With her one woman play DANGEROUS LENSES, local playwright Brooke Robinson explores the allure, the intrigue and the perils of living the life of a voyeur.
Amy Mathews plays Ann, a lonely, thirties something inner city dweller, living in a large tenement block. Her favourite pastime at night, after working as a child care worker, is to look out the kitchen window and peer into her neighbour’s apartments. (How she has such easy visual access to their apartments…that is a given we are asked to believe).
Ann gets to know all their quirky habits and routines. She has all their characters down pat.
In her nightly vigil she is particularly drawn to new tenants who have moved in, a young man with his pretty young daughter. How lovely, she thinks. She’s even seen them, during the day, quietly playing in the park together. They seem so cute together.
And then she notices something about them that disturbs her. He sometimes locks her in her bedroom and disappears for hours.
It starts to prey on her mind. Why is this happening? Her worst fears start to surface…has she stumbled on a case of child abuse? What is she going to do about it? Will she go and knock on his door directly and confront him, or will she report the matter to the police?
Robinson incorporates another level to this drama. The audience finds out that Ann has an eye disease and that her lenses are deteriorating rapidly. Is what she is seeing in these apartments, with her dangerous lenses, really what’s happening?!
From this intricate set-up, Robinson delivers an engrossing drama. Director and dramaturg Cathy Hunt vividly brings her story to life.
The creatives give the actress Amy Mathews a great atmosphere to work in. The set is basic, featuring white walls, and a couple of venetian blinds hanging down. Christopher Page’s lighting works well as does Ekrem Mulayim’s excellent soundscape.
Mathews, principally known for her television work, goes on quite a journey in her role and delivers a strong performance.
The production company, the Impending Room, is hoping to take this play further. The potential is there.
Brooke Robinson’s DANGEROUS LENSES opened at the Old 505 Theatre, Suite 505, 342 Elizabeth Street, Surry Hills on Thursday 25th October and ran until Sunday 28th October, 2012.
© David Kary
3rd November, 2012
Tags: Sydney Theatre Reviews- DANGEROUS LENSES, Brooke Robinson, Cathy Hunt, Amy Mathews, Ekrem Mulayim, Bec Allen, Christopher Page, Sydney Arts Guide, David Kary.