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Proof
Presented by: Lilydale Athenaeum Theatre Company Inc.
Venue: Lilydale Athenaeum Theatre
Reviewer: Angela Ellis
Date Reviewed: Tuesday 16th June 2009
I hate Maths! I can’t do it. Never have been able to as a barrage of
tutors will attest to. So I will be honest and say that going to see
a show about tortured mathematical geniuses is not usually my ideal
way to spend an evening.
Proof presented by Lilydale Athenaeum Theatre is the story of
Catherine, a young woman dealing with the recent death of her
mathematical genius of a father Robert who she cared for throughout
a long battle with mental illness. She is now left in a world of her
own where she must battle with the prospect of not only inheriting
her Fathers talent for maths but possibly his state of mind as well.
The play takes place on the back porch of Catherine & Roberts’s
home. A worn out, in need of many repairs, broken home. Designed by
Graham McGuffie, this set was excellent. It had everything that was
needed, from the comfortable mismatched furniture to the railing in
need of fixing. The old pot plants left by the wayside and the paint
slowly wasting away. The dressing of the set was also excellent &
very well thought out.
Technically the show is wonderful. From the subtle light switching
on the second floor to the scene changes & costume changes which
were executed astonishingly well. Everything is quick as a flash and
timed just right. Congratulations to stage manager Lynn Dean and her
team.
Lighting by Colin Mortley is simple and effective effortlessly
moving from day and night.
Sound by Adrian Carr is subtle and just what was needed within the
set changes. The music in these changes suited the play perfectly.
My only concern was with some props. Why was there no “pop” of the
champagne bottle? Why no froth in the beer bottles ect. Little
things I know, but when attention has been paid in so much detail
and done so very well to the dressing of the set, costumes ect,
these little things stood out.
Keeping the onstage action flowing was director Catherine Carr. It’s
a small set with little room to move yet Catherine had her actors
using the entire space and using it well. Catherine has obviously
worked so hard to keep everything in sync from the before mentioned
technical elements to the smallest of moments between the cast, &
her hard work is there for everyone to see and appreciate.
Congratulations Catherine.
Neil McColl played Robert the maths wiz & Catherine’s father whose
death and recent struggles with losing his once brilliant mind echo
through out the play. Neil gave a strong performance & his lucid
moments with daughter Catherine were lovely to watch.
Catherine is not a character you warm to straight away. She has a
barrier around her that is so strong you can almost see it. Luckily
for us Rhiannon Leach allowed us to break that barrier at just the
right moments & let us in and sympathise with a young confused
woman.
Rhiannon has a strong presence on stage and moved seamlessly between
moments of deep grief, anger, confusion and at times fun! I did find
some mannerisms a little out of place at some points, but this may
be a simple thing of trying to find a little more charactisation.
Overall this was a very good performance from a talented actress.
Hal, the geeky rock band playing maths student was played by Kieran
Tracey. I enjoyed this performance. It was subtle, natural & the
audience warmed to Hal straight away. I was pleasantly surprised to
see that this was Kieran’s first foray into “straight” acting coming
from a heavy musical theatre background. I hope this is not the last
time.
Catherine’s sister Claire, played by Kellie Tweeddale, has been out
of the picture for some time. Living & working in New York to try
and help pay the bills for her father, she remerges to take control
of the situation. Everyone knows a Clare. That member of the family
that comes in and does all the jobs no one else wants to think
about. Selling the house, organising Catherine, etc.
Kellie took a little while to relax into her role, but towards the
end of Act I she found her stride & I enjoyed her performance very
much. She has developed a lovely chemistry with Rhiannon, & her
concern for her sister & her well being was evident.
Mention must also be made of the actor’s accents. All were
excellent! Working with dialect advisor Brian “Chicago” Harris has
certainly paid off.
Lilydale once again delivered an excellent piece of theatre and
whilst I still can’t remember my times tables or add up a bill
without diving for the calculator, maths for the first time became a
little bit more interesting.
Angela Ellis has worked both professional and non-professionally in
the industry for over 15 years. Having worked in all aspects of
theatre including, direction, stage management, sound and lighting,
her acting roles include Cherry in Cosi, Hero in Much Ado About
Nothing and Bobbie in the recent production of Losing Louis.
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