REVIEW: 'Constellations' ⭐️⭐️⭐️½
- We Talk Theatre
- Mar 10
- 2 min read
Review from - March 7th, 2025 (Opening Night)
In a post-'Everything Everywhere All at Once' world, Nick Payne’s play CONSTELLATIONS asks whether we would even necessarily want to find our life partners in every universe.
Set over the course of their relationship from a meet-cute at a mutual friend’s barbecue to one of the protagonists approaching her assisted dying appointment, the piece shows us in repetitious vignettes the oft-bumpy love story of beekeeper Roland (Luke Hill-Smith) and brain cancer sufferer Marianne (Maddie Richards) in every which way it could have gone, and even circumstances where the relationship would have fallen off permanently.
It’s certainly an interesting premise – what if I hadn’t been as forgiving? What if I hadn’t cheated? What if they hadn’t cheated? What if he’d been violent? What if he’d been patient? What if, what if, what if?
Following its début season in the company’s hometown of Melbourne, Lunatix Theatre has brought their production – their first as a company – to Newcastle’s Catapult Dance Studio. Its very sparse set comprises only a lounge, some pillows, a coat rack, and LED par cans, a very austere design when situated at Catapult compared to the more character-infused Backhouse Studios in Melbourne, but the performances are truly what make or break a good CONSTELLATIONS.
Scenarios at each interval of their lives run with different motivations – Roland is married and rebukes Marianne’s advances, Marianne welcomes him to stay night, Marianna doesn’t welcome him to stay the night, Roland is amenable to amends, Roland would rather she be hit by a bus than get a drink with her, Marianne is at peace with death, Marianne isn’t.
Hill-Smith’s utilitarian acting style puts him at a very noticeable advantage in navigating the scene resets, and his English accent is the more consistent of the pair, but this comes at the expense of Roland being the less interesting role. Meanwhile, Richards’ has a more intense repertoire to tackle, navigating aphasia as her condition progresses, but she is very energetic and charming all throughout.
At times, and despite its relative youth, CONSTELLATIONS feels a tad dated and perhaps too British without ever managing to cross over into being a good history play anew, but it never fails to remind its audience why a love story through the lens of string theory and quantum mechanics is a very, very good concept.
Next up for Lunatix Theatre is their June production of BLACKROCK.
Keep up-to-date with the company through Instagram - www.instagram.com/lunatixtheatre/
Review by Jack Madden
Produced by We Talk Theatre
•
Commentaires