Billed as a "compelling dramatic triptych", Michael Cristofer's The Shadow Box, directed by Kim Hardwick, failed to live up to the stunning criticisms garnered in previous versions.
This new production by Dino Dimitriadis in Association with Red Line Productions was at times gripping and powerful yet felt slightly disjointed. The play centres around three terminally ill cancer sufferers as they interact with their significant others in this final stage of their lives. Yet, the direness of these situations were not fully realised. The set — a series of six-foot pines hanging from ropes, old wooden chairs and the odd miscellanea — made for an interesting minimalist space suited to this austere yet at times overwritten play.
The three stories, while intertwined artfully and practically within the limited space, seemed lopsided. The chemistry between Agnes (Ella Prince) and her mother Felicity (Fiona Press), the cancer patient suffering from dementia, overpowered the other scenes, meaning the unified vision of the play was stifled. While there were moments of tear-jerking realism, the play tended towards overly sentimental conclusions which felt jarring and disengaged the emotions. The closing scene, a flourish of feathers falling from above, and choral meditations on life and death seemed glib and underwhelming.
The Old Fitz Theatre presents The Shadow Box to 10 Dec.
