every performance and it wasn’t as if I didn’t know what was coming. And maybe that’s partly a measure of me being a sooky la la. But it was a masterful performance in my opinion. Cara has lng been one of Goulburn’s most gifted and engaging actors but I thought this was as good as any performance I have witnessed in Goulburn by anyone, and many I have experienced in Canberra and Sydney.

Marty Sanders did a fantastic job of pacing his performance as the initially affable and very electable, and then as the show continues, the completely unlikeable dictatorial leader John Burman who he reveals himself to be. It was Marty’s job to appear as a likeable average Joe for whom “woke” politics and Luca’s excesses were all a bit too much that audiences could easily identify with, before gradually revealing another detestable side. He did it with finesse and, in the end, with a sledge-hammer. More than a few audience members wanted him dead, wanted him to suffer. One even wrote they wanted to punch him in the face. These may not sound like compliments, Marty, but I think they are high praise for your performance. On Marty’s shoulders was the entire angle of the dangers of populism… or more specifically, “how can people be fooled into following someone who turns out to be a dictator” and his measured performance provided the backbone of that story-line. His aggression at the debate, immediately after the debate and in his final scene was literally breathtaking. Every performance there were audible gasps. He entirely gave himself over to an anger I hope to never be on the wrong side of.

I’m going to jump around with the actors/characters in no particular order, just as it seems to follow ín my head. Though not necessarily appearing in the next most scenes, I thought Molly Fraser’s performance as Luca’s wife Jana was a standout part of the show on its own but also crucial to our understanding of Luca. As a bit of background, in the script the role of Luca’s wife Jana was initially Luca’s husband Jan, but when casting changes required some recasting I suggested to Director Ant Lewis that I wanted to change it to Jana for a couple of reasons (one very pragmatic one, there are more female actresses in Goulburn than males, but I also felt it added more depth to Luca’s character and gave Burman some comments that underlined his misogyny and homophobia, which in turn did more to trigger Luca’s response). 

Anyway, back to Molly. Molly had attended a table read earlier on and had a particularly strong emotional response to the role she read. She was not initially available to audition, but was able to join midway through rehearsals; however you’d never have known that. Her performance was as if she’d studied it for months. And the reason I’ve mentioned her now is that her scenes with Cara added a crucial dynamic to Luca’s character as well. Molly’s scenes as Jana also run the gamut (sorry, if I’m using that cliché, I shouldn’t use it twice. Maybe scan the range? Cover the spectrum?), from her chummy and adorable phone conversation and `at home with the family’ scenes, her outrage at the hospital and her palpable emotional dissolution in Luca’s cell, provided us with a well rounded character but also a counterpoint to Luca. With the two mums, we could see one who was torn by obligations to the wider world, and one who was a tiger mum placing family protection first. It’s a crucial dyad that many families hopefully will recognise… a parent who is finds themselves doing things that they feel the family needs, and torn by their absence from the family, and one that makes the home-centred choices. It’s crucial to an understanding of how Luca is not cold and uncaring and torn by a sense of duty. These two actors had such a powerful connection on stage that their scenes were amongst my favourites. As I mentioned previously, their scene in the cell, two incredibly emotionally connected, trusting and truthful performances by sublime actors… well Jana wasn’t the only one dissolving in tears every performance. Every. Performance. While it wasn’t the biggest role, Molly’s performance was one that has made a lifetime fan of me.

And while I’m talking about young actors, I was bloody amazed at what a great job Becker Wheeler did with their various roles in the play. Playing Prime Minister’s PA Maddie Benson, a journalist at the Observer and the host of “The Chat” they did so much to separate the characters with subtle physical mannerisms but also with an impressive display of vocal variation. In fact I don’t think I’ve seen someone locally do such a great job of separating the characteristics of multiple roles in one show. As Maddie they were efficient and practical; as the journo a hot-head given to making emphatic points; and as the host of The Chat, a gregarious car-salesman type within a very engaged vocal delivery matched by quick physical mannerisms (including a brilliant … and surprising … pirouette in the final performance) were a credit to their talent. Despite their youth, Becker’s talents have already been widely recognised and they have been earmarked for bigger things which I can’t wait to see.

Ok, back to some of the leads. Ant Lewis had the tricky role of not only being a director but also playing a central and key role. His role is literally the only one I wrote with a particular actor in mind. Him. The role was based on a Ray Hadley sort of character, as distinct from say a Kyle Sandilands (what, there’s a difference you say? Well in my mind, yes). Hadley is/was a very capable communicator. He was extremely good at projecting the everyman persona and was also capable of great generosity and some good deeds. He raised a lot of money for suicide prevention, defended Middle Eastern Australians, assisted farmers… AND… was a political divider, cheerleader against the left and if he had it in for you, campaigned ruthlessly and repeatedly against you. Now I’m not attempting to say the good and the bad were in balance, but I am saying it’s possible a radio commentator can’t be capable of doing good deeds that people across the political spectrum might warm too, while also being quite rigidly on one side… because this ISN’T about Hadley.

Ant happens to be very gifted as a verbal and physical communicator… someone who people instinctively are drawn to. The role of Rosco calls on a performance as someone that has similar interests to your average listener, who, even when you disagree, is somewhat listenable, and whom even their critics would give some begrudging respect to. The arc of Rosco requires an intimately human portrayal. He has to go from a radio talking head who claims to give Luca a fair go when he clearly doesn’t, who claims to be a man of the people but hangs with the rich and famous, who also has quite a bit of misogyny and homophobia in his wheelhouse BUT who tries to hold Burman to account in their final interview and who in the last (spoiler) joins the resistance. Ant’s patter and mannerisms instantly mark him as a guy you could see in that role, in fact some online comments raised the point that he could walk into a radio presenter role and they were right. But it’s his ability to show regret for his role in Luca’s circumstances that are trademark Ant traits. Ant’s particular skills include the ability to tap into audience feels. His ability to find the decency and humanity in a flawed character help emphasise how far Burman had gone and his (and thus the audience’s) growing awareness of the dangers of populism. Even more than he plays such a strong everyman radio presenter, thanks to his acting strengths he plays a case study in the growing concern of people who had followed a little too blindly.

Another key role in the show is that of newspaper editor Janine Cameron, named after an actual Editor I had called Janine whose name I thought I was safe to use because she’d never come to Goulburn to see the show, but then she did. Oops. This role was played by Ebrentia Brits who was another performer who came in to fill a vacancy half-way through the rehearsals period. Ebrentia has been a mainstay of local musical theatre, with I think one of the best voices I’ve heard in Goulburn. In particular, her lead role in Aida showed an incredible acting range that her previous roles had only hinted at due to lack of scope. She has previously performed in one other non-musical play, the farce Around the World in 80 Days with Lieder Theatre in a variety of small roles, and I don’t think it’s speaking too much out of school to say she was quite nervous of (a) picking up such a role five weeks from opening night and (b) it being such a large and pivotal role. But she immersed herself in the process and was off-book within a few weeks of joining the cast. This was, I think her best performance to date (either this or Aida… she was really bloody good in that too). She created an editor with a sense of humour, a strong moral backbone, a commitment to media ethics and a commitment to her staff. It was a role that, a bit like the West Wing, offered an aspirational view of the potential that newspapers could strive for and a role in which we were able to see some of Ebrentia’s range, including handling the grief about the loss of young journo Dave Poidevin, and her anger when she kicked a journalist out of the meeting room, in addition to a couple of smaller roles. Known primarily as a musical theatre performer, I thought this performance showed Ebrentia is every bit as gifted in dramatic, non-musical theatre and I look forward to seeing her pursue that arc.

I mentioned the character Dave Poidevin, played enthusiastically by Ember Robinson. From their very audition, Ember captured the enthusiasm, uncertainty and dedication of Dave and brought him to life so well in every show. It was important for the story that Dave’s loss was felt by the audience and Ember successfully made him likeable and missable and their portrayal made the loss more resonant. Ember’s was another case of having several roles that needed quite different portrayals. As security guard Jason, Ember was practical, confident and focused (also as the leader of the rifle party) and the ability to create such different portrayals was a credit to great dramatic chops.

The grandfather of the troupe, if I can call him that (I guess I just did), Jock McLean also had several roles to deliver… journalist Murray, government deputy leader Shaun O’Sullivan and an undercover government spook. Jock has more shows under his belt as actor and director than almost the rest of the cast put together. His journalist was chummy and recognisable, his ambitious and confrontational Shaun O’Sullivan showed that not everyone on Luca’s side of the aisle was likeable and provided some strong confrontational moments, and his natural accent was of great use to his role as the government insider. Jock has a real passion for the subject matter of the show, and for theatre as a whole, and while he said this will be his acting swansong in a major role and has just retired as a drama teacher with the Lieder, I hope he enjoyed signing off on a show that spoke to some of the things he cares about.

Someone whose acting I always enjoy D’Ártagnan Lewis. He is particularly strong at being absolutely in a role and not dropping character even when he is no longer delivering lines or physically engaged. He played a very believable assistant to John Burman. Christian initially made token protests to Burman, slightly increasing before his untimely death. That death, brilliantly delivered, was a pivotal moment showing that Burman had crossed a final line and lost all control. And in another role, D’Ártagnan played a protester very much opposed to everything about Burman. It was great seeing the difference in the reserve he brought to one character and the anger he brought to the other.

Every show should have a Brad I believe… and to emphasise that point Vox Populi had two. Brad Souter was another who came in midway through rehearsals following a cast reshuffle and took on the calmly powerful role of Terry who would take a major role in the resistance after Luca’s death. The show was lucky to have him join. He provided the story with insight to a lasting friendship that anchored Luca to her idealistic past, and his steady, calm decency established the belief that the resistance and therefore the future was in safe, un-dramatic and unaggressive hands. His namesake, Brad Martin, or Brad FM as he was sometimes called due to his day gig as a brekkie announcer on Eagle FM, came in later in the process as well initially to assist as a stage hand and a member of the rifle party but grew to take on a few roles and a few lines of dialog as he went. Both Brads (B1 and B2?) fitted nicely into the ensemble and helped and complete the overall jigsaw of the piece.

Nicola Fraser made her dramatic theatrical debut in this piece as a newsreader, an autopsy technician, a prisoner beautician, a new newspaper editor and a member of the resistance. She has had small involvements in musicals before but greatly enjoyed the chance to try some straight theatre. Her willingness to step into so many roles and her ease with castmates made her a very much valued member of the ensemble and this was a very strong debut by the first timer.

The last two members of the cast I’ll mention together. They are close mates at school, played a brother and sister in the show and also read as newsreaders in the pre-recorded segments. Amelie Webber was very much a part of the early stages, attending and participating in something like 4 or 5 table reads, however she was unable to commit to the show at the time of auditions. But when the SOS (nothing to do with Shaun O’Sullivan) went out for some replacements in the cast, she gladly came on board and it was great that she did. She brought great light an enthusiasm to her roles, delivered one of the lines that routinely got one of the best laughs, and I honestly believe she could walk into a career as a broadcast journalist based on her newsreader pieces to camera.

The last I’ll mention is young Bobby Gordon, and yes he is my son and yes I am well proud of him. I gladly watch him perform in anything. He has a confidence and bearing that he certainly didn’t get from his old man and I believe he has the ingredients that, with the right training and mentoring, will lead him to be a very good actor. I believe he held his own alongside some very talented and experienced acting talent. But in addition to that, this project meant a lot to me and it was very meaningful to have Bobby along for the journey.

Now, if this had been a normal review I would probably have sprinkled more references to the play and to this production throughout, but as this is a little different, I’ll do it here.

I’ve mentioned elsewhere that for your average audience member, especially if they haven’t seen a script, that it’s hard to know what decisions the script made and what decisions were from the director. With Vox Populi, the answer is simple. Every aspect of the look of the show came from Director Ant Lewis. The concept of having three set piece pods on stage that represented The Observer, Pulse FM and Burman’s office was Ant’s idea, and a very clever one to limit the huge logistical impost of continually setting and resetting each. The layout of the newsreader videos was his, the jail scene with the shadows of bars showing on the stage, the death scene at the end… the look and feel of the show were directorial choices by Ant which made great use of GPAC’s capabilities. It is a big sprawling story with a lot of scene changes, a lot of characters and a lot of words but Ant made it work very efficiently and in an easily followable fashion. It was a lot to get a grasp of but he did, building a strong coherent piece of theatre.

And we were lucky to have the crew that came on board answering yet another SOS. The Tech Team “Dream Team” of stage manager Tara Parrott, and sound, microphone and lighting talents Sarah and Shannon Trama helped provide the shows distinct look and sound every performance from on high with assistant stage manager Rebecca Stevenson keeping things moving on stage and with all of the cast mucking in to set and reset the stage as needed. And you couldn’t, even if you tried, list all of the things Deb Lewis did. And there were also many other contributors to the whole behind the scenes. It was a great team effort and the result was a show that was more than the sum of its parts.

Ok… I’m pretty much out of words and if you’ve read it all you might be thinking it would be quicker to read the actual script. And I do like the script. I like it a lot. But it never affected me as much as seeing this phenomenal cast perform it. 

And I’m repeating myself here form something I’ve said elsewhere, I know, but it’s a hell of a thing to have people willingly put their lives on hold and put their time into a show. It’s something you can’t satisfactorily thank them for or repay. And I don’t pretend that they did it for me but for their various reasons each of the cast dedicated huge slabs of their time to do the show, and in the end, shared great reservoirs of their talents to make it something extraordinary. 

I will always appreciate that they did this. It was a hell of a production. I am incredibly proud of it and I can only hope that they are all proud of it as well.