Written and directed by Paul Gilchrist, this new play, LUCY BLACK, is an interesting and entertaining study of various dualities and inherent tensions, the intuitive and the logical, the new and the old, the privileged and proletariat and male and female. It is set in the past, probably around the time of the renaissance, but deals with very modern themes.

The themes are presented thoughtfully and intelligently. The dialogue is rich. The characters are complex, thoughtful and well rounded. There are some nice touches of humour. The conflict between the various characters supports the nicely developed plot.

The play opens with an attractive young couple, Judith & William, played by Zara Zoe and Joshua Morton, making love but experiencing coitus interuptus. The feisty Judith is satisfied but William does not quite get there. This could be a metaphor for the play. The various characters achieve some of what they desire but in other aspects are severely disappointed.

Thomas and Anne, played by Richard Hilliar and Sonya Kerr, a butcher and a herbalist, are on the run from the palace authorities because of their involvement in a plot to kill the prince. Anne is the play’s evil character but her good side is presented by the herbal knowledge she possesses and how she has attempts to help her patients. Her herbal practice is sometimes misguided but well intentioned and at times may have been very effective.

The couple wish to bring the deceased physician’s daughter, Lucy Black, into their scheme of revenge and redemption. Lucy Black is played wonderfully by the doleful Corinne Marie. As Judith, her younger sister points out, her name means light and dark and this is woven into the themes of duality explored in this play.

The venue, the TAP Gallery in Darlinghurst, adds wonderful charm to the evening. The gallery is a bit of a rabbit warren but this enhances its appeal. There is a small bar & café squeezed into the second hand bookshop and there are artworks for sale hanging on most available spaces.

Paul Gilchrist’s production of LUCY BLACK opened at the Tap Gallery, 278 Palmer Street, Darlinghurst on Thursday 24th May and runs until Sunday 3rd June, 2012.

© Mark Pigott

26th May, 2012

Tags: Sydney Theatre Reviews- LUCY BLACK, Subtlenuance Theatre Company, Tap Gallery Darlinghurst, Zara Zoe, Joshua Morton, Richard Hillier, Sonya Kerr, Corrine Moore, Sydney Arts Guide, Mark Pigott.