Above: (l-r): Danette Potgieter, Yarno Rohling and Lisa Hanssens are the compelling ensemble in this worthwhile theatre journey. Featured image: Danette Potgieter and Yarno Rohling as ‘Her’ and ‘Him ‘ show great synergy of soul throughout. Images: Phil Erbacher.
Space Jump Theatre is currently offering to send us out from the space station comfort zone to explore humanity. It is a humanity as it changes through the tiny, intense galaxy of relationships. And in this atmosphere it is quite a drift to take. Two Hearts, by Australian voice Laura Lethlean is a vibrant, layered retrospective that will keep audiences on their toes, with hearts jumping all around their body, beating against personal memories and and leaping into the throats of many.
Multiple short vignettes are heartbreakingly familiar and relevant. This study uses the energy of flashback and recreation of pivotal periods of time in time past to explore the fragilities in questions. These vulnerabilities are namely those familiar ones associated with forging and maintaining personal relationships. These are strung before us in a series of short, sharp, svelte scenes between characters ‘Her’ and ‘Him’ and the ubiquitous ‘It’ lurking about the set with quite a few acerbic commentas and questioning of the couple.
Gifted playwright Lethlean takes reactions between a couple and presents them in segments. These are gorgeous and greatly relatable scenarios that endearingly occur in the everday. The third satellite being, ‘It’ (solidly played with hypnotic presence by Lisa Hanssens) works around the ‘Him’ (in an engaging, relatable and richly layered portrayal by Yarno Rohling) plus the Her (played by the effervescent Danette Potgieter, demonstrating impressive range in this role.
More than a solo Greek Chorus,Hanssen’s portentous ‘It’, a slow-burn all-will-be-revealed, commentator challenges the couple with direct questioning of their memories and past actions in an almost-mocking tone re: their choices and weaknesses. As time passes in the play’s flow, an easily-digestible poignant pastiche of sharp memory, the lives of the protagonists become more skew. Challenges to communication, routine, personal space and emotional compatibility escalate and so does the pace of the vocal and physical exchange.
Above: The continued, irresistible synergy and chemistry of ‘Her’ and ‘Him as seen in ‘Two Hearts. Images Phil Erbacher.
What begins in innocent and 150 percent gorgeousness of new love with baby steps (pun achingly intended) to cohabitation moves via the mini episodes excruciatingly surely to greater entropy and painful , irreversible predicament. And we watch the train wreck, unable to pull our eyes and ears away, such is the attractive visual and lyrical tone of this well-crafted stage work.
As we watch the riveting rollercoaster undulate and taking the likeable, relatable pair with it, we perceive many commendable givens which make this play and this production in the chic Flight Path Theatre space a touching, entertainment. Lethlean’s compact, loaded utterances are overlapped in the rewind replay by each member of the couple during each express scene with terrific directness.
Added to this accurate, familiar banter of the newly attached are spoken descriptions of environment and emotional activity that draw on rich, modern poetry and mindful observations which are beautiful to sink into as well as illustrate this playwright’s great arsenal of expressive resource.
The energetic pace, clear delivery and movement of the Him/Her duo plus-one throughout is a total credit to sensitive direction by Kirsty Semaan. The sensuality of Lethlean’s poetry which champions the energy of love leading elsewhere is vividly, energetically unravelled here, with zero slackening of pulse and pace nor is there any downtime with regards to expressive detail.
The very watchable trio in the same costumes for all flashbacks on Jason Lowe’s bare but effective set. The split level dais as an adult playground distills the poetry of each segment. Soundtrack and mini entr’acte music is sensitively contributed by composer and sound designer Charlotte Leamon. The creatives ensemble is augmented also by some brilliant lighting design from Jasmin Borsovsky. As feelings fluctuate, the lighting colours celebrate happiness then accentuate atmospheric pressures. Fades to and from black nicely punctuate each out-of-chronological-order recollection update for the ever-questioning couple.
Above: Yarno Rohling, Lisa Hanssens and Danette Potgieter in one of many electric moments of tension, revelation and questioning we witness during the flow of this play. Image: Phil Erbacher.
Another given in this reliable, even performance is the cast chemistry onstage between this production’s finely nuanced trio- the effervescent, heartfelt ‘Him’ and the dynamic, explosive ‘Her’ and the commanding stage presence of ‘It’, weaving through the coupledom as devil’s advocate, memory-questioning third soul spirit on stage.
Physical and atmospheric synergy between the actors is impressive, showing individuals with a well-honed ensemble as well and individual craft evident. And loads of potential for further blossoming, unhindered by real roadblock as we witness in this play for the fledgeling romantics.
The early section of meeting a future love interest is beautifully sculpted and nuanced. This time displayed so poignantly is triggering for any of our heads and hearts full of past attempts at love. These jewels of performance adorn our audience memory, cloaking us in a fun, flawed and furtive exploration of the infant pairing.
We glady dive into this hopeful aether, enthusiastically accepting any proposal for more banter and closeness before us. When the tone turns harsher and texture complicates, scenes hard to watch continue to be engaging and beautifully expressed. Using the same dialogue and rapid-fire structure of scenas throughout, Lethlean and these equally gifted stage practitioners plus the Space Jump creatives take us on a touching, gruesome expedition as the space junk of love lives over time hurtle before us.
This is accomplished and powerful independent theatre. Don’t miss this journey. Your memories, sensitivities and belief in the intensity of love plus the importance of self-confidence will thank you. Happiness and heartbreak mix together, plus there is a painful ending I will not give away here.
You will leave the space as scarred and affected as the group on stage for the 75 minutes before. You will be nodding that love is that addictive battlefield to survive. You will be spent from the focus but grateful for such a voyage as this production of Lethlean’s gorgeously confronting 2018 play.
And your single heart will have been able to resonate within this nicely rendered theatrical time capsule, as the wrenching of breathtaking memories makes time stand bravely, breathlessly still.
‘Two Hearts’ plays at the warm and welcoming Flight Path Theatre venue- 142 Addison Rd Marrickville- until March 29.
