Unfinished Works

http://www.sydneyartsguide.com.au/unfinished-works-at-the-reginald-theatre-seymour-centre/ A most exciting new Australian play .Again , my thoughts for the Guide What is Art? Inspiration and the creative process, artistic copyright, integrity and forgery are central to this work. This new play by Thomas de Angelis is given a terrific performance by a great cast. The production has been bought to us by BONTOM, the team that brought us Jack Killed Jack (2012) and The Worst Kept Secrets(2014). Charles Davis’ single, multi functional, rather elegantly minimalist set has neutral colours and clean,crisp lines fluidly representing places ranging from a dingy studio in Marrickville to a posh house in Rose Bay. Effective use is also made of the upstairs balcony at times during the play. Direction by Clemence Williams was superb with magnificent diction, timing and tension in this energetic ,thoughtful production. . The cast perform with emotional intensity throughout. As we enter, Isabel and Frank are busy painting on either side of the stage. Frank ( short for Francesca) Ralco is a famous artist, (Lucy Goelby ) blonde beautiful and quite prickly, who is suddenly suffering from artist’s block. Incredibly successful, Frank has a reputation that precedes her. A woman who has never separated her life from her art she is panicky thinking her life has suddenly become worthless. Isabel Martin (Contessa Treffone) is dark haired, rather mousy with spectacles. An aspiring artist, she is a trained architect but unhappy in her job and trapped in a seething, tumultuously intense relationship with her rather rigid, overbearing parents Paula and Vince who have no affinity with the arts’ world. Frank used to be a tenant of Vince Martin’s and the show starts with her visiting her old home before it is demolished and saying that Vince can have the three paintings that she left behind. She doesn’t want them, he can do with them what he pleases. Instead, Vince keeps them and hangs them in his new home. When Frank finds this out she changes her attitude and accuses him of stealing the works, and wants them back. Lucy Goelby is tremendous as Ralco, giving a luminous performance that reveals her characters’ vulnerability and fragile cynicism. We see how she eventually breaks through her artistic block and regains her confidence. We also follow Contessa Treffone’s fine performance. In her portrayal of Isabel we see a woman exploring her place in the world,and going against the expectations of her parents. The chemistry between the two women is full of passionate sparks,heated debate and steamy kisses. Jimmy Gunning, Frank’s agent and boyfriend, was brilliantly portrayed by dreamily handsome Kyle Kazmarik. Jimmy is passionate about art and Frank but questions her integrity when she finds herself in difficult situations. Rhett Walton plays the rather brutish and mulish property developer, Rhett Walton, who does love his daughter. As Vince Martin the property developer Rhett Walton is rather brutish and mulish generally but does love his daughter and wants her to be happy. Deborah Galanos is very controlling as Paula Martin, who doesn’t her daughter or the art world in which she moves. Some of the plot and dialogue may benefit with a little reworking but this remains a provocative and earnest production featuring sizzling performances. This is a play that raises a lot of issues for discussion, and is an intense, incisive look at the contemporary art world of Sydney. Running time 2 hours. Thomas de Angelis’ UNFINISHED WORKS is playing at the Reginald Theatre, the Seymour Centre until Saturday 2nd April. Bookings 93517940.