“… the cast does a stellar job in bringing it to life, with an excellent balance of humour, seriousness, fear, and passion..”
Alethea Mouhtouris
4.5 Stars
Venue: Belvoir Street Theatre, Upstairs
Until 22 March
Sam Holcroft’s latest play, A Mirror, is filled with the unexpected. From twists to reveals and loud bangs, there are surprises that keep us on our toes throughout the two-hour production.
Entering the theatre, the audience is met by a groom in a tuxedo, best man in a dapper velvet jacket, beige-suited celebrant, and tulle-covered bower. Even without the invitation cards on the seat it’s clear we are at a wedding. The beaming bride enters, the audience is directed to stand, and the nuptials commence. Very quickly though, it becomes obvious the wedding is a front, and we are actually watching an illegal underground play in a totalitarian state. The characters change from wedding attire into stage costumes, assume their roles, and the play within the play begins, amidst the constant threat of discovery.
Naive car mechanic Adem (Faisal Hamza) is summoned to office of Director Čelik, Director of the Ministry of Culture, to discuss a play he’s written and submitted for official approval. The script doesn’t meet approval – its language and politically sensitive material
“undermines the social cohesion of the state”. But rather than binning it and sending him to Re-Education Camp, Čelik sees promise in Adem and decides to encourage him to develop a script that’s more appropriate – “something hopeful and inspiring”.
The audience is clear that the theme is censorship; that under this regime, all art – theatre, sculptures, music – must fit within a prescribed booklet to be approved and performed.
Assisting Director Čelik is Mei (Rose Riley), a former soldier who fought on the frontline and after injury, was relegated to the ministry, a role she covets because the alternative of life in her struggling hometown is untenable. Her character evolves over the course of the underground play from a subordinate to an engaged woman with knowledge that her survival depends upon the Director’s grace.
And in the background is playwright Bax (Eden Falk), the national treasure who, despite being placed on a pedestal by Director Čelik, is a man struggling with the harsh reality of surviving by conceding to the regime’s demands versus remaining spiritually true to his art.
Yalin Ozucelik plays Director Čelik with an air of menace; a grandiose low-key Christoph Walz, a pontificating bombastic small man who loves the sound of his own voice. Integral to this characterization is Čelik’s absolute belief that his way is the right and only way. Ozucelik is commanding in this role. His portrayal is so absolute that it’s hard to reconcile this with what is revealed towards the end.
Hamza’s portrayal of the naïve Adem is pure and simple – a joy to watch. Riley reflects the complexity and strength of Mei, and brings a particular poignancy to her deft management of Čelik’s advances. Falk as Bax is tortured and compelling.
The script is tightly written and the cast does a stellar job in bringing it to life, with an excellent balance of humour, seriousness, fear, and passion. They often break the fourth wall to address the audience in our role as both guests and unwitting collaborators in watching the illegal play.
In talking about A Mirror, director Margaret Thanos refers to the ongoing discourse about whether art should be for art’s sake, whether it should be reflective of the society we’re living in, or whether it should simply be a vehicle for entertainment.
Under Thanos’s direction, A Mirror effortlessly combines all three, and leaves us with a lingering fear that art might become reality sooner rather than later.
Photography: © Brett Boardman
Alethea Mouhtouris, Theatre Now
