A moon for the misbegotten ***1/2

I managed to see Moon for the Misbegotten on Saturday (closing) night. I didn't have very high expectations based on the reviews above, but ended up being blown away by one of the best plays I've seen all year. Either Gordon was in a bad mood the night he went to see it, or the play improved dramatically by the second week. Let me start my review by commenting on the set. I agree with Gordon that it was VERY effective. It was minimal but evocative, setting both the mood and period without cluttering the stage and detracting from the performances. Running water was a surprise! I do agree that the lighting might have been a little harsh, and this wasn't helped by a white backdrop. However, I didn't find the lighting at all distracting, and there was a fair contrast between night and day. The white backdrop was used to create the simple moon effect (a spot light centred on the flats at the back), but perhaps a softer plain colour might have enhanced the mood - maybe more of a cream than stark white would have improved it. Any criticism about the lights was minor because it was the acting that elevated this play above the norm. Liz Hanich as Josie was absolutely brilliant. It was a huge part - she was on stage for the whole two hours in what was a very dialogue-driven script. There's nothing to say except that the performance was incredibly natural and moving. I believed (and hung on) every word that she said. If she doesn't get close to Best Actress at the Finleys this year then something is wrong - it was the best performance I've seen for a long time. I've never seen Liz before - where has she come from! Garry Davies as Jim Tyrone was almost as good. The part was only on stage for half the play, but it was the central part in terms of 'showiness'. Garry displayed a very wide range of emotion to good effect, and delivered a breathtaking monologue. If this is what he can do with a role given a limited preparation, then he is a very fine actor indeed. Kim Taylor as the father was as fine as always in a meaty character role. I had to laugh when I saw those teeth - very effective make-up (actually I'm not quite sure how it was done!). The remaining actors were on stage for cameo roles only, and seemed to neither add nor detract to the play. Siobhan OGara and Sally Bruce did a great job putting life into this script, which is amazing given its nature. I was absolutely riveted to the stage at all times, even though the play was essentially two hours of dialogue with minimal plot. The second half scene between Josie and Jim, which must have lasted about 45 minutes, was breathtaking. This was helped by a couple of great performances, but must also be attributed to clever and subtle use of movement across the stage. The scene could have really dragged under lesser direction. I'd also like to comment on the choice of music. Very effective country-folk that fit the mood of the play, even down to the lyrics. One aspect that might have been jarring to some people was the transposition of the play to Australia by the absence of Irish American accents, even though the script was not changed to accomodate this. I thought the transposition worked quite well, and the play seemed like it could easily have been set in this country. I would have preferred the dialogue to be tweaked to accomodate this, but again this is a very minor quibble. Wow, that's a long review. But the play deserves the kudos - thank you to all involved.