Summer of the Seventeenth Doll – REVIEW

The gremlins had it in for the Genesian company on opening night of their latest production, Summer of the Seventeenth Doll. The lights wouldn’t cooperate, the pre-show music didn’t want to stop, and the whole thing threw the actors off kilter. However, the cast and the audience took it all in good humour and persevered. 

Ray Lawler’s quintessentially Australian play is now considered a seminal classic. First performed in 1955 and set around that time, it broke with theatre convention, using authentic Australian colloquialisms and references. It also pushed the boundaries of social decorum with its main characters indulging in shenanigans out of wed-lock and one philanderer admitting to having fathered several children to different women (gasp!). 

The play doesn’t feel as edgy now, in fact, it arguably hasn’t aged well overall. Most notable is the blatant misogyny of the story and the way the female characters are written. The play was also written at a time when theatre-goers were more patient or perhaps wanted more bang for their buck; it’s longer than it needs to be with the last half hour or so feeling stretched and repetitive. 

Those criticisms, of course, have to do with the play. The production itself has the affectionate attention to detail we have come to expect from the Genesian company. 

It has to be said, this is not one of their better productions. There were a few slip ups with lines and it feels as though the false start on this particular night might have taken some of the energy out of the performances. That said, there are some powerful scenes and a few hearty chuckles and it’s always refreshing to hear real Australian accents on stage. 

The sets, costumes, props, as ever, are marvellous and it’s worth the price of the ticket to see this rarely performed classic on stage. 

Until August 20; The Genesian Theatre, 420 Kent St, Sydney; $30-$35 + bf: Tickets and info:

genesiantheatre.com