The Year of Magical Thinking

There is a line in an old Procol Harum song - … the mirror on reflection, climbed back upon the wall. It resounded in my head as I watched the astounding performance of Helen Morse as Joan Didion in “The Year of Magical Thinking.”

Didion, now in her 70s is a successful journalist, novelist and playwright. She and her husband collaborated for over 40years on screenplays of films such as “Star is Born.” Theirs was obviously a close relationship, which produced one child, a daughter, but their world was torn apart over a period of 18 months from 2003, when her husband died of a heart attack, then a year and a half later, her daughter died of Acute Pancreatis.

 In a subconscious attempt to survive this period, Didion took to writing copious notes and references, which she later turned into the book “The Year of Magical Thinking” (2005). She rewrote the book into a screenplay, which debuted on Broadway in 2007, featuring Vanessa Redgrave.

Director Kate Cherry, in her inaugural role with Black Swan, has orchestrated her own stunning debut with this production. I am tempted to concentrate on the astounding performance of Helen Morse, but this production is truly a collaboration of six people – Helen Morse as Joan Didion, Ian Grandage as the composer (her also wrote the music), Kate Cherry as Director, Matt Scott (Lighting), Christina Smith (Set and Costume) and Paul English (Associate Director).

 The curtain opens to a deeper than blue canyon of walls and a solitary woman (Morse) on her island. We’re aware of a figure in the background, just. Possibly a mannequin. After a while, there is unexpected movement, it proves to be Grandage and his cello – in itself a performer – there are three performers on this stage.

 This is the most complex minimalist set I have ever seen. The combination of set, lighting design and music should probably become icons for teachers in drama courses across the land. It is simply brilliant and a perfect compliment to the story.

 Then there is Helen Morse and here, the Director has taken an unusual and clever step. So often, people are cast, as they either look like the person, or an actor who’s previously played the role. Helen Morse looks quite similar to Joan Didion, however Cherry has chosen to use a blonde wig on Morse, the audience is forced into concentrating on the power of the acting. It’s a thoughtful, incisive decision and it works.

Morse is on stage for around an hour and half (there is no interval). It is almost impossible to resist the use of superlatives. Anybody who’s ever acted knows the task of learning lines. This role is frightening, no, terrifying in both its complexity of language and the sheer volume of words. I detected three immediately-corrected mistakes, Morse was a little soft at the start and only once did she falter in an almost seamless American accent “quarter pounda” rather than “quarter pounderrr” and my friend picked that up, I didn’t, (she works with Americans).

In all this, I didn’t find Didion an appealing person, a control freak – one of those insufferable souls who HAS to be right. Even the daughter’s husband was not given a place in an emergency flight, mother went and we’re talking about a daughter who was 39! But dear God, Morse nailed this woman’s journey through terrible, terrible tragedy, as the ice queen regains composure and rebuilds her isolation, amidst the protective wall of writing. John Keats wrote that “Beauty is truth, truth beauty,” that indeed describes this intensely personal journey of loss, grief and reflection.

Black Swan have created a magic, it augers well for the year, nobody should miss this production. This PIAF event is on at the Dolphin Theatre (UWA) from 7 – 25 February, then tours regional Western Australia, schedule as follows:

7 Feb Bunbury Regional Entertainment Centre

28 Feb Margaret River Cultural Centre

4 Mar Albany Town Hall Theatre

7 Mar Merredin – Cummins Theatre

10 Mar Moora – Performing Arts Centre

12 Mar Geraldton – Queens Park Theatre

14 Mar Denham Town Hall

17 Mar Carnarvon Civic Centre

19 Mar Tom Price Community Recreation Centre

21 Mar Newman Recreation Centre

24 Mar Port Hedland – Matt Dann Cultural Centre

26 Mar Karratha – Walkington Theatre

28 Mar Exmouth Shire Hall

3 Apr Kununurra Leisure Centre

I feel that mention must be made of the sponsors, too many to mention here, but Rio Tinto as Principal partner, ANZ, Wesfarmers, Water Corporation and Healthway, all of whom are helping to ensure regional Western Australian has the opportunity to see this incredible performance.

All Good Things

Greg

Greg Ross

Minister for Good Times