Theatre for the Modern Age
Something
Unspoken
This classic text by Tennessee Williams brought to life as part of Melbourne Fringe 2019.
"This wonderful short play by Tennessee Williams, presented by the Anthropocene Play Company, introduces Melbourne Fringe audiences to Miss Cornelia Scott and her secretary slash companion, Grace. We meet these ladies on the fifteenth anniversary of Grace joining the household, on the very day that Cornelia hopes to be elected (by acclamation only, mind) as Regent of the Confederate Daughters Society.
"The threads of Cornelia’s social ambition and her far more personal hopes of the anniversary, twist and twine throughout the narrative to reveal a highly fraught relationship. In this production, director Bronwen Coleman has highlighted the tragedy of the women’s’ situation and there is certainly much tragedy to be found. With regal bearing and a low southern drawl, Clare Larman performance as her Cornelia Scott is a delight. A woman of apparent fortitude, riddled with insecurity,
"Cornelia has not deigned to attend the Society’s election yet insists on conveying lengthy instructions via telephone to her inside woman at the meeting. Larman’s delivery conveys all the necessary dignity while still revealing her character’s deep fear of rejection. Her internal conflict is entirely, recognisably human, and delivers welcome moments of humour.As fans of Williams know, echoes of the trauma of his beloved sister’s schizophrenia and lobotomy can be found in many of his plays. And so it is here, in the character of Grace, played by a Pia O’Meadhra with an ethereal quality, leaning into Grace’s frailty and nervous disposition...
"The performance is accompanied by live music, both at introduction and in those critical moments where records are played onstage; the music that smooths over everything and allows the unsaid to remain so. It brought an immediacy to those moments that simply would not have been achieved with recorded sound effects... An abundance of furniture onstage created an interesting sense of claustrophobia, reflected in the women’s relationship.... Something Unspoken is a terrific play. It was a pleasure to watch and a highlight of this years Melbourne Fringe."
-Virginia Proud, theatrepeople.com.au
Background photo and video by Greg Elms, rehearsal photos by Bradley Trudgett and Azi Bradley