Fringe time in Sydney, expect the unexpected, anything goes or does it? Or should it?
Cate Fucking Blanchett is a complex multi-layered, meta-theatrical experience which will have most of you lost and slightly confused but it will make you laugh and cringe. The storyline itself is simple, there are three main characters: 3 sisters Nina (Angela Johnston), Grace (Lana Morgan) and Margot (Melissa Jones). Nina has decided to donate some eggs to her older sister Margot, who would like a child but is too old at 50 to conceive naturally. Grace the middle sister thinks this is a bad idea for many reasons, one if which is what will happen if the baby is deformed or not right is some way. Nina is writing a play about her sisters which doesn't go down well with them, and tells them that Cate Fucking Blanchett will be playing her. In fact, by the end of the play they have all played Cate, playing them. The actual writer (Kate Bookallil) of the play, who isn't the actual writer converses with the actors, the audience and corrects the actors as they go.
I thought the play was very funny and my favourite scene was with the doctor (John Michael Narres) at the IVF clinic. The scene was played as if a property auction was taking place, with the womb being the home for the new baby. It was fast paced just like an auction and very well written.
The acting for the whole performance was flawless and the set was simple but effective. The costumes were also simple but what was interesting, was that all the writers wore denim. The only doubts I had about the play was I thought some women might be offended by parts of the IVF scene and in particular the voicing of how the baby may turn out. There were some audible gasps of shock from some of the women. Also, the father didn't really add anything to the story apart from a bit of comedy. At the end of the play was a mock interview with Cate Blanchett, which I thought was a little pointless, and may have taken it all one step too far, but it was amusing and well performed.
Could there have been more to the story? Could the characters have been developed more, maybe? But then again with the play being a play within a play and with characters within characters I am not sure Karolina Ristevski could have done much more, it was an impressive piece of writing.
The show is 90 minutes long and was showing at the Flight Pact Theatre. If you missed it I am sure it will return for a longer season.