Red Light Winter
Produced by Griffin Theatre Company

Cast: Tamblyn Lord, Melanie Mirto, Steve Mouzakis

Written by: Adam Rapp
Directed by: Ross Ganf

Publicist: Mollison Communications

Australian Premiere: SBW Stables Theatre, Sydney. Thursday, June 7, 2007.


The Lowdown:
Part of Griffin Theatre Company's Stablemates season.


AussieTheatre.com Review:
Theatre is probably at its best when it makes you think and when it is so powerful that it makes your heart sink a little.

While Red Light Winter does manage to achieve this in the end, it takes a very up and down two hours to get there, with the play often falling into a slumber before picking itself back up with a snappy scene or some witty dialogue.

The play is set over the space of a year - the first act in Amsterdam, where New Yorkers Matt (Tamblyn Lord) and Davis (Steve Mouzakis) meet prostitute Christina (Melanie Mirto) and the second in the East Village, 12 months on from the initial meeting.

The story is essentially one of unrequited love - Christina casts a spell over Matt, who feels released by her presence and is very quickly smitten by her. For Christina, Matt is easily forgettable, as shown in the second act when she doesn't even remember who he is. Christina is more taken by Davis; whom has little interest in her apart from the sleazy sex in Amsterdam.

It's Matt's life we're most drawn to - he lives alone in his small New York apartment, trying to write that 'one great play' and using his own life experiences in the process. He's silently unbroken by the betrayal of his former partner Sarah, who is now in a relationship with Davis. We watch Matt try to take his own life and then in the space of just a few hours become a new man thanks to a prostitute he believes he has a connection with. His development - or in some cases, non-development - over the year the play spans is the most interesting to watch.

As Christina, Melanie Mirto is quite superb - it's a tough role to play, particularly given the strong sexual content, but she does it well and delivers a fine, solid and unbreakable performance, with a first class French accent to boot.

Tamblyn Lord is, as he should be, the highlight of the play. His movement on stage is excellent (perhaps partly thanks to the efforts of director Ross Ganf) and he handles the script well, particularly in the second act, which he essentially commands.

Steve Mouzakis seemed easily distracted - an issue with pulling a light cord in the very first scene of the play seemed to throw him off his game quite easily and to get back on the horse, there was a feeling of over-acting; though in the final scenes his true talents shine through and he proves himself as a quality actor.

The problem with Red Light Winter lies in the script. Adam Rapp hasn't created a bad play - far from it - but there's some major issues with structure. In the second act we watch Matt first recount the Amsterdam experience to remind Christina of what happened between them, followed by his out-pouring of true feelings. Problem is, we'd already seen what Matt was describing unfold in the first act and it seemed desperately unnecessary to get a detailed account of what we'd seen only half an hour or so earlier .The time spent in the second act recounting what had happened in the first ensures distraction is easy.

There's moments when Rapp's script shines - the final scenes are powerful and spot on (though a touch predictable) and there's moments in the first act that truly captivate, particularly when Matt is describing the plot for the play he is writing to Christina.

Red Light Winter needs to be snappier and move along faster. It needs to stop doubting itself in a way and realise that the audience does indeed get what's going on, it doesn't need to be made any more obvious than it already is.

Unfortunately, the great ending doesn't match up with the two hours that come before it.

The show is entertaining at best, dreadfully uneven at worst.

Production Shots:



Further Information:
None available