“Dialect coach Patrick Klavins certainly had his work cut out for him … but the cast, and in particular, Grace Stamnas as Rachael, were spot on, transporting us up to north England.”
Julia Newbould
4 Stars
Venue: KXT on Broadway
Sydney
Dates : Until October 4
Leaving is just one choice
Port is a gritty kitchen sink drama set in Stockport in the north of England, the stomping ground of playwright Simon Stephens. It centres on the Keast family – Racheal, Billy and their parents – as well as friends and family with the underlying theme of staying or leaving home.
Racheal and Billy are children when their family breaks up. Rachael takes the lead in trying to navigate the fractured family and their relationships, and we’re taken through the late 80s and 90s accompanied by music of the local Mancunian sounds of Morrissey, The Smiths, and Oasis.
Dialect coach Patrick Klavins certainly had his work cut out for him with such a strong accent, but the cast, and in particular, Grace Stamnas as Rachael, were spot on, transporting us up to north England.
Racheal is the lead in Port, starting as a talkative11-year-old trying to figure out the relationship between her parents, then as a school girl coming to terms with her Granddad on his deathbed, then as a rebellious teen – ready to move out into her own flat with a little help from her grandma, with her first love Danny, and then her husband. Stamnas is superb as Racheal. She owns each age and stage and never drops her accent or Mancunian toughness. She’s in every scene and she has the audience rooting for her through the entire performance.
Billy (Owen Hasluck) is lost after the family breakdown and struggles to fit in. He tries to impress his dad with stories about his sister smoking, the older boys with shoplifting, and eventually gets sent down. Hasluck uses his physicality to convey Billy’s different ages. The standout scene was when he threw a brick through a Boots pharmacy. Their 80s shell suits are a perfect throwback to the era. Kudos to
costume designer Benedict Janeczko-Taylor.
Ultimately, Billy conveys a deep sense of resignation that he will never leave Stockport, and he knows it. Others may come and go, but Billy will remain forever.
James Collins as Danny is another standout. He too is resigned to life in a small town. He has dreams – small ones but he’s comfortable with it. We feel his conviction that he knows what is right, even though he may struggle with it. His character is someone we all know. Someone solid and real.
Director Nigel Turner-Carroll has created some moving theatre with Port and his attention to detail is noted, with focus on laughs where needed such as grandma and her hearing issues, and with Danny’s and Racheal’s boss’ concern with shoplifters. Turner-Carroll lifts the darkness of the play with these flashes of levity.
It must be mentioned that even the scene changes were choreographed to perfection – more as part of the performance than a behind-the-scenes activity that merely enables the action.
This is the first play by the December Theatre Company, founded by Grace Stamnas. KXT is looking to to feature more on its program. I look forward to their next offering.
Image by Phil Erbacher
4 jaffa cakes
Julia Newbould, Theatre Now
