THEATRE: MISS JULIE
REVIEW BY ANNA HARRISON
Given that Albert Strindberg’s Miss Julie was first performed in 1888, Latvian director Vladislavs Nastavshevs manages to present the century old play in a way that is contemporarily relevant, offering an intimate and innovative examination of psycho-sexual power-play interlaced with social class and gender. Miss Julie (Katie Fitchett), the daughter of a count, is determined to defy the social mores of her class by seducing her father’s eloquent and ambitious servant Jean (Laurence Breuls). The action unfolds over the course of a single night in the kitchen of Miss Julie’s manor where Jean’s pious fiancé and fellow servant Kristine (Julie Moore) is prive to their flirtation. What ensues is a complex and sometimes disturbing verbal jousting as the three characters use their gender and social positions as manipulative devices.
Due in part to the intimate space of downstairs Belvoir and the convincing performances of the actor’s, the sexual tug-of-war that unfolds on stage between Jean and Julie is intense and compelling. Whilst the vernacular of the play is certainly indicative of its time, the broader themes of love, lust, power and the human need to define ourselves within a social construct transcend era and translate coherently to a contemporary audience. Nastavshevs has taken an understated directorial approach by limiting movement and theatrics, allowing the conflict innate in the dialogue to create the tension on stage.
The fourth character in the play is, interestingly enough, a plank of wood that hangs precariously above the actor’s heads throughout. It is the characters interaction with this obtuse addition to the set that at once contributes to the tension and distracts from the dialogue, as they tentatively negotiate the balance of the plank & the objects placed on it. Despite the sometimes awkward manoeuvring, Nastavshevs and designer Alice Morgan’s choice of set design cleverly illustrates the oscillating balancing act in which the characters are engaged.
Generally speaking the three actors complement each other with the strength of their performances. Fitchett’s rendering of Miss Julie is at times contrary to the nature of the character as defined by the script, opting for a more coquettish and fragile portrayal of the supposedly ‘wild’ and unabashed daughter of an aristocrat. Breuls and Moore deliver performances that seem truer to Stridnberg’s original intention and Breuls even manages to smatter a few moments of humour throughout, albeit ever so sparse.
Not an uplifting play by any means but, at just over an hour, the relatively short length of this understated and darkly elegant production of Miss Julie makes the weight of the drama bearable, while the symbology of the set provides some food for thought. Just be sure to watch your head on the way out.
Miss Julie
Belvoir Downstairs Theatre
25 Belvoir Street, Surry Hills
Until June 22
Tickets: $23-$29 (Tuesdays pay-what-you-can $10 minimum)
www.belvoir.com.au or 9699 3444
