The new production by Sisters Grimm, LITTLE MERCY, written by Ash Flanders and Declan Greene, is a funny and entertaining play currently playing at Sydney Theatre Company’s Wharf 2 theatre.
The two writers have taken the evil child film genre and tossed it up in the air. They have added American television and Hollywood film sensibilities and references along with a dab of musical theatre. The result is a very enjoyable evening’s entertainment.
Roger Summers (Luke Mullins) and Virginia Summers (Ash Flanders) are hoping to adopt a child. Roger is also hoping to produce BON VOYAGE SUSAN, the best musical ever. No explicit deal is made but with ROSEMARY BABY resonances an eight year old child arrives, Little Mercy, played by adult actor Jill McKay.
Little Mercy appears to be sweet and loved by her parents but is the archetypal evil child. A governess played by Luke Mullins is brought in to educate Mercy and recognises her as an evil child but is thwarted by Virginia’s inability to accept that her daughter could do anything untoward. Things go terribly wrong from this point onward.
The strength of this play is the joyful and camp way that it explores and exploits this genre. The play is fun, trashy and ultimately disposable.
Ash Flanders has explained that the Sisters Grimm productions are a reaction to what they see as a plethora of worthy but dour theatre productions.
Their theatre is not polemical, political or overflowing with a social conscience. The plot is secondary and fairly conventional but is well complemented by Steve Toulmin’s wonderful multi-level contributions as sound designer, live on-stage musician and performer. Sound and lighting (Verity Hampson) frequently rupture the more conventional narrative aspects of the play. Even the stage hand makes an entertaining contribution.
I thoroughly recommend Little Mercy. The Sydney Theatre Company advises that the season is close to a sell-out already. This current production, directed by Declan Greene, runs until Sunday 24th March, 2013.
© Mark Pigott
15th March, 2013
Tags: Sydney Stage Reviews- LITTLE MERCY, Declan Greene, Ash Flanders, SISTERS GRIMM, Luke Mullins, Jill McKay, Steve Toulmin, Verity Hampson, Sydney Arts Guide, Mark Pigott
