REVIEW: Avalanche – A Love Story
This is not a conventional love story. It is a memoir of the author’s personal experience with a failed relationship and repeated attempts to conceive a child through IVF.
Julia Leigh wrote her about her emotional journey in an intensely honest book which she then adapted for the stage. The one-woman play received high praise when it was performed in London, and the same British actress, Maxine Peake, is performing the role of “Woman” in the Sydney production.
On a stark black stage with only a white desk furnishing it, surrounded by three bare white walls with a door in each, the casually dressed Woman addresses the audience directly. She starts her bio from when she was 19 years old and first met her soon-to-be husband at Uni. The narrative continues through to the present day, incorporating her husband’s infidelities, their divorce, a brief reconciliation, then focusing mostly on her varied attempts to get pregnant while her body clock ruthlessly ticked away.
There are minimal production elements including the occasional child that runs across the stage, and some prop effects, with the most dramatic staging occurring towards the end. The play is really all about the story and all about the singular performance. Peake is excellent. She’s animated and engaging without being histrionic. Her comic timing is spot on – essential for a story that can weigh a little heavy at times.
It is in fact, the story itself which is the weakest point. It is anecdotal, and, while no doubt traumatic for the Woman, it would resonate with only a specific group of people. As such, it could have done with some accessories in the way of more production, more humour or even some license with the story. However, the writing and Peake’s performance still make it a hearty 90 odd minutes of theatre.
Until Sep 14. Roslyn Packer Theatre, 22 Hickson Rd, Walsh Bay. $81-$103+b.f. Tickets & Info: www.sydneytheatre.com.au
Reviewed by Rita Bratovich
