Long on celebration

Festen is the tragi-comic tale of a celebration gone horribly pear shaped. It’s Christian’s father’s birthday. Family and friends have gathered together at the family’s country hotel to mark the occasion, refusing to let festivities be overshadowed by the burial of Christian’s twin sister the day before.

Christian, the favourite son, has written two speeches, one of which he calls his truth speech. The mischievous revellers demand he read the truth speech, to everyone’s regret. Christian has a tale to tell which involves airing dirty personal laundry and letting his sister’s skeleton out of the family closet. His childhood secret will rock the family to its core, setting them against each other and irrevocably changing all their lives forever.

This is a great play based on a great Dogma film of the same name (1998). The play features a truly outstanding cast including some legendary Australian actors and some very talented up and coming actors.

Festen is a large cast of 13 plays, all of whom play integral parts in the storytelling. In the film there are even more actors involved. But David Eldridge’s adaptation of the film has streamlined the cast. In adapting the film to the stage, Eldridge has done a superb job, staying true to the themes and emotional undertow of the original screenplay, while paring down the characters involved, without losing any of the drama and tension. Quite the opposite, in fact.

"a visceral, disturbing and deeply moving experience"

The casting is spot on. The timeless and talented Angela Punch McGregor plays the family’s matriarch, Elsa. McGregor is graceful and evil as Elsa – a Stepford wife in the flesh. John Stanton plays the patriarch, Helge. Butter wouldn’t melt in his mouth. Anywhere else on his anatomy it would sizzle brown instantly. Jeremy Sims as the manic narcissistic Michael is cringingly convincing. Sims gives a no holds barred energetic performance from start to finish. Anna Lise Philips as the maid, Pia, Christian’s love interest, gives a lovely performance as the empathic childhood friend turned lover. Tom Long makes a stunning debut with STC in his role as the embattled Christian who is driven by his inner demons to exorcise the past once and for all.

I have to confess to not being a fan of Long’s film work to date. But his star turn in Festen puts paid to this opinion. Long’s performance as Christian is assured, gut-wrenching and heart felt. Encore Mr Long.

One of the most compelling aspects of this production is that there is so much to watch. Every single actor is acting at all times, no matter whether they have lines or not. This gives the performance a sense of realism, a third dimension which is mesmerising. No matter where you look, there’s something to see, someone to watch. Thirteen actors, all performing as if it were a solo gig. That’s no only great theatre, that’s great value for money!

The set is simple but effective. It’s like a modern decorator has been let loose on H Hamlet’s castle. The set is made on a grand scale. A large darkly painted room with a grand chandelier hanging above the unfurnished space, which is flanked by three floor to ceiling French windows, covered with billowing teal curtains. A huge pair of double doors occupies centre stage at the rear of the set. The panels on either side of the doors slide up, allowing the tables for the dinner and breakfast scenes to be rolled out. The bedroom scene has been very cunningly blocked to combine 3 scenes into one. A four posted bed descends from above to set the scene.

If you enjoyed Festen the film, then you’ll also enjoy the play. STC’s production of Festen is a visceral, disturbing and deeply moving experience. This is what theatre is all about – to have an emotional impact on the audience, to take your audience to another world and let them soak in it, so that whatever happens on stage, they feel as if they’re up there too, going through it all with the players. A must see.

Philippa Wherrett

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Festen

Company: Sydney Theatre Company
Venue: Drama Theatre, Sydney Opera House
Dates: November 5 - December 17, 2005