Looking For Alibrandi ~ State Theatre Company ~ Theatre Review

[Theatre, SA Premiere] Dunstan Playhouse - Fri 23 May. People who went to high school during the 1990s and beyond will remember reading Melina Marchetta’s Looking For Alibrandi as a class text or viewing the screen adaptation. Tonight we are here to see Brink Productions and The State Theatre Company’s stage adaptation of the novel. Directed by Stephen Nicolazzo this coming of age story is a celebration of Italian culture and at times a romp with a political undercurrent. Playwright Violya Rojan’s adaptation succeeds because it is cleverly both laugh out loud funny and poignant in equal measure. With a predominantly Italian/English bilingual cast the script frequently asks the performers to speak in Italian. As a device this works extremely well. It gives authenticity but also highlights the experience of so many people from non-English speaking Australian homes – whether it be from Southern Europe, Asia or elsewhere. Some people sitting behind me clearly identified with this aspect of the play, judging from their gawfs of recognition. In turn their laughter increased my enjoyment. Chanella Macri playing Josie is outstanding. She is the central point throughout and a towering presence on stage. With great comic timing and excellent use of eye rolls and flounces she gives us a sassy, argumentative version of Josie, while still revealing her vulnerability. Equally impressive is the skilled and artful performance by Jennifer Vuletic, playing the dual roles of Katia the family matriarch and Sister Bernadette. A standout moment occurs when Vuletic sings a pop song from her youth. Her singing voice has wonderful timbre and she embraces the lament without reverting to sentimentality. Lucia Mastrantone as the mother Christina and also playing Josie’s friend Sera gives another noteworthy performance. Her portrayal of Sera plays it for laughs but thankfully just avoids caricature. The decision to have an all seeing “nonna spy mafia” rolling and tumbling around the stage, reporting on Josie’s life, is inspired and also adds to the fun of this show. Kate Davis’s set and costumes capture the 1990s timeframe. Boxes of tomatoes litter the stage, and there are plastic tablecloths and chairs to boot. This allows the importance of food, and cultural heritage to act as a backdrop to the intergenerational drama unfolding in front of us. For me the artificial looking wigs worn by some cast members playing dual roles is a jarring element however. Looking For Alibrandi is a thought provoking and fun night out, and brings us so much more than mere nostalgia. It is a skilled and standalone  theatre piece. Come see it for yourself. 5 stars Cathy Tune Looking For Alibrandi continues at The Dunstan Playhouse at various times until Sat 31 May. Click HERE to purchase your tickets:  #TheClothesline