This show by Peter Rutherford and James Millar had its first production in 2008 at the Seymour Centre winning lots of awards. The Regals Musical Society, under the excellent direction of Meg Day and Kane Wheatley, has developed a most impressive version.
From the start of the overture we are drawn into the sinister, gruesome, heartbreaking story. Based on true events in Sydney in 1892, the story concerns young mothers who place their babies into ‘care’ whilst seeking work. Unfortunately they don’t realize that the Makins – who on the surface seem good people, are serial baby murderers who kill the children for money.
The play features a lot of social comment about the stigma of being an unmarried mother with an illegitimate child – particularly here in Victorian times – and the difficulties of finding work (quite Les Misérables like ) .
We follow the story of one young mother in particular, Amber Murray, wonderfully played by Tanya Boyle, as she is homeless and struggling to look after her tiny son Horace. She is tall and has glorious Rapunzel like long ash- blonde hair. Her heartbreaking songs Puddles in Act 1 and So Much More Than Me in Act 2 in particular are very moving.
Luckily for our heroine Amber, while desperately seeking work she discovers a great friend and boss in feisty Harriet Piper who runs a fruit shop. Virginia Natoli is excellent in the role of plucky red haired Harriet and has great fun stopping the show in the cynical, wickedly witty song Bad Fruit .She is also very moving in the song ‘Something Like Being A Mother’.
Stephen Wheatley, portly, broad shouldered and with upright military bearing , is very effective as the cold, devilish Charles Makin, the villain of the piece.
Katherine Cassidy as his wife Agatha, somberly glittering in black, apparently the picture of propriety yet ghastly underneath, is chilling .Their defence in court ‘Natural Causes’ is a sharp, ironic, hypocritical song in waltz time.
As Clara Makin – secretive, brow beaten, at times sneering, superior and slightly strange in a short blue dress, Christie New is very good. Her solo towards the end, ‘The Hatpin ‘, where she reveals what really happens is shocking and quite probably a descent into madness. It is interesting that this production is presented in some ways as if Clara is the narrator and reading the story of what happens.
There was excellent ensemble playing and singing from all the supporting cast including especially the three other mothers Amber manages to contact – Julie Ryan as Minnie Davies, Adelie Battam as Mariann Leonard and Natalie Rogers as Rebecca Rigby. James Swain, Tim Watson and James Jonathon are excellent in their various multiple roles.
The orchestra under the excellent musical direction of Kane Wheatley was strident and passionate. The score itself is at times quite operatic and/or Sondheim in style and the roles are technically extremely demanding.
The orchestra was hidden behind the walls of the set (wooden fences and a multilevel raised platform) with disguised lighting rig .The various marvellous costumes emphasized the class divisions and accentuated the rather sinister atmosphere.
Well worth seeing this is a most effective production.
The Regals Musical Society production of THE HATPIN, with a running time of 2 hours and 30 minutes, opened at the St George Auditorium, Kogarah on the 12th October and runs until Saturday 20th October, 2012.
© Lynne Lancaster
12th October, 2012
Tags: Sydney Theatre Reviews- THE HATPIN, Regals Musical Society, St George Auditorium Kogarah, Sydney Arts Guide, Lynne Lancaster.