Review - The Heretic (MTC)

Billed to the masses as a "a bitingly funny, provocative drama about family, truth, and what can happen when you go against the grain of public thinking," The Heretic is theatre for every member of the adult family. Despite the (unjustified) online rantings from the blogosphere, this is not a play about science. Yes, Dr Diane Cassell (Noni Hazlehurst in absolute cracking form) is a scientist lecturing in Earth Sciences, and yes, her studies show sea levels in the Maldives are not rising but no, this is not about the science and any reviewer that has focused on this aspect of the play has surely missed the point. The science is merely the backdrop - the canvas on which some pretty complex and interdependent human relationships are painted - in full and vivid colour. As director Matt Schotlen explained yesterday, this play is about exploring someone who is presenting an unpopular opinion. As Sholten rightly points out, many of the climate change facts presented in this play have already been "de-bunked". For Scholten the play is "a story about bravery and standing up for something you believe in" and I can't understand how anyone watching Scholten's direction - where there is a clear emphasis on relationships - can come away thinking anything else. Unless of course they have gone into the play with (as Diane Cassell herself would say) an "unacknowledged agenda". When Dr Cassell appears on national TV to state her findings - against the wishes of old flame and head of Earth Sciences Kevin Maloney (played with great gusto by Andrew McFarlane), university funding is suddenly in jeopardy and Dr Cassell's fate is sealed. In the final scene of Act 1 and with the help of her Union Official "Maureen" (go see the play to discover this actor), Cassell is deemed mentally unsound by - as Cassell quips - "the human resources from human resources" Miss Tickell (an officious Katy Warner who was also Assistant Director) and promptly finds herself out of a job. Add to the mix death threats from a greenies mob and an anorexic, damaged daughter (Anna Samson) and Diane struggles to keep her "facts-driven" composure and "I don't cry" mentality in check. Inserting himself head on into this drama is Ben Shotter (Shaun Goss), a first year Earth Sciences student with a penchant for self harm and who Cassell takes under her wing in an attempt to teach him to "think like a scientist" or to "at least be aware of your agenda". Once again for Diane, that real life, unmeasurable unit of emotion called love gets in the way, and soon Ben and Phoebe are eyeing off each other like only carbon neutral lovers can. It's at this point that Phoebe, discussing with Ben the pitfalls of living carbon neutral, exclaims with a humorous, almost dismissive tone that I worry will become the mantra for today's youth - "oh, it's all just so hard, in'it? Kevin, left by his wife on boxing day, turns up at Diane's house as Ben announces he has hacked the mainframe of a rival University lecturer, giving them access to data that shows he's fudged the records to bolster his global warming theory. Keeping up? In the meantime, the University Campus' site services guru and "facilitator of excellence" Geoff Tordoff (Lyall Brooks), initially brought in to track down the death threats on Diane, keeps audiences guessing to the very end. The set design by Shaun Gurton is simple and beautiful - the second act set in particular is eye catching. But two things bothered me. In the second act the kitchen table is placed at the front of the stage and I wondered whether people directly in front of it would be watching the actors or a piece of wood. The other concern is the square layout, which does not confirm to the shape of the theatre seats, so that those sitting on the far left of the theatre cannot see the actors in the kitchen during the second half as a fridge is placed at the front left of stage. Instead of sloping the stage at the same angle as the seats so that everyone has an equal view, the angle remains at 90 degrees and those on the far left are cut off from a piece of the action. Surely these things should have been picked up during rehearsal? Jethro Woodward does a fantastic job with sound and I particularly loved the music intervals used between scenes, allowing you time to reflect and giving you time to think about what you have just seen. To round out a top notch production, lighting designer Lisa Mibus does a superb job of bringing you in and out of scenes and reflecting the various seasons throughout the play. There are obvious gaps in the writing - of which others have elaborated on better than I can - but most of the criticism seems to come from the penultimate scene which is marred in confusion because there are two shows going on at once - a drama in the foreground and a Benny Hill-esque comedy behind - and I didn't know whether to laugh or cry. For the record I cried but found most people laughed; then I found myself wondering why I was crying and not laughing. So by the end of the play I was questioning some of my own beliefs in a weird kind of way which I think is the hallmark of good theatre. Whether this scene was directed to have this effect on the audience or whether I have simply had an unintended reaction I am not sure. I understand from the MTC website that this is Scholten's first main stage directorial debut, and I do hope people recognise the small problems with the play come down to the writing of the playwright Richard Bean and not - in my opinion - the direction or cast which I thought were both top notch. In the hands of lesser mortals, this could have been a dogs breakfast, but Noni Hazlehurst shows why she is one of Australia's more talented actresses with a strong, determined presence and acerbic wit across the entire play. Andrew McFarlane does a fine job as the fuddy-duddy professor including some rather good "drunk" acting in the second half but it was the younger breed of actors that caught my eye the most. Anna Samson was a revelation to me. There were elements to her character that I recognised in myself growing up and her brash nature combined with equal amounts of disgust and love for her mother was just so enjoyable to watch. Samson has an intensity and presence that captivated me from the beginning to the end and I will be looking out for her name in future work. I found Lyall Brooks' Geoff Tordoff the most entertaining and frustrating character of the play. Entertaining because Brooks is clearly gifted with comic timing and stage presence - his entrance at the beginning of the second act is a lesson in the subtleties of good characterisation - but frustrating because you don't see enough of him. Again, not a problem with direction, but script. Shaun Goss was also excellent as Ben Shotter, nailing the accent and rhythms of the working class and getting across to the audience the often competing intensities of hope and despair and the conflict that causes in our lives. The Heretic is a good story done very well with universal themes that everyone can relate to. Leave your pre-conveived stance on climate change at the door, let the story wash over you and tell me you didn't like it. 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