Katherine Lyall-Watson's 'Motherland' at Metro Arts - Review

Katherine Lyall-Watson's 'Motherland' at Metro Arts - Review

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Posted 2013-11-02 by Retired Writerfollow

Wed 30 Oct 2013 - Sat 16 Nov 2013

The best plays sweep you up, visually and emotionally, and drop you down amongst the action. They're so engaging you can't escape. They're so spectacular you don't want to.

The newest production on my Best Plays list is the phenomenal ' Motherland '.


Based on real events, the play immersed me in the stories of three Russian women and their serendipitous connection with the Russian Revolution, World War II, and Brisbane history.

Performed at Metro Art's Sue Benner Theatre, the play couldn't have been staged at a more appropriate location.

Indeed, entering the Verve restaurant below the Metro Arts foyer, I felt I had travelled back in time, to the kind of European café/bar where revolutions begin. The dingy, 'damp cellar' atmosphere and arty vibe set the perfect mood for Motherland.

The intimacy of the Sue Benner Theatre brought the actors so close you could see their every expression.

Motherland is the work of Australian playwright Katherine Lyall-Watson – a tribute to the woven pasts of Nell Tritton , Nina Berberova, and Alyona.

Nelle is the Brisbane wife of deposed Russian Prime Minister Kerensky. She forms a tender friendship with poet Nina, who is exiled in Paris. The third character, museum curator Alyona, who uncovers the stories of Nell and Nina and whose dreams of finding paradise in Queensland are crushed by the Fitzgerald inquiry and bankruptcy, narrates the story.

Motherland is an epic narrative of camaraderie, displacement, and identity, crafted on the foundations of love, ambition, politics and the casualties that often accompany these themes.

Under the direction of Caroline Dunphy, the well-chosen cast brings the characters to life with extraordinary passion and ability. The decision to make some actors play multiple roles encourages the audience to stretch their imagination.

As I left the theatre, I overheard a comment that the play was a bit too fast-paced and could have used an introduction to explain the opening scene. But this didn't detract from the play's overall brilliance, and the general sentiment was one of awe.

(As I understood, the opening scene was a protest in Moscow during the Revolutions of 1989 (correlating with the Queensland Fitzgerald inquiry of 1987-1989), which overthrew the communist states in various Central and Eastern European countries).

High-energy, entertaining and emotionally stirring, it's no surprise this production has been short-listed for this year's Patrick White Playwrights' Award.

#brisbane_city
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!date 30/10/2013 -- 16/11/2013
%wnbrisbane
154137 - 2023-06-14 08:51:16

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