Theatre Review: Meet Me at Dawn

Theatre Review

The Play: Meet Me at Dawn by Zinnie Harris

The Theatre: The Fairfax Studio at the Arts Centre

Stars: 3.5

Until 16 March

I'm filing Meet Me At Dawn as not the worst thing I've seen, yet not the best either - which is why I've given it a 3.5 stars. Strangely, the more I think about this short play, the more I think I like it. But it's taken a few hours of ruminating to arrive at this sentiment. 

 

And oddly enough, my Facebook page reminded me that a year ago today, I was seeing the same actress, Sheridan Harbridge, in the same space in Prima Facie. And she was excellent. 

So, what is this two-hander about? 

The play starts when our two characters, Robyn and Helen are washed ashore on a beach. It appears that the couple have had a day trip on a boat go wrong. We learn that the couple are very different people, Helen being more free-spirited, and Robyn more tightly sprung. You're not sure what is happening, until you find out just what is going on. 

Unfortunately, it takes 45 minutes of this 75 minute play to get there. The last half hour of the play is incredibly moving. 

I'm being vague about the plot as not to spoil it. but as the MTC blurb on the website says, this is about " One day. One wish. Two lovers find themselves shipwrecked on a strange shore. As Helen and Robyn slowly piece together the nature of their predicament, what emerges is an unravelling of everything they thought they knew about themselves, each other and the life they’ve created."

What I can say is that once they get going, the performances are excellent. Jong-Xuan Chan is particularly good as the injured Helen. Sheridan Harbridge, coming off of her stellar performance in last season's Prima Facie, is also good as these two lovers negotiate their strange world. 

Scottish playwright, Zinnie Harris' play is an exploration of grief, and the processes we go through to find solance. It has as many laugh-out-loud moments as it does those which bring tears to your eyes. Katy Maudlin's direction keeps the production moving, even when the context on stage is slow. 

This is one of those plays which will stay with me for a while. Even though I wasn't convinced early on, it grew on me. Which is the sign of a good play. 

Today's song: