Tuesday, October 06, 2020

Play review - "Sorting Out Rachel" by David Williamson (2018)

 Another frustrating late period Williamson because it's got a fantastic central idea - millionaire businessman had a secret Aboriginal daughter threatening his greedy children's inheritance - and then does barely anything with it.

I don't recall any play in more recent years where so much drama happened off stage - Williamson kills off the wife of the millionaire, and the Aboriginal nanny who was his lover, so they're not even characters, there's no confrontation. The play starts with the millionaire and the daughter talking... we don't have him or her find out, we don't see the reaction of the white daughter or her husband to the new development, we see the new daughter meet the white daughter but not her slimy husband.

Instead we get all these time jump scenes. The conversion of greedy selfish granddaughter Rachel from high school bitch to ferocious Aboriginal activist happens off stage - her friendship with her aunt just happens off stage. The Aboriginal daughter lacks any spark - she's just a hard working black woman.

There is clunky teen dialogue (Rachel blogs, she worries about blog critics) and shots at neo cons and climate change deniers that aren't worked into character voice.

On the sunny side I did like how Williamson has affection for all his characters in this one.  He is stronger with men - the millionaire and his idiot son in law are entertaining. He's less sure with the women - he's reluctant to mock them in the straight way.

I wish he'd rewritten this to all take place in real time, kept alive the millionaire's wife and former lover, and had it all played out in the one big confrontation.

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