Bronwyn Fullerton

GREAT FALLS

Christopher Stollery and Erica Lovell in GREAT FALLS. Pic Steve Lunam

A road trip from hell… A displaced family, a stepfather and stepdaughter, battling with their bitterness and dignity and struggling to resolve the barriers between them.

Lee Blessing is a multi award-winning New York playwright, who has been produced on Broadway and London’s West End.

GREAT FALLS is a beautifully written play, enhanced further by splendid performances from Christopher Stollery as ‘Monkey Man’ and Erica Lovell as ‘Bitch’, his stepdaughter and reluctant fellow traveller.

Anna Crawford has cast and directed this play with precision. We are touched by the underlying pain of the characters as they gradually reveal where and why it began. This is not a “hug and kiss and all is forgiven” two dimensional play either. The play is very real and believable.

The actors have a great understanding of their characters. Stollery is warm and calm as Monkey Man, but with a vulnerability and weakness that he eventually accepts. Lovell is tough and cynical, but also delivers the humour that balances out her nasty one liners.

They play off each other with great restraint, gradually finding comfort in their mutual love of writing.

The simple, effective set design allows the actors to move between their car and motel stopovers. The uncluttered set draws attention to the performances.

GREAT FALLS is a piece of theatre not to be missed. The production plays at the Ensemble Theatre until Saturday March 9th. Check the website for performance times.

© Bronwyn Fullerton

9th February, 2013

Tags: Sydney Stage Reviews- GREAT FALLS, Ensemble Theatre, Sydney Arts Guide, Bronwyn Fullerton, Steve Lunam, Christopher Stollery, Erica Lovell, Anna Crawford.

Published by Bronwyn Fullerton

Bronwyn Fullerton worked as an actress and singer for over 20 years after training with Hayes Gordon at The Ensemble Theatre Studios in Sydney in the 70s. She has worked for The Ensemble Theatre, Stables Theatre, Griffin Theatre Company, Sydney Opera House, Sydney Festival, Theatre-in-Education touring, Rocks Theatre at The Sailor’s Home, Balmain Loft, North Coast Theatre Co., Giniby Theatre Co., Bondi Pavilion Theatre and two years with the Marionette Theatre of Australia, including a tour from Alice Springs to Arnhem Land. As well as Film and Television (Chopper Squad) and Voice Overs, Bronwyn worked for the Gate Theatre Club in London and studied mime in Paris. She now teaches ESL English to foreign students and completed a Post-Grad in Film & Video at UTS in 2009/10.