Corey Spence
A full-crowd attends the opening performance of Persuasion at the Gryphon Theatre. Presented by Stagecraft, it is an adaptation of Jane Austen’s novel, one that is widely regarded as one of her greatest. Interestingly, this production is devised; the company began with no script, and what they present to us tonight has come from the immense work of the performers and designers taking the novel and twisting it into this new form. The question here, of course: should you be persuaded to go?
Persuasion is strongest when it leans into the camp nature of the wealthy characters it embodies. This occurs mostly in the middle of the play. At this point, the parties become more commonplace and everyone has a role to play; the ensemble performs tableaux sequences to give the impression of background action (suitably convincing and never distracting) of, say, gossiping socialites at a dinner party. I’m also reminded here of the hilarious attempts from Henrietta and Lousia (Margot Allais and Carys Chapman-Vari) to court the now more established Wentworth, which are padded with great and controlled physical comedy. I think the playful nature of the production does come down to its devised origins. Performers are comfortable fooling, toying, and courting each other, which makes these moments especially fun and engaging.
Occasionally, the action is a little static for my liking. The show carefully tries to avoid lengthy dialogic scenes where performers are stationary, often by having the ensemble perform tableaux sequences to give the impression of background action (suitably convincing and never distracting) of, say, gossips socialites at a dinner party, or by carefully pacing out the many walks you might expect from characters originally found in a 19th century novel. But simply by virtue of converting a literary novel into a stage show, it can’t do it all the time. Often in these moments, the dialogue becomes flat or suddenly, and sometimes strangely, energetic. Such scenes feel paced less purposefully, losing some of the banter-esque back-and-forth we might expect and this does highlight missed cues on opening night.
In saying this, the performers navigate their characters (who are sometimes playing two or three) carefully and deliberately. There’s no credited director in the programme, but there’s the distinct stamp of one thanks to dramaturg Anna Renton-Green, and so we’re presented with a piece that feels complete, with a cohesive narrative and distinct characters. The cast of characters is a little big, so it might be especially troublesome for audience members who are less familiar with Persuasion to distinguish them, though costumes and some characteristic mannerisms and body language do help with differentiation.
The cast is a talented bunch. My guest and I are particularly enamoured by Janet Noble, who plays Lady Russell and Mrs Musgrove. Noble has tremendous stage presence. Her Lady Russell is consoling and exacting with how she interacts with the Elliot family, and her tender moments with Anee (Charlie Potter/Abby Lyons) are particularly warming. Annica Lewis and Chris O’Grady, who are coupled as Mrs Croft and Admiral Croft and Mrs Harville and Captain Harville, work together especially well, and both relationships and interactions feel unique. One of my favourite moments is the two ‘controlling’ the horse and carriage using spinning black umbrellas, only for there to be a close-call with a post. Between how they accept and play into the rules of the scene, and how their bodies react to the impending crash, it elicits raucous laughter from the crowd.
Our Annes – Potter for Anne and Lyons for Young Anne – are particular standouts, especially in how the former must navigate the controlled, nuanced emotions of being pulled in hundreds of directions based on what others want and how the latter sits in the feelings of love, confusion, sadness, and obligation. Together, it's even better and adds that extra layer to the performance. There’s a kind of voyeuristic glee and satisfaction that comes from watching an external and internal of the same character come to the same conclusion and support one another.
Speaking of Anne, the subconscious/young Anne metaphor does feel a little muddied at times. At first, only young Anne speaks. This is logical given age, except for older Anne’s onstage presence. Eventually, Lyons’ role begins to feel more like the subconscious, and so she doesn’t feel like an ‘inner child’. The rules around it (for what the audience is supposed to understand) don’t seem clear. Given the presence of asides from other characters, sometimes these stretches of monologue feel more like an attempt to tell the audience subtext we can already glean from the action, making it double percussive. Other times, especially when the two embrace and prop each other up after particularly crushing or disappointing interactions (or missteps) with Wentworth or their family, it’s beautifully poignant.
On the scenographic front, I want to make specific mention of the clever – often transformative – set design, courtesy of Potter. In Act 1, luggage is placed and used strategically on stage as holdings for costume changes, beds, collections of bills, and more. Their integration is seamless. Act 2 trades luggage for umbrellas, perhaps unsettling for anyone superstitious, but they add colour to the stage and actors periodically use them to signal rain. The period costumes (Gillie Coxill – who also made these fabulous creations) are sleek; there is a large cast of characters in Persuasion with performers doubling and tripling up, but these costumes (alongside noticeable work to change physicality), effectively help the performers transition between characters.
To represent children, the cast employ puppets (puppeteered by Robins and Osborne, made by Ruth Corkill). These are a glorious addition to the action, as they cause childish havoc while the adults are bickering and bantering. The playfight, throw things, beg for attention, just as you might imagine young and spoiled children might do. They’re reminiscent of Sackboy, but each face is one of the masks of comedy and tragedy. They look incredible and are a clever and effective solution to having child characters involved.
Other design elements need a little tightening. The sound effects and music (Tim Price-Walker), while befitting, end with sharp cuts; this does tend to help the scenes dive quickly into one another, but it often feels abrupt and unsmooth. The lighting design (Devon Heaphy) gives moments of the play clear rules: moments of introspection between Anne and her subconscious/younger self are coated in soft blues, for instance. But at other times, it's a bit on the nose and aggressively bright, like bathing the stage in the brightest hot pink during moments where Anne and Wentworth realise, but speak not, of their love or where, rather suddenly, the softer and muted stage lighting transmogrified into a blinding white light, where our eyes need a few moments to adjust.
Devising is often ambitious, and using Austen as a base text only adds to the pressure to produce something both in the spirit of one of literature’s greats and something theatrically satisfying. Persuasion is a “most agreeable” evening, despite some minor technical hiccups and uneven pacing. Austen fans stand to gain the most here, but all can enjoy a pleasant evening of gossip, camp, and romance.
Persuasion is currently on at Gryphon Theatre until Saturday 18 May. You can book tickets here.