David Williamson’s new play ‘Rhinestone Rex and Miss Monica’ at the Ensemble Theatre represents the third Williamson play that I have seen recently. The two previous plays were ‘Brilliant Lies’ at the Guild Theatre, Rockdale, and ‘Dead White Males’ at the inner city Genesian Theatre.
The great writer’s new play pales in comparison to these two fine earlier works. I like the Williamson who is cerebral, cutting edge, and an astute social commentator. ‘Brilliant Lies’ with its focus on a sexual harassment case, and ‘Dead White Males’ with its piercing look at the predominance of European literature on contemporary culture, were controversial, thought provoking works. The Williamson of ‘Rhinestone Rex and Miss Monica’ is a writer of a derivative, quirky romance. I could just as easily have been watching a Nora Ephron movie adapted for the stage.
Williamsons’ mainstream romantic tale is given a good treatment by Sandra Bates’s solid production. The play, a two hander warmly performed by Glenn Hazeldine and Georgie Parker, tells the story of two opposite personalities, at first combating each other and then going on to fall in love.
Georgie Parker plays Monica is a former violinist with the Sydney Symphony Orchestra who had to retire prematurely because of a tendonitis complaint. Glenn Hazeldine’s Gary used to play in a popular country music band but now works as a tradesman. Fate brings them together when Monica employs Gary to build a new kitchen for her at her place. Their musical tastes clash and that’s just the start of it….
Through the play a good chemistry develops between Parker and Hazeldine. With Williamson’s trademark witty dialogue the laughs came easily in the first Act, with the action heating up after interval. One of the play’s main themes, and a common one in Williamson’s plays, is the influence of music in people’s lives, and the playwright includes lots of snippets of popular Australian country music songs through the narrative.
Claire Maloney, one of Sydney’s finest set designers, comes up with a impressive design for the show. The set is split level; stage level is Monica’s conventional living room, the raised level is used as a radio studio, for when Gary transforms into country and music disc jockey, Rhinestone Rex. Cleverly, we never get to see the kitchen, with Gary always going off stage right with a drill whenever he is about to start renovations.
On a closing note, the Ensemble Theatre has programmed two new Williamson plays for its 2011 season. Hopefully these plays will see more of the vintage Williamson come to the fore, the playwright with an original voice and with issues to address.
Sandra Bates’s production of ‘Rhinestone Rex and Miss Monica’ plays the Ensemble Theatre at 78 McDougall Street, Kirribilli until 20th November, 2010.
Tags: ‘Rhinestone Rex and Miss Monica’, David Williamson, Ensemble Theatre, Sandra Bates, Claire Maloney, Georgie Parker, Glenn Hazeldine, country and western music, classical music, violinists, community radio.