Image: www.mtc.com.au
The house lights go down. One audience disappears and another comes to life in the form of a solitary patron entering from stage left. He, like members of the audience perhaps, wanders into this derelict theatre to escape the troubles of the outside world, but he will find no such escape. The play’s subject is none other than himself, Harry Haller. In Herman Hesse’s famous novel, from which The Lonely Wolf is adapted there is a sign that hangs outside of this theatre. It reads: “Anarchist Evening at the Magic Theatre, For Madmen Only, Price of Admission Your Mind.” As one of the character quips, it’s “not for everyone” but who doesn’t love a bit of madness and magic?
The theatre within a theatre slips quickly into a surreal inner world, but Harry is determined to cling on to the certainty of what he knows regardless of how unhappy he is in it. A silent chorus of interpretive dancers narrate Harry’s mood while the stage master determinedly tries to alter it but none can meaningfully engage Harry. He is stuck in his over-thinking and overly analytic mind and simply cannot let go.
As with many difficult men, the antidote comes in the form of a strong and enigmatic woman that he doesn’t deserve. Hermine is outstanding in a coquettish and self-assured performance reminiscent of Marlene Dietrich. She is able to command an instant obedience that we all secretly desire on some level. It’s easier, in many ways, to relinquish control and subjugate yourself to the will of another, especially for a cerebral character like Harry. His identity is based so much on his intellect, which demands a sense of superiority but is not easily validated. If objective and external validation is lacking than submission to another, possibly inferior, intellect can be tantamount to admitting personal failure, which is why it’s so interesting to watch the interplay between opposites, Harry and Hermine.
The issue is that The Lonely Wolf takes too long to get there. A few early scenes, particularly Harry’s call on a former lover, felt tangential and extraneous to the core story. Shortening the introductory scenes might also have allowed some of the more weighty intellectual exchanges to be slowed down a little. The pace of some exchanges didn’t allow sufficient time to take in the subject matter and unfortunately some intriguing ideas were lost before they could be fully absorbed. The frequent displays of self-deprecation and satire also provided an entertaining compliment to the production’s philosophical intensity.
As with any magic show though, it’s all about the reveal and Harry’s final descent into uninhibited madness was a pleasure to behold, particularly the trio of dancers, who shone throughout. It ends both exactly and not at all how you’d expect.
Rating: 3.5 stars out of 5
The Lonely Wolf
Director Gary Abrahams
Set Designer Jacob Battista
Costume Designer Chloe Greaves
Lighting Designer Katie Sfetkidis
Composer Daniel Nixon
Producer Corey Reynolds
Cast includes Georgia Bettens, Christopher Brown, Sarah Bruce, Simon Corfield, Emily Goddard, Luisa Hastings Edge, Ellya Sam, Matt Whitty
Dirty Pretty Theatre
Melbourne Theatre Company
11 – 21 June
