Beneath the Surface review | Edge of the Heart Productions | The Motley Bahaus

In Beneath the Surface, four short Australian plays uncover the tensions, relationships and stories that sit beneath ordinary life. Presented by Edge of the Heart Productions, the plays vary in style, direction and genre, offering distinct perspectives on contemporary life.

Adèle Shelley’s Coffee in the Time of Coronavirus brings two neighbours together during Melbourne’s lockdown, with their relationship developing through conversations from their adjoining balconies. Shelley grounds the piece in recognisable reality, but gives it an unpredictable quality that leaves you wondering where an otherwise mundane conversation might lead. Carissa McPherson and Paul Canlan deliver lovely performances as the unlikely neighbours forced to become friends, discovering that their assumptions about each other conceal far more complicated personalities.

Sibling rivalry is at the centre of Mazz Ryan’s Mine, as two sisters come together following the death of their mother. Ryan’s script is well-observed and often sharply funny, but becomes repetitive as the sisters move from arguing to making up, only to fall back into another argument, and the ending feels like it could have given a more complete resolution. Ryan and Donna De Palma find a nice rhythm as the sisters, with both bringing an easy familiarity to their fractious relationship.

McPherson’s An Internal Matter is probably the boldest of the works, looking at how a corporate company reacts when a junior female employee accuses one of its best salesmen of sexual harassment. It is an interesting angle, as we watch the CEO, HR, lawyers, and senior executives attempt to bury the incident, more concerned with protecting the company’s reputation than the victim's wellbeing. Rather than depicting the events directly, McPherson gives us fragments of the conversations that take place behind closed doors, gradually revealing how the organisation responds. The final scene, however, is less satisfying, not because of what it has to say about the issue, but because it needs a more definitive ending to bring the story’s ideas together.

The fourth story, The Trading Place, also written by Shelley, is a whimsical tale about a woman wanting to reclaim the last twenty-five years of her life, when she was child-free, had a body with bits in all the right places, and could go out and eat and drink whatever she wanted without having to worry about the hangover or the consequences the next day. Nadia Andary is wonderful as the wry Empress, who tries to bargain with the woman over what she is willing to sacrifice to have her years back, ultimately making her question whether the life she has now is really as bad as she thinks.

The production makes great use of set changes, giving each play a specific environment. I particularly liked the design of Coffee in the Time of Coronavirus, with the balconies of the two residents accurately reflecting their personalities. The shopfront for The Trading Place is also quite effective, creating a convincing surrounding for the Empress and the woman to interact. These set changes and props help distinguish the stories, rather than leaving them unfold on a generic stage.

Beneath the Surface presents four works that explore the complexities of life when situations force people to confront something they might otherwise avoid. While some are more successful than others, each takes its own path in examining the choices, relationships and circumstances that shape our lives. The variety between them keeps the collection moving in different directions, making for an engaging selection of short Australian plays.

Beneath the Surface  was performed at The Motley Bauhaus between 8 - 12 September.

Image credit: Moira Callegari