The Play: Torch the Place
Where: The Fairfax Theatre
Until: 23 March
Stars: 4
The conversation after the play turned to aging parents. In a group of older professionals, we all had our stories. Moving out, downsizing, hoarding, Swedish Death Cleaning, removalists, the best way to get stuff done.
Some of these themes were covered in Benjamin Law's Torch the Place in an engaging, touching and ultimately very human way.
The premise is quite simple. Three adult children decide to get their mother the ultimate present for her birthday. Their help in cleaning out the family pile. Teresa (Fiona Choi), the eldest, the responsible one takes charge. Natalie (Michelle Lim Davidson) takes a break from her Instagram famous life to come and help, along with younger brother Toby (Charles Wu) take on the task of managing Mum while trying to clean up a house overrun with crap.
As mentioned before, Mum (Diana Lin) is not having a bar of it.
What entails is a ninety minute finely nuanced play, as funny as it is tragic, as the family comes to grips with Mum's hoarding and the family's tenuous grip on the past. This is one of the funnier plays the MTC has put on in a while.
Benjamin Law's script is well on the mark. The actors are all wonderful. Fiona Choi's Teresa gives a balanced performance as the older system, carrying the weight of the world on her shoulders. Michelle Lim Davidson is delightfully annoying as the middle sister (she seems to have a handle on these roles as seen in An Ideal Husband last year) and Diana Lim is a crack up as Mum, a woman whose secrets are buried deep in the crap contained in her house.
It was great to see an all Asian cast. Some could see it as patronising, but I think the universality of the play would mean that any family of any background could be portrayed here.
The other major character in the play is the set, which will have you looking around, nodding your head and remembering all the stuff you once had - and have hopefully thrown out or moved on.
This is a really strong and enjoyable offering from the MTC. It comes highly recommended.
Today's Song:
Where: The Fairfax Theatre
Until: 23 March
Stars: 4
The conversation after the play turned to aging parents. In a group of older professionals, we all had our stories. Moving out, downsizing, hoarding, Swedish Death Cleaning, removalists, the best way to get stuff done.
Some of these themes were covered in Benjamin Law's Torch the Place in an engaging, touching and ultimately very human way.
The premise is quite simple. Three adult children decide to get their mother the ultimate present for her birthday. Their help in cleaning out the family pile. Teresa (Fiona Choi), the eldest, the responsible one takes charge. Natalie (Michelle Lim Davidson) takes a break from her Instagram famous life to come and help, along with younger brother Toby (Charles Wu) take on the task of managing Mum while trying to clean up a house overrun with crap.
As mentioned before, Mum (Diana Lin) is not having a bar of it.
What entails is a ninety minute finely nuanced play, as funny as it is tragic, as the family comes to grips with Mum's hoarding and the family's tenuous grip on the past. This is one of the funnier plays the MTC has put on in a while.
Benjamin Law's script is well on the mark. The actors are all wonderful. Fiona Choi's Teresa gives a balanced performance as the older system, carrying the weight of the world on her shoulders. Michelle Lim Davidson is delightfully annoying as the middle sister (she seems to have a handle on these roles as seen in An Ideal Husband last year) and Diana Lim is a crack up as Mum, a woman whose secrets are buried deep in the crap contained in her house.
It was great to see an all Asian cast. Some could see it as patronising, but I think the universality of the play would mean that any family of any background could be portrayed here.
The other major character in the play is the set, which will have you looking around, nodding your head and remembering all the stuff you once had - and have hopefully thrown out or moved on.
This is a really strong and enjoyable offering from the MTC. It comes highly recommended.
Today's Song:
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