MINEFIELDS AND MINISKIRTS - Playlovers

I saw this production on opening night...my husband and I enjoyed it thoroughly. Though it was a rather unconventional play, consisting of speeches and stories about women in the Vietnam War as opposed to actually dialogue, the characters were so well-played and the emotion so convincing that I was swept up in the proceedings and enthralled from start to finish. There were five characters in the piece, representative of different women who were involved in the Vietnam War effort; an entertainer, an aid worker, a nurse, a journalist, as well as a woman whose husband fought in the war, and whose own personal battle began once the war was over and he had returned home. After a prologue in which the women meet at the Annual March, the rest of the play unfolds inside a bar as the women share their individual stories, sometimes reminiscing privately and other times with each other. The stories range from the lightly comic to the darkly dramatic; at times you could've heard a pin drop in the hall because the audience were so captivated! The five actresses in the play were incredible, there was great variation between all of the characters and each of them truly embodied their parts. Zalia Joi, shrouded in an ora of glamor, both looked and sounded great as the entertainer, peforming with tremendous energy and emotional commitment, while Penelope Andrews was more restrained but just as effective in the role of the volunteer; her simple delivery giving rise to some very powerful moments. Suzannah Devenish, meanwhile, lived out horror story after horror story before our eyes, playing the wife of a Vietnam vet; contrasting genuine moments of distress with lightly humorous asides to create a multi-dimensional portrait of a woman who has been to Hell and back and survived. Kristen Twynam-Perkins' nurse was warm and caring, capable of being both firm and strong but also gentle. Her solo "Saigon Bride" was delivered with power and feeling and provided one of the emotional highlights of the show. A fantastic performance. And, for all you Perth theatre people, this show offers a rare treat in the form of director Kimberley Shaw in an ONSTAGE role. Kimberley's EUROBEAT was my favourite show of last year, but based on the strength of her performance here, perhaps she should be acting more often! She gave a very touching portrayal of the reporter; there is an unrelenting sense of sadness and regret prevalent throughout her story as the woman she now is reflects on the woman she once was, in a warzone many years ago. And who knew she could sing too? Director Paul Treasure has done a fantastic job with what is arguably a deceptively difficult production to direct. Although there is very little in the way of onstage movement, the production is never static; perhaps because there is consistently movement of the EMOTIONAL kind occurring! The songs resonated well with the action and the mixture of a cappella and acoustic accompaniment was very effective. Every time a new song started I felt a wave of nostalgia wash over me and, of course, I couldn't resist to sing along at the end with "Where did all the Flowers Go". A fantastic production, and I highly suggest all go along to see it. Playlovers have done a great job, yet again. [This has been a Pru-Review!Contact me at true_blue_pru@live.com]