Donné Ngabo delivers a magnetic performance as Sidney, capturing the actor’s charisma and the immense pressure simmering beneath his composed exterior. He infuses the role with impressive nuance, where instances of restraint, vulnerability, and defiance emerge with equal force, while keeping the tension alive throughout even the most intense exchanges.
After more than two decades away from the stage, Alan Dale returns with striking authority as NBC lawyer Mr Parks, giving a performance that is commanding and unsettling. He brings a slick charm to the character’s intimidation and manipulation, allowing every line to carry a layer of threat while maintaining effortless dominance of the situation.
Josh McConville presents a layered portrayal to white liberal writer Bobby, balancing the character’s nervous humour and ambition with an underlying sense of moral uncertainty. He gives the role a restless intensity that gradually reveals the compromises and fears he struggles to avoid, making Bobby far more than a simple intermediary within the escalating conflict.
Under the direction of Bert LaBonté, the production holds an atmosphere of mounting strain as it coaxes out the distinct personalities and motivations of each character with remarkable clarity. LaBonté is particularly attentive to the shifting physicality of Sidney, who first appears with an easy swagger and confidence, only to shrink within the confines of Parks’ office, becoming more restrained, cautious, and aware of the space he occupies.
When Sidney is pressured into retelling an anecdote to win favour, he finds himself slipping into performance mode for the approval of the room. The discomfort and calculation driving this interaction are sharply accentuated by Rachel Lee’s lighting and Jethro Woodward’s sound design, which heighten the scene’s unease and stakes.
What makes Retrograde compelling is the way its historical setting never feels distant. Beneath its polished period surface - brought vividly to life through Zoe Rouse’s costumes and set design - lies a pointed scrutiny of image management, institutional power, and the concessions demanded by industries that claim to celebrate individuality while quietly enforcing conformity. The play’s questions about who is permitted to speak, dissent, or succeed continue to resonate well beyond its 1950s backdrop.
Retrograde succeeds as a carefully focused, high-stakes theatre that draws its power from control as much as confrontation. It is a reminder of how easily systems of authority can shape identity, silence opposition, and reward compliance. What lingers most is not just the era-specific nature of this meeting, but the familiarity it exposes, making this production immediate rather than of its time.
SHOW DETAILS
Venue: Arts Centre Melbourne, 100 St. Kilda Rd, Southbank
Season: until 27 June | Mon-Tue 6.30pm, Wed-Fri 7.30pm, Sat 2pm and 7:30pm
Duration: 90 minutes
Tickets: $69 - $141
Bookings: Melbourne Theatre Company
Image credit: Sarah Walker
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