TIMELESS SEXUAL POLITICS |
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) by August Strindberg Ford Transit Productions at Musgrove Studio, Maidment Theatre, Auckland From 2 Sep 2009 to 23 Sep 2009 Reviewed by Michael Wray, 6 Sep 2009 |
Strindberg's Creditors is a tense triangular play that explores the darker side of marital relationships: possession, jealousy, loss and ultimately, revenge. Comprising three characters and three acts, each act presents a different corner of the triangle and pairing of the protagonists.
The opening act starts with an in-progress discussion between Gustav (Michael Lawrence) and Adolf (Keith Adams). Adolf is receiving relationship advice from the older Gustav, as they await the return of Tekla (Jennifer Ward-Lealand). The second act pairs husband and wife Adolf and Tekla, before Tekla and Gustav deliver their duet in the third act.
Adolf is an artist struggling with feelings of jealousy and emasculation, not helped by his delicate health. As the second husband of Tekla, Adolf is aware that he "stole" his wife and, in a mood reminiscent of Othello, is concerned it may soon be his turn to lose her... she has deceived her [ first husband], and may thee?
Gustav's status is more mysterious. I believe the original play gives his identity as part of the cast list, but this production withholds that information, presumably in an effort to build suspense.
This only works to some degree - after a few minutes, you know exactly who Gustav is - but this unconfirmed knowledge helps position the sense of menace generated in the first act. It also puts the audience in the position of knowing much more about the overall situation than any of the three match-ups throughout the play. This in itself adds to the suspense, as you wonder exactly how these elements will come together.
All three performers are convincing in their roles. Jennifer Ward-Lealand is a warm, playful Tekla. Keith Adams goes through periods of nervousness, rage and despair as Adolf negotiates his emotional maze. Michael Lawrence, in particular, changes gears impressively as he moves from Gustav of act one to Gustav of act three.
Written in the 1880s, Gustav's perspective seems firmly grounded in Victorian values. This is a time when women don't have the vote, feminism is in its early infancy and 'initiative' is the male prerogative. Chauvinism is an alien concept, being not so much a problem as an accepted way of life.
It would seem, therefore, valid to question the relevancy of this play to the modern audience. And the production seems fully aware of this question. In their publicity material, they quote a disturbing statistic of one in seven people believing a man can justifiably hit his wife for flirting or dressing inappropriately.
Curious about the setting of the play, I was not entirely surprised to find out afterwards that it was written as August Strindberg was approaching the end of a bad marriage. I was surprised, however, to find Tekla apparently considered the villain of the piece. The play's name, according to an introduction from Edwin Bjorkman, represents the debt that Tekla owes to the men in her life and Bjorkman goes on to state that a real life Tekla would be too exceptional to exist.
In today's world, a woman of independent thought, appetite and means is the expected norm. And for me Tekla, despite the ambiguity of her fidelity, provokes a sympathetic response. Is this purely down to Michael Hurst's direction and Jennifer Ward-Lealand's interpretation? Is it the play's depiction of anachronistic attitudes towards women? Or perhaps it's just me? I make no assumptions and I'm genuinely interested in reading any feedback from others who have seen this production.
Ultimately, sexual politics remain as relevant today as ever. It is only the terms of the contest that have changed. In Strindberg's time, this play may have been evocative of Taming of the Shrew; for us it is perhaps closer to the tone of A Room of One's Own.
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See also reviews by:
Paul Simei-Barton (New Zealand Herald);