Belvoir The Business

here's my review of Belvoir's The Business

                                      THE BUSINESS

                              BELVOIR ST      APRIL/MAY 2011

The knives are out.Under the excellent direction of Cristabel Sved Belvoir brings us a shocking,compelling play. Based on the 1910 play Vassa Zheleznova by Maxim Gorky, Jonathan Gavin has translated and transposed it to 1980's suburban Australia. It's all about the intense imploding of a greedy,toxic family's relationships. It is extremely dark and 'over the top' at times, yet also savage and ironic with lots of strong language.

As her husband Bill lies dying unseen just offstage, Van ( Sarah Peirse) and her children are circling like vultures, all wanting their specific share of The Business as outlined in Bill's will . As the various family members bicker, scheme, scramble and dream their way into positions of power in their glitzy palazzo they discover that the company is on very shaky foundations. The enemy is within and terrible family secrets are revealed and others quietly covered up. 

A programme note suggests that this a ‘missing work in Australia’s dramatic canon ‘ but as another of my colleagues has mentioned David Williamson, Louis Nowra and Stephen Sewell have written about it at the time . 

The cast is excellent with terrific performances all round but at times I got the feeling there was a lack of cohesiveness at times,a striving for way over the top exageration, almost caricature . However it was most effective.  

As Van, dominating , scheming matriarch of the family, Peirse is terrific as she coldly manipulates events, striving to hang on to The Business so that it won't be transferred to her disolute, feckless children. In defeating them she commits a few illegalities on the way.

As younger son Ronald, who has been teased and tormented all his life because of his cerebal palsy and suddenly snaps, Thomas Henning gives an incredibly high octane explosive performance. His wife Jennifer, who has been sleeping with his uncle Gary is terrifically played by stunning Kylie Minogue look alike Jody Kennedy. Is she really the blonde bimbo she pretends to be ?

As spoilt playboy brat Simon ( John Leary) and his 'fat slut' of a wife Natalie (Samantha Young ) give deliciously catty over the top performances. As the monstrous couple they expect things to drop into their laps - they want to live the good life lazing around, go to mega parties, do drugs, ( there is a terrible scene where they snort coke at Bill's wake),meet famous people and just enjoy themselves. Simon wants a yacht as part of the settlement and has much fun playing with a toy remote control car. He also has a great scene at breakfast deciding on a croissant and Fruit Loops ! And Young as Natalie has a terrifically awful scene where she spies on Jennifer and Gary (craggy faced Russell Kiefel) .   

Everything changes when estranged sister Anna ( cool,leggy, elegant Kate Box) arrives,the opposite of her brother and sisters . Does she really want a reconciliation with her father and the rest of the family on Bill's deathbed or has she materialised solely to obtain her share of the will ? She joins her mother in scheming wheeling and dealing to ensure her share.

Outsider lawyer Michael (Grant Dodwell) appears to be the only relatively moral person – or is he?

Victoria Lamb’s set is extremely evocative of the 1980’s – kitschy posh elegance with a chequered rug on the floor, sliding windows out to the patio, vertical drapes, a typewriter for Van and general family clutter.

All of which chimes in brilliantly with the 80’s soundtrack devised by Max Lyandvert. 

A savage, biting black comedy about society’s greeds and needs.

Running time - 2 hours 15 ( approx.) including interval