Theatre review: Bright
This original production, full of emerging, local talent, explores youth, belonging, and dreams, and identifies historic challenges that continue to plague young people today.
Bright is set in 1818 East London, where a community navigates familial and romantic love, class divides, and inequality. The plot is centred around Octavia Nettlefold (Miranda Gillam Grant), a writer who is bringing the characters we meet on stage to life, and her twin brother Darius Nettlefold (Finn Caulfield). The twins have both been raised by their wealthy uncle, Ebe Zuckerman (Sam McKenna). As Octavia falls for Jimmy Pittfield (Tom McCann), a ‘resurrectionist’ who sits across the class divide, an unlikely connection is formed between the two households, and they find themselves having to fend off threats of greed and deception.
Sean Riley is both the writer and director of Bright, but the characters and themes were devised with collaboration from the performers. Fifteen young and capable actors, all from Free Agents Youth Theatre, make up the cast, and each hold their own on stage. As a collective, they manage to find both the humour and tenderness is the script.
Class is a prevalent theme in Bright and is visually demonstrated in the set, designed by Kim Loitta. On one side of the Goodwood Theatre and Studio’s stage is an antique chaise lounge, demonstrative of the Nettlefold’s affluent standing. On the other side, is a rustic dining table in an eclectic, homey space, representative of the Pittfield’s humble origins. The most charming scenes, both in scripting and in performance, are those around the Pittfield dining table, where the characters interact with the familiarity and authenticity of a boisterous, tight-knit household.
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The production is well-paced and sharp. Occasionally there are dips in and out of British accents, but these are subtle and don’t draw away from the overall performances. A standout mention must be given to Nancy Marshall, who plays the character Lettice Cholmondeley, a medium who, as part of her job connecting with the dead, takes on a variety of characters, all distinct in voice and physically – the audience laughs loudest when she is on stage.
Despite being set in a different era and in a different country, Bright displays how the problems young Australians face today have prevailed for centuries: intergenerational inequality was a thing before negative gearing, and there was loneliness and a lack of connection before social media. This is not to dismiss the struggles of today, but perhaps to highlight how we have failed young people time and time again.
Bright is a charming display of local theatre and shows what can be achieved by devising original works: a new production that ushers in the next generation of performers and theatregoers. It is also a display of how art can be a beacon of hope for young people – for the ‘bright, young things’.
Bright was presented from July 30 – August 1 at Goodwood Theatre and Studios
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