It’s been a while since cutting-edge theatre company Unifaun went on hiatus; a hiatus partially caused by the Stitching debacle and subsequent court case.
The audience will certainly identify with many of the situations...
Now it is back. And for its first theatrical production this season, Unifaun founder Adrian Buckle has somewhat gone against the grain and chosen a comedy – The Female of the Species, written by Joanna Murray-Smith – rather than the hard-hitting fare we usually expect from the company.
“I chose this play because it is true to the philosophy of Unifaun and because it is a challenge,” Mr Buckle tells me. “Some people will think that the fact that we are putting on a comedy means that we’re selling our soul. This is not the case. Comedy has always been a great challenge. You cannot allow yourself to get comedy wrong because you won’t get away with it.”
The Female of the Species is inspired by a real-life incident in 2000 when feminist icon Germaine Greer was held hostage in her country house by a student.
The protagonist in the play, Margot Mason (Polly March) is suffering from writer’s block, when Molly Rivers (Maria Buckle) enters armed with a gun and handcuffs. Laura Best plays Margot’s daughter Tess, a bored housewife, caught in a marriage with a dolt called Brian (Steve Hili). Other characters include Margot’s gay publisher Theo (Edward Mercieca) and Frank (Anthony Ellul), a taxi driver on a mission to prove himself as an alpha male.
The Female of the Species will be directed by Chiara Hyzler.
“I don’t think I could have asked for a more talented group of actors,” she gushes. “They are dedicated, versatile and so insightful – always ready to contribute in any way with thoughts and ideas. It’s not only a joy, but an honour to direct them.”
The director-cast admiration is mutual, with Ms Buckle saying that she is loving working with Ms Hyzler:
“She understands comedy in a very special and particular way and she makes us all really think and get to know our characters, challenging us to find reasons for every word our character has to say,” she says.
Ms March explains that one of the problems of her character is that she found fame too early:
“At the start of the play she is at a stage where she is questioning whether she has got bored with the sound of her own voice. Ridiculous – who could be more interesting than her? But what if she has said all she has to say? In comes another character who forces her to face those issues!”
The main challenge for Ms March – being handcuffed to a desk for most of the play!
“I am not looking forward to that! And they won’t even line the handcuffs with velvet for me,” she jokes. “As for what else the audience can expect, well, there is huge fun and provocation in the outworking of the plot. It makes you think; it makes you very, very cross – so angry I hope someone in the audience will come onstage and attempt to hit me on the head with a book!”
Mr Ellul says that the play has various themes and the audience will certainly identify with many of the situations and the arguments put forward.
Ms Best says that she was in paroxysms of laughter just by reading the script so she has no doubt that the audience will find the play equally as hilarious:
“If I was laughing as hard as I was by just reading the script, I can only imagine what the audience reaction is going to be. Prepare to get a stitch!”
• The Female of the Species will be performed at St James Cavalier on February 24-26 and March 2-4, 9-11. Tickets may be obtained by phone on 2122 3200, e-mail: info@sjcav.org or online at www.sjcav.org.