Grey Gardens is a fascinating little curio of a musical. Based on the 1975 cult classic documentary about the reclusive lives of former First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy’s aunt and cousin, ‘Big and Little Edie’, the musical adaptation has developed a fierce fanbase of its own since appearing on Broadway two decades ago. Now it’s being staged anew in Melbourne.
The second act of the show closely follows the documentary, detailing the squalid living conditions and complicated codependent relationship between this eccentric mother and daughter, who live in a grand dilapidated mansion in East Hampton, New York. Scenes and dialogue are lifted directly from the documentary and woven into the book and score.
The first act, however, is entirely fictional, as the creators imagine the Beales’ lives three decades before the documentary, fleshing out the history of their relationship before their fall from grace.
Grey Gardens review – quick links
Bringing Grey Gardens to the stage
This narrative reconstruction results in a somewhat disjointed production. The first act struggles to build emotional momentum and consequently feels overlong. The second act is far more successful, brilliantly capturing the camp surrealism and painful poignancy of these women as immortalised on film.
The leading roles in Grey Gardens are a feast for any actor. These characters are complex, emotionally rich and exceptionally well written. The original Broadway performers, Christine Ebersole and Mary Louise Wilson, both won Tony Awards for their performances, and past local productions have featured such stage luminaries as Pamela Rabe and Nancye Hayes.
This new Melbourne production, presented by independent theatre company Clovelly Fox and directed by Tyran Parke, continues this tradition with the casting of Helen Dallimore and Deidre Rubenstein.
Big and Little Edie
Dallimore has the demanding task of portraying both mother and daughter. In the first act, she appears as a younger Edith Bouvier Beale before transforming into her daughter, Little Edie, in the second. She rises to the challenge superbly.
Rarely off stage throughout the production, she carries the show with an exceptionally well-crafted performance. Her Little Edie is a compelling creation, full of fascinating idiosyncrasies and eccentricities that mask a profound pain and underlying fragility. Dallimore finds extraordinary depth in Around the World and Another Winter in a Summer Town, delivering both numbers with profound vulnerability and authenticity.
This is more than mere impersonation; it is an accomplished performer working at the height of her remarkable abilities, and it is sure to be remembered as one of the year’s finest stage performances.
Rubenstein has considerably less stage time, but she brings a nuanced mixture of warmth, bitterness and delusion to her portrayal of Big Edie, and her performance of Jerry Likes My Corn is heartbreaking. It’s always a pleasure to see Rubenstein on stage.
The world of Grey Gardens
The supporting cast are uniformly excellent, particularly Nick Simpson-Deeks as the delightfully droll George and Meg Williams as the younger Little Edie. In addition to portraying various members of the Beale family in the first act, the ensemble returns in the second as ghostly reminders of the past and, in one hilarious musical number, as the many cats that inhabit the mansion.
Parke clearly has a deep affection for Grey Gardens, and his direction is thoughtful and assured for the most part. He gives the performers ample opportunity to shine and maintains a strong sense of momentum throughout, but a handful of pivotal moments feel slightly rushed – particularly Little Edie’s penultimate decision near the end of the show.
While these shortcomings are relatively minor, the production’s constraints – most noticeably in the wig and music departments – can occasionally break the spell, ultimately reducing the emotional payoff. The addition of a few more musicians alongside the single piano would allow the accomplished score to achieve its full emotional impact.
Fans of hidden musical theatre gems and admirers of the original documentary should make every effort to catch this production of Grey Gardens. It is a truly original and distinctive work, elevated by a remarkable star turn from Dallimore.
