Arlington - Seymour Centre (NSW)

Written by Enda Walsh. Directed by Anna Houston. Presented by Empress Theatre and Seymour Centre

With confronting and thoroughly thought provoking subject matter and depictions, Arlington is not for the faint of heart

Reviewed by Juliana Payne

Reginald Theatre, Seymour Centre, Chippendale, NSW

Until 24th August, 2024

Tickets: https://www.seymourcentre.com/event/arlington/

Enda Walsh’s Arlington unfolds like a melancholy dream. It is not a ‘nice’ night’s entertainment. It is meant to challenge, to disquiet, to disorient the audience. It takes you to the edge of despair. There are several trigger warnings associated with this production, and it is not for the faint-hearted. 

The performances aim to deliver emotional gut punches, to snap us out of any complacent sense of self-satisfaction. This play is a descendant of the absurdist dysoptian pedigree of the Western literary canon. Kafka’s The Trial, Orwell’s 1984, Beckett’s Waiting for Godot, Krapp’s Last Tape, Mouth and Happy Days cluster around us as we witness the disarray of the protagonists, their bewilderment and dismay at their circumstances. There are even shades of the films The City of Lost Children and Eraserhead. The play itself is a salutary warning about the dark side of unbridled human desire for power and control.

Arlington, Seymour Centre (2024). Images by Phil Erbacher

Director Anna Houston writes that the pandemic lockdowns brought a new meaning to this play for her, and we see the isolation and yearning of the characters in the nameless, dystopian cityscape. Constantly surveilled, individuals must even give up their dreams and thoughts to the mysterious controllers. When people are no longer of use, they are shut away in high towers with the only exit being an open window. The result of this is inevitable for most people. Walsh however does deviate from his literary antecedents in that he actually provides a glimmer of hope for the people in his weird horrible world; hope in human connection and love. 

Phaedra Nicolaidis as Isla delivers the intricate text with conviction and is genuine as she blossoms out of her incarceration; Jack Angwin is awkward and charming as the Young Man and tackles with sincerity his character’s development which is quite wide ranging. Emma Harrison provides a very physical dance performance in the middle of the play, which she has choreographed, depicting the despair of the trapped individual. She is certainly a skilled, fluid dancer, however this piece went rather too long – we got the message pretty well. Houston’s direction overall provides a lot of physicality, to counterbalance the long stretches of complicated text.

The creative team want the audience to be immersed in this surreal world, as Walsh’s script demands patience and focus.

Aron Murray (Lighting and Video Designer) and Kate Beere (Set and Costume Designer) have created probably the most elaborate set I’ve ever seen at the tiny Reginald Theatre.  The floor to ceiling video projections over the set and cast are evocative, sometimes puzzling, but always effective, a visual metaphor for the internal chaos experienced by the characters. On one side the bland wood-panelled room belies its punitive purpose. The surveillance room on the other side sends a shiver down the spine – Sydney is one of the most surveilled cities in the world with 60,000 cameras watching our every move.

Steve Toulmin (Composer & Sound Designer) throws everything from punk to industrial noise at us. The haunting score and the occasional bursts of jarring noise amplify the sense of disorientation and existential dread. The creative team want the audience to be immersed in this surreal world, as Walsh’s script demands patience and focus.

Arlington explores human isolation, and the search for meaning in the face of bureaucratic power and control, with a mere sprinkling of black humour throughout. Houston wants the audience to find their own meaning in this performance, without dictating to us what we should think or feel. This might be a bridge too far for those who are seeking a regular theatrical experience. Come to this play if you are willing to confront challenging themes and ideas.

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Playwright Enda Walsh

Director Anna Houston

Choreographer Emma Harrison

Assistant Director Saz Watson

Stage Manager Justice Georgopoulos 

Assistant Stage Manager Jasmine Sarkis 

Set and Costume Designer Kate Beere

Lighting and Video Designer Aron Murray

Composer and Sound Designer Steve Toulmin

Empress Theatre Publicist Sean Hall

Cast Phaedra Nicolaidis, Jack Angwin, Georgina Symes, Emma Harrison

Contains depictions of suicide, loud or sudden sounds, haze smoke and strobe lighting. Filming and photography prohibited.