Brisbane review - Mishaps and Laughs in Caravan

By Lilian Harrington

Production  Caravan

Writer           Donald MacDonald

Company     New Farm Nash Theatre

Director        Phil Carney

Location       The Brunswick Room, 52 New Farm Uniting Church,

                      52 Merthyr Rd. New Farm.

Season         May 15– June 6 Fri/Sat Evgs. at 7: 30pm and Sat/Mat. 2 pm. Bookings  www.trybooking /1493105

Caravan, by Australian writer, Donald MacDonald, is currently playing at Nash Theatre.  It is a sharp, witty, comedy which is set in an Australian holiday park in the 80’s.  It deals with relationships, marriage, ageing and long-time friendships.

When Parkes Robinson (James Hogan), invites his friends to come on a relaxing fun-filled, two- week, camping holiday, near the beach, along with his wife Penny (Phillipa Bowe), where he can show off his beloved caravan, he has no idea what lies ahead. Everything starts off happily enough, but things begin to unravel once their friend, forty - year- old Pierce (Hayden Sullivan), arrives with a young girlfriend, twenty- six- year- old Gwendolen (Samantha Herde), he has recently met.

Their arrival is followed by a heavy storm which shows no sign of easing, so everything begins to get out of whack . To add further to Parkes ‘s problems, he hasn’t been able to get his usual camping spot and his guests keep injuring themselves as they trip over the entry step into the caravan. Plus, the onset of bad weather means that the caravan develops leaks and the annex becomes flooded. The resulting situation means that everyone is forced to remain cooped-up in the caravan confined to a small space and each other’s company. Conflicts and misunderstandings develop when no one can get out to the beach, or go for  walks; it leads to some excessive drinking led by Monica, (Gemma Kelliher). This in turn leads to further complications, as hidden secrets and indiscretions are revealed and tempers become frayed, jealousy and unexpected confessions are heard. Down trodden housewife, Penny, has set her sights on seducing Rodney Price (Nathan Seng), Monica’s husband, but there are problems. Young Gwendolen, who has lived a spiritual existence with the Assam people in India for three years, now has to cope with this middle-aged group of friends, who have different expectations and attitudes to her.

The cast was made up of three couples. Director, Phil Carney, has contrasted them well.  All showed a mix of humor and a good level of belief, along with hidden tension and a degree of comedic timing and flow which worked well. Key moments were highlighted such as: the interaction between the friends at the table, the drinking scene with Monica and Gwendolen, or the rush to use buckets to catch leaks.  However, there were some scenes such as the attempted seduction scene between Penny and Rodney, which could have been more humorous and “Casanova” Pierce, could have shown more intent. Gemma Kelliher portrayed the disenchanted Monica with great belief; she caught the audience’s attention with her level of detail and she showed conviction, and understanding.

The set was designed by Phil Carney; it depicted the interior of a caravan complete with bunks, bed and kitchen, with a table set downstage in the middle of the stage. While for the most part this worked well, at times the tall bottles and glasses left on the table, blocked a clear view of the characters.

Nash Theatre’s presentation of Caravan is a lighthearted look at an Australian camping holiday with all its mishaps and laughs. It captures the moment and is good entertainment.