The Birds, The Birds, The Birds
In 1952 Daphne du Maurier wrote the short story "The Birds", and in 1963 Alfred Hitchcock adapted it for the screen. In doing so, he and his scriptwriter made significant changes to the plot, and it is their version that most people think of when "The Birds" is mentioned. This adaptation by Louise Fox is much more faithful to the original, but with a few significant alterations: the action has been brought forward to the present (there are mobile phones), and has been transferred from Cornwall to an unspecified coastal village in Australia. The protagonist is now a woman - Tessa (Paula Arundell). Arundell plays, not only the Tessa character, but all characters - Nat, her husband, their two children, and various village locals, an acting feat which she carries off with consummate skill, simply with a change of vocal register and a slight adjustment of her carriage.
Call Me Tessa
For those unfamiliar with the story, and they do exist - Tessa and her family have moved to a small fishing village. Soon after, they are attacked by a large flock of birds. Tessa manages to fend them off, but they are all left asking "why?" Is it the sudden change in the weather, some strange avian disease, or something more sinister, more cosmic? Though Tessa's neighbours initially dismiss her claims, the attacks become more widespread, until the radio reports indicate that the freak phenomenon has become global. After a particularly severe attack one night, Tessa & Nat emerge from their home to discover that their small community has been wiped out (because they didn't take the threat seriously). Gathering as many supplies as they can carry, Tessa and her family escape - but to where? Nowhere is safe; the birds are everywhere.
On The Road To Nowhere
There is something surprisingly timely, even eternal, in du Maurier's short story & Fox's adaptation. Over the years its meaning has been interpreted in a variety of ways - as a metaphor for the blitzkrieg of WWII, as a Cold War metaphor, a warning against nuclear arms proliferation, or the consequences of our shortsighted plundering of the natural world and the eventual consequences. The final image of Tessa's family fleeing aimlessly from the destruction calls to mind similar images of traumatised refugees fleeing the war zones of Sudan, Nigeria & Gaza. The uncertain future they are entering reminded me of the one depicted in Cormac McCarthy's "The Road", one of desolation and the absence of hope.
The Power of Silence
As grim as that makes it sound, the play is surprisingly funny, at least in the beginning. Tessa describes her world and the quirky but likeable locals, which makes their deaths that much more shocking. There is a great deal of explication, but Arundell's charm and energetic performance makes it work. We really do see this little world through her eyes, and when the climax has come and gone, the stillness and the quiet, broken only by her whispered description is completely captivating. The audience sat as one, transfixed and hanging off her every word.
The Sound & The Fury
The other stars of the show were undoubtedly the lighting and sound design. More than perhaps any other production I've seen recently, the lighting design (Niklas Pajanti) and sound design (J. David Franzke) elevate this production to another level. Any attempt to stage this story is going to succeed or fail depending on how 'the birds' are presented, and this interpretation is original, powerful and shocking. While some may hanker for a more 'realistic' presentation of the birds, I felt that the stylised, electronic method captured the unnatural, primal power of their attack. This Malthouse Theatre production directed by Matthew Lutton, is a triumph of minimalism, imagination and rigorous theatrical craft, and well deserved the multiple encores and standing ovation it received on the opening night.
4.5 stars
The Birds is running at The Belvoir Theatre, Surry Hills till 17 June.
Reviewed by: Nick Bennet
Photos by: Brett Boardman