Madagascar Melbourne Theatre Company Review

Sunday, March 7, 2010 , Posted by Should I See It at 4:00 AM


Show: Madagascar
Presented By: Melbourne Theatre Company
Directed By: Sam Strong
Starring: Noni Hazelhurst, Asher Keddie and Nicholas Bell
Plot: In a hotel room overlooking the Spanish Steps in Rome, three versions of a story are told at three different times; by an older woman Lillian, a younger woman June and an older man Nathan. As each reveals how they came to be in that room, the audience pieces together the story of a young man's mysterious disappearance and its shattering implications. Nathan is in the room today, June a few days ago and Lillian five years ago.
Date Reviewed: Wednesday 3rd March, 8pm.

Melbourne Theatre Company can breathe a sigh of relief. After the disappointment of The Swimming Club, MTC is back in full form with Madagascar.

It helps that the play itself is tighter, more focused and better written than The Swimming Club. Better material means a better show.

Madagascar, by American playwright JT Rogers, is essentially three actors sharing the stage. They take it in turns to deliver monologues, telling their story piece by piece. Even though there are three different stories in three different time frames, the play is particularly easy to navigate. There are mysteries to be unravelled of course, and the play challenges the audience to put the pieces together, but it never confuses. The story moves easily between the three characters.



These characters are fully realised, fleshed out people thanks to the actors and a solid script. Even Paul, the missing man (who never makes an appearance) is a fully realised, complex character.

My own personal favourite part of the play were the echoes between mother and daughter. After June tells of Lillian’s drowning, we watch her drown in her own guilt and grief, symbolised by the pool of water that appears centre stage in Act Two. (I wonder what it is about the MTC and water onstage this season???)



Performance wise, the Madagascar is in excellent shape.

Noni Hazelhurst demonstrates her magnificent onstage presence, showing that she is far too good for City Homicide. Asher Keddie shows a fractured vulnerability that only comes in the very rich, and Nicholas Bell has the role that is the least flashy, but most real.

Criticisms are next to none. The characters seem to wander around the stage a great deal, and the costume designer should have inserted some sort of lining on Asher Keddie’s nightgown because it was pretty much see through.

Madagascar is a dark gripping tale, demonstrating a solid understanding of the way narrative works on stage. A good night of theatre.


Should I See It?

Yes, but it's not for theatre novices.




Madagascar runs until 3rd of April

All pictures courtesy of Melbourne Theatre Company

Melbourne Theatre Company Official Site here.