The Revolutionists - The Curators

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Tue 02 Mar 2021 - Fri 26 Mar 2021

A brilliant execution of the feminist version of the French Revolution!

"You don't write what you know, you write what you want!" exclaims the pivotal character Olympe de Gouges (Lisa Hickey). It is the Reign of Terror in 1793 when anyone and everyone was fair game for a terminal meeting with Madame Guillotine. American award-winning playwright Lauren Gunderson has reimagined scenes from the French Revolution with a feminist flavour, focusing on the legacy of four women in a time of crippling oppression and fear. Combining Gunderson's wit with the creative innovation of The Curators' Theatre (TCT), an unorthodox independent theatre company co-founded by Michael Beh and Peter Crees, ensured a clever and entertaining reinterpretation of the French Revolution. The character Olympe commented that "it's not a good way to start a comedy with an execution!" However, TCT's execution of The Revolutionists was outstanding.


The unusual venue in the tiny 19th century Christ Church on the grounds of the original Brisbane cemetery and under the looming shadow of the SunCorp stadium was used to full effect. With reclaimed headstones and even a resident ghost, it added to the sinister flavour of the show. Michael Beh's use of the small rectangular space was extremely effective with the audience flanking a red-carpeted runway between two stages. The characters paraded between the audience involving them as direct witnesses to their unfolding story by sharing props and frequently directing comments at audience members which was a lovely touch. A simple trolley was also dragged by the characters poignantly mimicking their last journey terminating with the gallows.

The of the four actresses were well accomplished in the characterisations of each historical figure, epitomising four strong and dominant women in a time when feminism was overlooked. The protagonist Olympe des Gouges is a female activist and playwright agonising over how to write a new and momentous play. She was full of witty one-liners suggesting a working title of Life, Liberty and Divorce and exclaiming that in Democracy 101, you can't kill the writers! The actress and former radio announcer for Brisbane's 4ZZZ Lisa Hickey (Ghosts, The Enemy Within), reinterprets the author of the seminary Declaration of the Right's of Woman, as a stereotyped egocentric luvvie whose mission is to write a play of significance. She moots the idea of "a play within a play" discarding it as one of her worst ideas, yet it is the premise of Gunderson's The Revolutionists. As Olympe writes the play the tragic story progresses, littered throughout with incredible one-liners and satirical humour. Asabi Goodman (Disenchanted, Flaws and All) was a domineering match for Olympe when she recruits her to write a political leaflet. She was excellent as the composite moralistic character of Marianne, demanding equal rights for all after escaping slavery in the Caribbean.


Lauren Roche (Ghosts, When the Rain Stops Falling) is the beautiful and cunning assassin Charlotte Corday who famously murdered the radical but sickly journalist Jean-Paul Marat who spent most of his time in the bath for a skin condition. She was a confident singer and "such a bad arse" as Marie Antoinette exclaimed. Amanda McErlean (Uncle Vanya, The Quighting Time) transformed the usually frumpy character of "Citizen Cake", with her comical street patois. Her childish and petulant comments were hilarious " cause I'm the main charakta of the play raat!" and "I'm laak totally dauwn now". McErlean managed to balance a selfish pompous attitude with an inner strength and royal dignity, which may have been closer to the real Marie Antoinette. All four women were strutting their stuff in the musical numbers such as Chaka Khan's I'm Every Woman, but there were too many musical interludes that detracted from Gundersons's storyline.

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The costumes designed by Jan Mandrusiack were outstanding, a mass of feathers, ribbons, gold and bling. However, in the 35-degree airless church the poor wigged women were lathered in sweat in the European garb, yet incredibly, not one of them wilted whilst performing. 

The Revolutionists was brilliantly executed, innovative and witty, littered with brilliant one-liners with even a hidden nod to the popular Les Miserables with the phrase "can you hear the people sing." I found it superior to the much esteemed musical and recommend everyone see it before the blade falls.

#Drama
#humour
#milton
#quirky
#theatre
#theatre -reviews
#march
!date 02/03/2021 -- 26/03/2021
%wnbrisbane