Review: TORCH SONG TRILOGY Is Heartbreakingly Beautiful, Poignant And Sadly Still Relevant

Tuesday 7th August 2018, 7pm Eternity Playhouse

TORCH SONG TRILOGY is a heartbreakingly beautiful and poignant story of looking for love and acceptance in a world of judgement and fear. 40 years since Part 1 of the Trilogy was first performed in New York, Harvey Fierstein's award winning three part story still, unfortunately, still holds a relevance in the 21st century.

Presented over 225 minutes, the three one hour plays, separated by intervals, follow the life and loves of Jewish homosexual drag queen Arnold Beckoff (Simon Corfield), a performer with a specialty of singing 'Torch Songs' of unrequited and lost love. Whilst Arnold admits to having had a string of lost lovers, all contributing to his ability to carry off a Torch Song, he falls for the bisexual country boy Ed (Tim Draxl), a young teacher too scared to come out of the closet, fearing the fallout from family and the prospect of not being able to have the American dream of a white picket fence and a family. His lasting love, the young buff model Alan (Stephen Madsen) is brutally taken from him and as he tries to create the loving family he saw in his parents, his mother's (Kate Raison)bigotry and inability to accept her son for who he is forces him to choose between keeping her in his life or choosing a life with people who love him and accept him, like his foster son David (Imraan Daniels) and the newly separated Ed.

Imogen Ross' stage allows the three plays to have their own unique aesthetic whilst having an economy of props that transition between the stories. Whilst the initial theatre dressing room for THE INTERNATIONAL STUD is relatively basic, later scenes reinforce the 70's and 80's settings with patterned wallpaper and pretty pastels. A few themes run through the work, from the red rotary phone and the ever-increasing rabbit motif that appears on walls, photo frames and even an adorably kitsch teapot. Katja Handt's costuming also helps shift the timeline along with drawing a connection between Arnold's Drag alter and Lady Blues (Hilary Cole) who provides a voice for the majority of the Torch Songs that color the work. The costuming for the second work, FUGUE IN A NURSERY is particularly delightful in the creation of different styles of pajamas out of the same fabrics for Arnold, Ed, Laurel (Cole) and Alan as they get to know each other in an artfully choreographed progression through the central sofa bed and many in the audience appreciate Handt's choice to make use of the actor's physique in her costuming decisions. The homemade footwear that features in the third work, WIDOWS AND CHILDREN FIRST is adorable in its repetition of the ongoing style theme and the reinforcement that Arnold is turning into a reclusive homebody. Benjamin Brockman's lighting design is as always wonderful in his ability to help shift the mood and draw focus. The moments of inner monologue that sit within the dialogue are easily identified with spotlights and a blue light works with a haze to gently illuminate Lady Blues' sultry songs, accompanied by musical director Phil Scott who also covers the role of Arnold's faithful friend Murray.

Director Stephen Colyer has gathered a fabulous cast for this production. Simon Corfield is brilliant as Arnold. He channels Fierstein's unusual blend of husky, femininely masculine New York Jewish accent with a naturalness to ensure he is credible and not seen as a caricature. He ensures Arnold's pain is palpable as he balances Arnold's outer bravado with his inner sensitivity whilst presenting some wonderfully camp mannerisms filled with a blend of flamboyance and vulnerability. His expressions are fabulously presented for comic effect whilst ensuring they don't appear forced and he presents Arnold's monologues with a delicious comedy and honesty.

As Ed, Tim Draxl channels the country boy's innocence and confusion along with the denial of his true self in order to try to conform to a society that did not accept homosexuality. Draxl makes it easy to understand why Arnold falls for Ed and their pas de deux whilst Draxl sings Victor Young and Edward Heyman's When I Fall In Love is beautifully choreographed. Draxl ensures that the audience sees Ed grow and mature over time, particularly from FUGUE IN A NURSERY to WIDOWS AND CHILDREN FIRST. His presentation of a number of the Torch songs, presented solo and as duets showcase his fabulous ability to express the underlying emotion of the music, particularly in his interpretation of Harold Arlen and Ira Gershwin's The Man That Got Away which is presented with velvet tones infused with a playful texture.

As Arnold's younger lover Alan, Stephen Madsen presents a delightful youth, exuberance and devotion to Arnold. Whilst there are moments where the skeptical could think that Alan was taking advantage of Arnold, Madsen ensures that Alan's love is clear and his expression of discomfort at Laurel's advances is clear and honest. Madsen is also known for his singing capabilities and thankfully Phil Scott has ensured that the opportunity hasn't been missed, making use of Madsen's ability to deliver heartbreakingly sensitive presentations of the torch songs.

Hilary Cole doubles as the mysterious chanteuse Lady Blues who emerges from the shadows to sing by Scott's piano and Ed's young, somewhat troubled, lover Laurel. Cole allows Laurel to initially be seen as inquisitive and interested in meeting the man who she knows plays a major role in her boyfriend's life but she soon makes it clear that she isn't as innocent as she makes out, sizing up Arnold, seeing him as the competition and seeing revenge by comically trying to seduce the steadfastly gay Alan. Her vocals have a smoky sultry warmth of an old world jazz singer and she has a delightful comic ability to add lightness to her dramatic scenes.

Imraan Daniels presentation as Arnold's foster child, the 15 year old David allows for some comic relief in an over the top expression of a cocky kid who beneath the bravado really does care about Arnold and his happiness. With a more Italian New Yorker style, Daniels charms the audience as David charms Arnold's brash mother as he gains some level of peace between mother and son. Daniels also delivers some of the vocals and even takes to the piano for a piece, rounding out the core singers for the performance.

Kate Raison captures the stereotypical Jewish mother in her presentation of Ma, an old fashioned woman in town from Florida to visit her son. Raison ensures that Arnold's anxiety at her visit is well founded, presenting a judgmental character ready to examine every facet of her son's life whilst still showing a maternal side. Whilst Ed's denial of his sexuality and rejection of Arnold and his life was saddening, Ma's rejection of her son's true self and refusal to accept his homosexuality is heartbreaking, particularly given it echoes some of the arguments made during the recent plebiscite on same sex marriage in Australia.

TORCH SONG TRILOGY is a beautiful, thought provoking and unfortunately still relevant work as it shows the past, allowing consideration of how far we have come as society, and how far we still have to go to giving people like Arnold the ability to have a life of love and happiness that he dreams of without being judged by anyone else. Touching stories presented in three distinct styles all set to beautiful renditions of famous Torch Songs with additional incidental music that ranges in style all presented live. Do not miss this wonderful production.

TORCH SONG TRILOGY

1 - 26 August 2018

http://www.darlinghursttheatre.com/whats-on/torch-song-trilogy

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