Summer of the Seventeenth Doll

There are few shows that seem as utterly at home on a Melbourne stage as Summer of the Seventeenth Doll, and this current production (by Belvoir Theatre Company and presented by MTC) is a worthy addition to this proud production history. The marketing tagline calls it “the play that put Australian theatre on the map”, and it wouldn’t be difficult to construct an argument in its favour – in bringing Ray Lawler’s nouveau classic to life, director Neil Armfield is stepping into shoes once occupied by John Sumner back in 1954.

The narrative follows a quartet of somewhat past-their-prime adults over a summer holiday in 1950s Melbourne. Two men, Roo and Barney (Steve Le Marquand and Travis McMahon, respectively), are cane cutters in Queensland’s north for seven months out of every year, spending the remaining five (the “layover”) living it up in Melbourne with a pair of barmaids, Olive and Nancy. However, shortly before the beginning of the 17th such summer, Nancy gets married, so Olive (Alison Whyte) ropes in her friend Pearl (Helen Thomson) to partake in the festivities. With the group dynamic altered by Nancy’s conspicuous absence, and inevitable changes in the personal and professional lives of each character, the play allows 17 years of hopes and tensions to unravel.

Set designer Ralph Myers has done well to realise the shabby Carlton room in which most of the action takes place, from the titular, tacky Kewpie dolls to the solitary, breeze-ruffled curtained window, which serves as a rather haunting symbol of the smallness of the characters’ lives, providing one finite glimpse of a larger world.

Unfortunately, the opening-night performances during the first act weren’t nearly as immersive as they could have been. As the young next-door neighbour Bubba, Eloise Winestock appeared to struggle, melding an exaggerated old-school “ocker” accent with movements and gestures too graceful and refined for the role, rendering the portrayal rather incongruous. Thomson and McMahon seemed to vacillate between naturalist dramatic performances and something verging on farce, making it difficult to follow their characters’ emotional reactions to one another. Whyte ultimately held the first act together, with her Olive’s steely defence of the summer’s importance; and Robyn Nevin as her mother, Emma Leech was, without a doubt, the MVP of the proceedings.

As the dramatic tension increased in the second and third acts, the performances improved considerably, and it was easy to see the pleasure the actors took in portraying these people becoming more and more shut in by their supposedly free-spirited choices. Le Marquand, as the down-and-out Roo, was particularly affecting, and his performance shed a sympathetic light on the difficulty of living up to the 1950s ideal of Australian manliness.

There’s a lot to like about watching The Doll in the current economic climate, particularly given the striking similarity between the “work-hard-play-hard” attitude of the cane cutters and the FIFO (fly in, fly out) workers of the modern mining industry. It’s a rare work that can so effectively convey the subtleties of a particular place and era while remaining relevant and engaging to later audiences but in this particular case, Ray Lawler has created a work of true enduring appeal.

It was fitting, really, that both Lawler and Sumner were in the opening night audience, and Lawler even took to the stage to commend the casts, directors and audiences of old, new and in-between. This Doll might not be entirely flawless, but it is a well-executed production of one of Australian theatre’s most important works and a heart-lifting reminder of the talent and longevity that can be found in our national cultural industries, if we only care to look and remember.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

Melbourne Theatre Company presents
Summer of the Seventeenth Doll
Director: Neil Armfield
Set Designer: Ralph Myers
Costume Designer: Dale Ferguson
Lighting Designer: Damien Cooper
Composer: Alan John
Sound Designer: Paul Charlier
Assistant Director: Susanna Dowling

Cast: Steve Le Marquand, Travis McMahon, Robyn Nevin, TJ Power, Helen Thomson, Alison Whyte, Eloise Winestock

Arts Centre Melbourne, Playhouse
January 12th–February 18th 2012
Bookings: www.mtc.com.au