You can feel the anticipation and excitement in the
foyer the second that director Moira Finucane comes out to greet us and let us into
the venue at Arts Projects Australia Gallery. Presented by the powerhouse duo of Finucane and Smith, The Destroyer has
been reworked and reimagined by writer Jackie Smith various times throughout the
numerous lockdowns Melbourne experienced over the last two years. And the wait is definitely worth it.
The Destroyer consists
of three monologues from three mythic sisters that explore contrasting thoughts around the end of the
world. From fury to hope, vice to virtue and isolation to extinction. Maude
Davey opens up the show with "The Destroyer" and she sets the bar for three
strong and powerful performances. Davey has a knack of simultaneously being in
the moment with her character while connecting with the audience as if she is
speaking directly to each individual in the room.
Lola Montez died
when she was 42. And when she was 90. And also when she was 36 and 64 years of
age. She died on stage and on a ship. She breathed her last breath in Melbourne
and also in Bavaria. So unpredictable and unique was this Irish actor /
entertainer's life that it was only a matter of time before a show was created
about her, and who better to do that than Moira Finucane and Jackie Smith with The
Exotic Lives of Lola Montez.
A red curtain
runs along the back of the stage, with Lola's name hanging on a piece of wood.
A chest rests in the middle of the floor, again inscribed with her name. The
large, near-empty performance space at Her Majesty's Ballarat could easily
dwarf a lesser performer, but fortunately Caroline Lee as the eponymous
entertainer (herself a direct descendant of Lola) easily fills the stage with
the energy and enthusiasm that Lola would no doubt have possessed. Finucane's
signature large, bold movements are evident in her direction, while ensuring
that we get to see a vulnerable and (somewhat) honest side to Lola.
