In Nick Enright and Terrence Clarke’s SummerRain it is Christmas Eve, 1945 and Harry Slocum and his family tent show players are down on their luck, broke and searching for an audience. The troupe end up in drought stricken Turnaround Creek, they are welcomed by all in the small farming community, except for Barry the publican, who remembers Harry Slocum’s indiscretions with his wife last time they were in town.
The Slocum’s visit to town is sealed when the local drought is broken with the longed for miracle of rain. Staying at Turnaround Creek for nine days because of the floods the Slocums put on a show for the town. New relationships form and old ones are mended in a ‘nine day wonder’ of forgiveness and renewal.
There was a genuine wow factor about this Sydney Theatre Company (STC) production. STC Artistic Director Robyn Nevin helmed this revival of Summer Rain and was determined that this was to be a great show as a tribute and a celebration of the work of the late Nick Enright.
Nevin’s talented cast shone with Enright giving the actors plenty to work with as most characters had burning issues to resolve at that highly emotional time of year, between Christmas and New Year. Some of the juiciest dramas played out include Gerry Connolly and Genevieve Lemon who play Harry and Ruby Slocum as they try to keep their marriage together…Rachel Beck as local Peg Hartigan who has a romance with Harry’s son Johnny, and has to decide whether to leave her husband, Mick, who finally realises how much she means to him….the seething conflict between town patriarch Barry Doyle played by Terry Serio and Harry Slocum, and Belinda Wollinston as young Cathy Doyle who with the influence of the Slocum’s gets the growing feeling to spread her wings and leave the sleepy township of Turnaround Creek.
Along with Terrence Clarke’s strong musical score including the lilting, elegiac tune Casuarina Tree, Dale Ferguson’s stunning set, Fiona Crombie’s vibrant costumes, Summer Rain was a memorable night of musical theatre.