MOTHER | Cremorne Theatre, QPAC

Presented by If Theatre, Mother proves that Noni Hazlehurst is one of the storytellers of our times. The stage becomes a storybook and we are its readers, as Hazlehurst, through every cry, twitch, cackles and shuffle, shares a story with of compassion from someone who is deeply hurting and misunderstood. Running for seventy-five minutes, Hazlehurst vanishes into the character of Christie, a heartbroken and grief stricken homeless, alcoholic mother who longs for the touch of her child, from her trembling walk and constantly twining fingers, to her dry and hardened voice. As audience members, we get lost in the rhythm of her conversations, the longing in her voice, the love she feels for her not only her son but for her husband and her uncertainty in where she belongs and what role she can play in the world. She desperately wants to play the role of the Mother, but her husband won't allow that because of her alcoholism but she is the Mum so shouldn't that be enough? This is just one of the many questions the play asks its audience to critically think about.

Playwright David Keene crafts the character of Christie is such a skilful way. Christie's voice is unique; the way she expresses herself and the words which she uses to express herself and her memories not only show her sharp wit but additionally show the chaos in her soul. You can tell that each word and sound was chosen for a reason and that each is a vehicle in for the central (and only) character to share that particular love, hurt or regret with the audience. The anecdotes and metaphors that Keene employs are exquisite; my favourite being the description of Christies cold-hearted, catholic Mother whose eyes become cockroaches when she found out that her daughter was turning to a turpentine bender.

Director and co-producer Matt Scholten immersed us in Christie's mind from the minute we walked into the theatre and saw Hazlehurst rummaging through rubbish tins and battered cardboard boxes to find a scrap of food. As we watch Hazlehurst go from one cardboard box to the next and learn that every cardboard box (and also thanks to Tom Willis's lighting design) is connected to a memory, be it painful or not painful, that Christie experienced. Together, story by story, we discover the entire stage is Christie's mind and that we are watching her trying to navigate it. But, we don't leave our seats to go and help her. We feel unable to leave our seats and help her. We feel that she's beyond reach, a powerful commentary on our contemporary world and how, as a nation, we are often comfortable being ignorant and sheltered. Just a thought...

Mother is a story about the human experience and inspires compassion for those who, although may have different experiences than ours, have a story that needs to be shared, heard and understood.

Rating: 5 Stars

SHOW | Mother

DIRECTOR & CO-PRODUCER | Matt Scholten

PLAYWRIGHT | Daniel Keene

LIGHTING DESIGNER | Tom Willis

SOUND DESIGNER | Darius Kedros

SET, COSTUME & PROPS DESIGNER| Kat Chan

ACTOR | Noni Hazlehurst