The Seven Stages of Grieving

Source: QTCWhether or not it was good political timing or not, the Queensland Theatre Company's latest production, The Seven Stages of Grieving, is an excellent exploration of a variety of issues that have faced Indigenous Australians for the last 50 years. The sad part is that most of the issues discussed are still in some way relevant to today's society, even if not in a direct way. The simple fact is, Indigenous issues are still a very large part of contemporary society, and it is great to see QTC tackling some of these issues in what is a mostly emotional, but occasionally humorous, look at one woman's life as she lives through most of the major issues of recent years in Indigenous society.

The script, by Wesley Enoch and Deborah Mailman, is an excellent exploration of these issues - be it the Stolen Generation, Black Deaths in Custody, National Sorry Day, or even just day-to-day life for Indigenous Australians. The entire story is told through the eyes of one character, a nameless Indigenous Australian woman, who recounts her experiences around these various issues. Along the way, we hear some great stories, most of them funny, but all with a sad sting in the tail. It is this sting that eventually proves to be the more potent element within the text, for we are soon finding ourselves as an audience empathising with the character in a very big way, and this proves to be very satisfying.

Finding yourself an effective cast is always a major demand for any theatrical production, particularly so when all you have is a single actor through which to carry an entire 60-minute production. Which is why it is so brilliant that Director Rosalba Clemente found actor Lisa Flanagan to carry this entire show. Lisa brings a certain wickedness to the character, which is nicely balanced with a darker sorrowful side as she relates to us the various happenings of her character's life. It's a deep portrayal, and one that the subsequence post-show Q&A demonstrated was a very personal performance for Lisa. The phrase "no acting required" is certainy conjured up, even if her performance was filled with great acting.

The production design for the show was also of a very high standard, if at times extremely minimal. Some effective use was made of projection elements, including some overtly humorous use of said technique. The stark and simple set was clearly cheap to produce, but in so many ways it was extremely effective. There wasn't any need for an intricate set, given only one person would be using the space. I am a very big fan of minimalist set design, and this show certainly did not disappoint.

Overall, The Seven Stages of Grieving was an excellent production, furthering QTC's reputation as a group who offer excellent educational performances for high school Drama students. Sadly, the season has ended, but I am confident it will not be too long before another production of this excellent script emerges. If and when it does, my advice is to go and check it out, because the text itself is timeless, and its themes important.