SUNSET STRIP is a holiday area of shacks built around a once thriving but now dried up lake outside of Broken Hill. Annette Van Roden’s compact set design on the smallish New Theatre stage takes us to one of these shacks and its sparse surrounds.
Miller’s play is a four hander. Phoebe (Molly Haddon) has been living in the shack with, and caring for, her elderly father Ray (Vincent Melton) who suffers from dementia.
SUNSET STRIP starts with a momentous day for Phoebe. Her sister Caroline (Erica Nelson) has arrived back after many years away in the harbour city where she established a good career as a lawyer. Sadly, during her time away, she was also diagnosed with breast cancer, had to have a mastectomy, and resultant radiotherapy and chemotherapy in the hope to kill the rogue cancer cells that remained.
Caroline has come home to find out that her sister is going to marry Teddy, a guy that they went to school with. She doesn’t have a high opinion of him, and more to the point, its awkward, she had a fling with Teddy that didn’t go well, and which Phoebe doesn’t know about.
Adding to the dramatic stakes is that Caroline, in her professional capacity, is going to sign off for her younger sister as Phoebe has her two children returned to her from the Department of Community Services (DOCS) who took them away from her after determining she couldn’t take proper care of them because of her problems with drugs. Phoebe says that she has beaten her drug addiction, Caroline has signed off on it, the kids are coming back, but has Phoebe truly slayed the dragon?!
This is a highly charged, well crafted drama by Suzi Miller who has since become famous for her play RBG : Of Many, One about legendary American Supreme Court Judge Ruth Bader Ginsberg produced by the Sydney Theatre Company with a wonderful, award winning solo performance by Heather Mitchell.
Director Annette van Roden’s gives Miller’s powerful play a strong production. Each of the four performances are good. Molly Haddon and Erica Nelson play the well contrasted sisters; Phoebe is very ‘out there’. Caroline is very contained. Vincent Melton gives a measured performance as Ray in a portrayal that could have been easily heavy handed. Shane Davidson is suitably phlegmatic as the dubious Teddy.
Good stagecraft is displayed in Van Roden’s set design, Casey Moon-Watton’s lighting and JayMurrin’s edgy soundscape.
Miller’s play comes to a well realised, heart melting resolution which will stay long in the memory.
SUNSET STRIP is playing the New Theatre, 542 King Street, Newtown Performances are Thursdays to Saturdays at 7.30pm and Sundays at 2pm. The final performance is on Saturday 3rd August at 2pm.
