In William Shakespeare’s great tragedy HAMLET, the dark Prince delivers one of the great lines describing life’s cruel unpredictability, ‘the thousand natural shocks that flesh is heir to’. In Jean Gordon’s play ZOE, the main character, Emma (Sarah Kate Mitchell), is reeling from the shock of a recent divorce. Emma had counted on her marriage working, and more particularly, on becoming a young mother, preferably of a daughter.

The people that are closest to her, her mother Donna (Jen Mealing) and her flatmate and best friend Chris (Will Harrison-Smith), grow increasingly concerned for Emma’s well being. Donna tells Emma that she still sees her ex-husband sometimes and this sends Emma even closer to the edge. She can’t bear her mother having any contact with the man who has broken her heart.

With Emma’s brain and heart all over the place, her boss Janet realises her work performance is suffering and has strong words with her. Then she seems to have reached the point of no return when Emma becomes besotted with Zoe (Hannah Donnelley), a pretty young woman who regularly performs circus tricks such as twirling florescent coloured light globes at the local beach. In Emma’s disturbed mind, does she see Zoe as the daughter she could have had, now growing up?!

There is a good story, an evocative play, in this material, however Gordon has not chosen the best way to tell her story. This is the territory of magic realism, of fantasy/nightmare, and yet she tells her story in a very literal, straight-line, connect the dots way. As well,the script felt under-developed, especially in its depiction of the relationship between Emma and Zoe.

Gordon directed her own piece and won good performances from the cast. Sarah Kate Mitchell gave a convincing performance as the delicate Emma as did Hannah Donnelley as the ethereal Zoe. Will Harrison-Smith was touching as Emma’s best friend, Chris, who perhaps held deeper feelings her, and Jen Mealing played her concerned Mum, Donna. Amani Frijat played Emma’s impatient boss.

It will be good to see ZOE again when the story is told in a more ‘ambitious’ way. Jean Gordon’s ZOE is playing the King Street Theatre, Newtown, as part of the Sydney Fringe Festival, between Wednesday 19th and Saturday 22nd September, 2012.

(c) David Kary

21 September, 2012

Tags: Sydney Theatre Reviews- ZOE, Jean Gordon, Sarah Kate Mitchell, Jen Mealing, Will Harrison-Smith, Amani Frijat, Hannah Donnelley, Sydney Fringe Festival, King Street Theatre, Sydney Arts Guide, David Kary,