Skating in the Clouds review

Summer and Autumn are two women in love, but despite appearances, all is not well in their fairy tale world. Written by Clare Mendes, Skating in the Clouds invites us into this whimsical space where fanciful skating parties are given the same level of urgency as our ever-growing environment and climate problems.
 
Rebecca Morton and Katrina Mathers play Autumn and Summer with great commitment. They distinctly show how different they are - with Autumn constantly trying to solve a leaking pipe whereas Summer remains fixated on the guest list for her decades away 70th birthday - yet also ensure we understand how they can be so drawn to each other.

However, Skating in the Clouds tries too hard to dispense philosophical ideas and critiques on whether we are doing enough to safeguard the survival of the planet, that it minimises who its people are and prevents us from seeing them as authentic beings. Mendes' script brings in contrived conversations that have a lot to say but with no rich narrative or character development taking place, there's no impact in the words.
 
While the story focuses on Autumn and Summer's relationship, there are a number of interludes where actors Shamita Sivabalan and El Kiley perform as a variety of characters who touch on several climate change themes. Unfortunately, it's another example of not having a human element to the production as these comical sketch-like scenes add little to the overall arc.
 
The lighting design by Natalia Velasco Moreno is one of the production’s stronger elements, with warmth and intimacy radiating into the bedroom of the two lovers and playing with the idea of being cocooned in their St Kilda bubble as day turns to night and night turns to day outside. The set design by Bianca Pardo further emphasises this with an extraordinarily large bed and oversized props. Morton and Mathers' costumes allude to their fairy tale world, while highlighting their individual personalities and motivations.
 
There’s no denying that the issues raised in Skating in the Clouds are timely and urgent, but its didactic approach to storytelling makes it difficult to engage with. Removing the scenes with Sivabalan and Kiley - even with the energy they bring - and editing the repetitive dialogue between Summer and Autumn could turn this into a snappy 60-minute play that leaves you moved by the message.

Show Details

Venue: Theatre Works, 14 Acland St, St. Kilda
Season: until 14 December | Tues - Sat 7:30pm
Duration: 100 minutes
Tickets: $49 Full | $38 Concession | 20 for $22
Bookings: Theatre Works

Image credit: Anna Moloney-Heath