Review: Goals Get Blurred In The Fight For Justice And A Socialist Society In THE BLIND GIANT IS DANCING

Thursday 18th February 2016, 7:45pm Belvoir St Theatre, Surry Hills

Stephen Sewell's THE BLIND GIANT IS DANCING exposes the greed and corruption that got in the way of socialist ideals in 1970's and 80's Australian politics. First presented in Adelaide in 1983, Eamon Flack's (Director) presentation for Belvoir Theatre 33 years later serves as a warning to a new generation not to repeat the past and beware of the lure of power and greed at the expense of principles.

Following the life of Allen Fitzgerald (Dan Spielman), a social economist who initially wants "a society where people can live with some kind of dignity and security", THE BLIND GIANT IS DANCING exposes the effect his beliefs have on his life and the changes in his values over time. The white collar atheist has a strained relationship with his blue collar catholic family that is still mourning the loss of a son in the Vietnam War. The husband struggling to connect with a feminist Jewish wife who wants her freedom and independence, and can't and won't connect with his family, nor allow him any peace as she is continuously arguing over different opinions and values. The principled worker's movement/union member wanting justice for workers without the use of underhand deals that gets a taste for power. The unfulfilled husband tempted by a seductive reporter that offers a key to obtaining the power he comes to crave.

Dale Ferguson (Set and Costume Design) has created a minimalist set whereby the black box space of the Belvoir Upstairs Theatre stage is stripped back to plain painted concrete walls with a black grill panel cutting across the rear corner of the stage. Initially, the grill takes on the appearance of a fence or tight prison bars as a pile of files sits mid stage. Old office waiting room chairs and a basic meeting room table line the walls behind the grill. The grill goes on to reveal Verity Hampson's lighting design of LED lighting that allows images, words that indicate location changes, and blinding light to dominate the stage. When not illuminated, Hampson uses traditional lighting to help isolate areas of the stage and increase drama.

Ferguson's costuming helps sets the era as the late 70's with Michael Well's brown suit and wide tie, Louise and Robin's high waist jeans, and Rose Draper's pleated slacks. There is a gradient of formality from bureaucrat Wells suit to socialist Ramon polo shirt and trousers, the unionists and women's refuge worker's jeans and t-shirts and the steel worker's safety boots and heavy work gear. Allen's style initially sits between Well's political corner office world and the more casual 'every man' image of the unionist and economist with his button down shirt, sans tie, and casual sports jacket.

Flack's interpretation of Sewell's lengthy work varies in pace with mixed results. The initial execution/murder scene, which proves important in understanding later events, is rushed with an overload of activity, losing some of the context that Sewell wrote into his staging notes. Conversely, the pace of Louise(Yael Stone) and Allen's interactions drag loosing sincere passion giving the arguments the feel that she's just provoking him for the sake of it and there is no indication that there is a consistent underlying affection for her husband making the latter declaration of love seem insincere and unbelievable. The cat and mouse game between Allen and journalist Rose (Zahara Newman) moves at a nice teasing pace as their 'friendship' evolves and we learn more about Rose. The interaction at Allen's parent's home has the right balance of awkwardness of a family trying to relate when they really don't share common views or experiences.

Spielman portrays Allen Fitzgerald as a man who has had firm beliefs for a long time, since 14 according to Bob Lang. He adds an element of confusion and doubt as he seeks to find an understanding of the present from his work, wife, family and options for the future. There is variance of passion, distance and submission depending on the situation. He evokes sympathy when Allen is trying to communicate with his argumentative cold wife as he expresses the struggle of someone raised in a traditional catholic working class home trying to come to grips with the type of marriage his feminist wife wants that sees him feel that they have no connection save for living under the same roof and joining for carnal purposes. He captures Allen's gradual decent into the dark murky quest for power over his original goal of support for the masses, becoming more and more unlikeable as he deviates from his original beliefs.

As his wife, Yael Stone has created a generally unlikeable Louise as whilst the feminist ideals are founded, she conveys them in a way that seems to just want a fight. It appears that Louise does things just to provoke and annoy Allen and is single minded and unwilling to understand anyone else's perspective. She captures the derision Louise feels towards Allen's family who she does not agree with the way they operate as a patriarchal family. Zahara Newman presents financial journalist Rose Draper with a mysteriousness that has the audience wondering what she is up to in her pursuing Allen. It is this mystique that makes it understandable that Allen is captivated whilst also seeing Rose as an avenue to seek revenge on Louise for her indiscretions.

Geoff Morrell as Well's is solid as the confident slimy secretary of the Social Democratic Party, expressing a dominance and gravitas as he wields his power with those that want favors from the Party. Likewise, Russell Kiefel creates very distinct characterizations of Capitalist Sir Leslie Harris who seeks support from Wells, and Allen's father Doug, a longtime worker at the steel works, who is seeking to justify the death of a son whilst alienating his two remaining children. As Doug's son and Allen's brother Bruce Fitzgerald, Andrew Henry conveys a young man downtrodden by his father, never expected to amount to anything who finally finds his own voice and beliefs all the while retaining the morals and standards that his brother has foregone. Ivan Donato presents Ramon, the exiled Chilean socialist who works with Allen at the "Rank and File Coordinating Centre", with a single mindedness in his quest for socialism in Australia.

Given the nature of the work being written in the early 1980's at a time when Australia was undergoing great change with back room trades and political dealings, it does help to have an understanding of the political landscape of the late 1970's and early 1980's. It is clear though that the backroom deals and bargains are still occurring as unions still seek government intervention in protecting local industries so THE BLIND GIANT IS DANCING serves as a warning to keep a focus on what is the real purpose and not be courted by greed and power to achieve those goals.

Photos: Brett Boardman

THE BLIND GIANT IS DANCING

Upstairs Theatre, Belvoir St Theatre

18 Belvoir St, Surry Hills

Box Office
02 9699 3444
belvoir.com.au

Dates
13 February - 20 March 2016
Unwaged Performance
2pm Thursday 25 February
Captioned Performance
2pm Saturday 5 March
Audio Described Performance
2pm Saturday 12 March
Sunday Forum
3pm 20 March
Times
Tuesday 6.30pm
Wednesday to Friday 8pm
Saturday 2pm & 8pm
Sunday 5pm
Tickets*
Full from $72, Seniors/Industry/Group $62, Concession $49, Previews $40,
30-Down $47, Student Saver $37
* Belvoir's ticket prices can be dynamically adjusted either up or down without notice. This can apply to a small number of tickets in response to demand for a specific performance date or time.

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