MIDSUMMA: Prodigal

Eleven years after its world premiere at Melbourne’s gay and lesbian cultural festival Midsumma in 2000, Dean Bryant and Mathew Frank’s musical retelling of the parable of the prodigal son was rapturously received in its return season at this year’s Midsumma.

Extra performances were added to the run, which was fully sold out by the end of its season, and the venue was regularly turning away disappointed would-be audience members.

Briskly and effectively told, Prodigal is a stripped back production featuring five performers (one of whom plays two roles) and a single pianist, Mark Jones (The Beautiful Losers).

It tells the story of 18 year old Luke (2010 WAAPA graduate Edward Grey), who has grown bored of life in his home town of Eden on the south coast of New South Wales; a ‘Picture Postcard Place’ where he lives with his family, fisherman father Harry (Peter Hardy), housewife mother Celia (Anne Wood) and knockabout older brother Kane (Adam Rennie).

After running away from home Luke reinvents himself in Sydney; coming out, studying, sharing a flat with performance artist Maddy (Christina O’Neill), and discovering the pitfalls and pleasures of the gay scene with his new boyfriend Zach (Adam Rennie again).

Before long a fondness for partying hard and drug-taking has caused Luke to hit rock bottom, forcing him to return home for a painful reunion with his estranged family.

With a strong story that occasionally suffers from compressing events in order to keep the show moving – such as Luke’s descent into drug use, which is so tightly telescoped that it lacks dramatic impact – Prodigal is definitely entertaining, but it feels too much like a promising first show from talented young writers – which is exactly what it was when it premiered 11 years ago.

While some songs have been tinkered with for this new production, there are still some trite and awkward rhymes that had this reviewer wincing, and the story’s resolution ventures a little too close to melodrama. Too, the production could have benefited from richer presentation; pianist Jones is good, but additional instrumentation would have fleshed out the sometimes stark score and enhanced the show’s solid songs.

Performances were generally strong, though Rennie failed to convince as Zach, Luke’s high maintenance and self-centred boyfriend. Conversely, as a woman whose maternal instincts are strong enough to overcome her conservative nature, Wood was excellent as Celia, especially during her passionate performance of the song, ‘Love Them and Leave Them Alone’, in which she confronts her own husband’s homophobia.

There was a strong sense of a family dynamic, the staging was simple but effective, and the songs were never extraneous, always advancing the plot and revealing further depths to the characters.

Charming, engaging and entertaining, Prodigal is a charming first show from two of Australia’s most successful music theatre practitioners.

Bryant and Frank Productions present Prodigal at fortyfivedownstairs. Season concluded.

Midsumma
January 16 – February 6

For more details, including ticketing information, see the festival’s Arts Hub event listing.