“There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio, than are dreamt of in your philosophy”
This Shakepeare quote is almost as famous as Hamlet’s to be or not to be speech.
There are of-course many people in the world who steadfastly believe that everything can be explained.
I side with Hamlet, that there is a deeper level, out of our reach of understanding, even when it comes to the world of relationships.
For instance, the alchemy that can take place in friendships and relationships between people with very different life stories and circumstances.
It is in this vein that Colleen McCullough’s wrote her 1974 novel TIM in which the most unlikely of romances takes place.
McCullough’s novel has twice been adapted for the cinema with the 1979 movie of the same name starring a young Mel Gibson and Piper Laurie and the 1996 movie Mary and Tim starring Candice Bergen and Tom McCarthy.
Now a stage adaptation of McCullough’s, written by Tim McGarry, has premiered at Belrose’s Glen Street Theatre and is going on tour.
An established playwright, McGarry’s adaptation, which has had a four year development period, sees McCullough’s story and characters translate well to the stage, giving TIM a whole new world in which it can be enjoyed.
Director and dramaturg Darren Yap, working closely with McGarry, has come up with a warm, intimate production. Yap wins good performances from the cast who each give credible and touching performances.
Jeanette Cronin plays Mary, a successful mid 50’s business executive who lives a solitary, partner less life.
She hires Tim a young man, a mid twenties young man with a mild intellectual disability to help with the garden. A connection, a bond, forms between them. Ben Goss plays Tim with real sensitivity.
Tim’s family are very protective of Tim and don’t quite know what to make of their burgeoning friendship. Andrew McFarlane and Valerie Bader give appealing performances as Tim’s good natured parents Ron and Joy who see their son come out of his shell a little and are astonished to hear him read from a story.
Julia Robertson is suitably feisty and uncompromising as Tim’s older sister, Dee, who sees only black in Mary’s motives. Akkshey Caplash plays her loyal boyfriend Nate who has a soft spot for Nate.
McFarlane, Caplash and Bader each capably play other, well delineated minor roles butI have, for simplicity’s sake, only referred to their main roles.
Yap’s design team comprising James Browne’s set design, Lucy M Scott’s costume design, Ben Hughes’ lighting design, Zac Zaric’s sound design together with Max Lambert’s score and movement and intimacy director Nigel Poulton, each played important roles in making this a memorable production.
A Christine Dunstan production, Tim McGarry’s adaption of Colleen McCullough’s TIM played the Glen Street Theatre, Belrose between the 28th and 30th July. The production then moves to the Art House, Wyong on the 2nd August, the Civic Theatre, Newcastle on the 4th August, Shoalhaven Entertainment Centre, Nowra on the 9th and 10th August, the Joan, Penrith on the 11th and 12th August, Merrigong Theatre Company, Wollongong between the 16th and 19th August, the Q, Queanbeyan Performing Arts Centre on the 25th and 26th August and the Riverside Theatre, Parramatta between the 31 August and 2nd September 2023.
Featured image : Jeanette Cronin and Ben Goss in TIM. Production photography by Bruno Garcia
http://www.christinedunstan.com.au/tim/
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