THEATRE: FOOL FOR LOVE
“I’m not goin’ anywhere. I’m staying right here,” whispers Eddie in his southern drawl to May, who sits silently at the end of a dishevelled bed. But no sooner has he spoken these words, he rises to leave. May lurches forward and clings to his legs only to aggressively push him away. This opening scene not only illustrates how this relationship operates but also what’s about to go down in this seedy motel room. A pattern of seduction, sex and violence; of appearing and disappearing will reoccur and intensify to the point of chaos. This is all delivered with class. Emma Jackson plays the oscillating complexities of the scorned yet vulnerable May with ease and conviction, while Justin Stewart Cotta imbues Eddie with the right level of sleaze and crazy-eye venom. Terry Serio, perched above the stage, is the perfect poetic device by acting as gateway to fantasy and memory for each character along with amplifying their emotional beats with country tunes from his guitar. Although this is enough to get you engaged, the performance doesn’t consistently captivate. It seems to lose its magic in the lighter parts of Sam Shepard’s mainly relentless script, failing to maximise the humour in some of the banter. These quieter moments also reveal the lack of chemistry and tension between the leads, lessening the emotional investment in the outcome. Despite this, Fool For Love is worth seeing as the provocative themes, which explore the warped legacies of obsession and addiction, create several beautiful dramatic moments that really invoke the sadness of a life wasted on a person who doesn’t truly know how to love.
Until Oct 24, Belvoir St Theatre, 25 Belvoir St, Surry Hills, $24–32, 9699 3444, belvoir.com.au
