Rating: ★★★★ (out of 4)
Ever had that person in your life that just seems happy all the time? Ever wandered what happy really means? or how one genuinely showcases happiness? Frankly, these are difficult questions that some of us have yet to answer and understand. The concept of happiness differs from person to person, and playwright Rose Cullis takes a stab at showcasing those differences in her play, The Happy Woman. Currently on stage at the Nightwood Theatre, The Happy Woman is a deep study on life, using characters as a means to showcase contrasting elements of life, providing both sides of the picture.
The play visits dark subject matters by first outlining the “normal” in life. You are greeted by this eye-catching, colourful stage, that creates a visual element of happiness. This brilliantly designed stage does add to the feel of the whole production but more so, highlights the characters that grace the stage. This production is all about character and the way in which it uses character to make a point, is absolutely brilliant. By keeping the production and the use of props simple, you are always fixated on what the characters are doing, keeping the audience curious and engaged.
The title makes you think a little bit of what to expect and Barbara Gordon’s Margaret clarifies that. Here is a woman full of joy, bustling about and living life, with an aura of happiness all around her. That, with the way Gordon delivers her dialogue, sparks your curiosity in her and in her enthusiastic levels of happiness. Her introduction is then followed by Maria Vacratsis’ BellaDonna, who takes a step back and puts things into a different perspective. She brings the rather neutral tone to the production, discussing certain things that were either incomplete or loose ended in the audiences mind. Vacratsis, uses a combination of well delivered emotion and dialogue to spark a form of mental discussion on whats happening on stage, giving the audience an opportunity to think about the various little elements, some of which you don’t see at first.
Happiness is then looked at from a different perspective with the introduction of Cassie, Margaret’s daughter, who is performed by Maev Beaty. A troubled young woman who is in conflict with herself, always wanting to speak the truth and whats on her mind. Beaty’s character is first seen as rather cute and beautiful but as the story progresses, we are introduced to a rather dark, confused side. With her brother Christian (Martin Happer) and his wife Stasia (Ingrid Rae Doucet) coming into the picture, we see an evolution of character. Beaty does an amazing job balancing various different emotions and portraying different moods at different points in the play. She adds sophistication to her character that just creates this amazing visual performance. Her performance is very brave because she showcases a character that most would find difficult to portray and very uncomfortable doing so. However, she does it brilliantly. You are not just awe struck by her portrayal of Cassie but the depth and detail to which she goes to do it.
Rae Doucet and Happer create these two characters that further highlight Cassie in the production. Rae Doucet takes emotion to another level with her portrayal of Stasia, highlighting her fragile state of mind and her obsession with negative thoughts when it comes to her baby. Happer on the other hand creates this rather self-contained Christian, who showcases his love for his wife but also great levels of patience with her obsessive mental state. These two characters become a medium through which Cassie journey’s to find what happiness is to her. Sometimes in life, one has to understand what happiness is for them by reflecting on those around them, and that’s exactly what Beaty’s Cassie does.
The Happy Woman is a very courageous look at the world of happiness and the deeper, darker, underlying layer. Cullis takes simple observation and creates a study that many of us would not dare to think about or look at. The sophistication in the screenplay, the brilliance in the creative production and the memorable performances by the company create a moving and mind-boggling theatrical experience. It is hard to put the experience in words. Its a theatre event that has to be seen to be truly understood. The team has truly gone to great lengths to create something that is absolutely brilliant.
The Happy Woman plays at the Berkeley Street Theatre until March 24th. For more information and tickets, please visit www.nightwoodtheatre.net
ADVISORY: The production contains mature subject matter, strong language and nudity.
