The app for independent voices
It is a rare occurrence indeed to witness the world premiere of a work capable of becoming an Australian classic.
But witness it I did with Eden at Adelaide Fringe. This two woman play, written and directed by Kate Gaul and presented by Sydney company Siren Theatre is a jewel of a work. The writing is exquisite, the characterisations of the inhabitants of the Australian country town recognisable without descending to caricature, and the story captivating, shedding clues beat by beat.
Karen Kanaan as Kit and Lara Lightfoot as Dan are quality actors, switching between multiple roles with complete conviction. One minute they’re playful teens, the next their troubled parents, then the local bullies, the creepy sports teacher, or the cheery pizzeria owner. Their command of multiple characters is impressive, immersing the audience in their world of small town Australia; familiar, suffocating, secretive.
Remember the ethereal wheat fields of the film The Year My Voice Broke? Or the mystical nature of Picnic at Hanging Rock? Eden has a similar quality - but in stage form. Gaul’s luminous descriptions of the landscape ripple from the mouths of the actors creating visions of the heavy beauty of the Australian bush, and wind this coming of age story to the river itself.
This one hour play could become a longer work - I admit I was left wanting more. Or maybe a conversion to a film is possible? But then again why mess with what is a beautifully crafted piece of Australian theatre.
Eden is playing at 7.40pm each day this week until Sunday at The Courtyard of Curiosities at the Migration Museum at Adelaide Fringe.