Brisbane review – Three Little Words: Inspiring Theatre Woos Audience

By Lilian Harrington

Production: Three Little Words

Writer: Joanna Murray – Smith

Company:  Ad Astra Creativity Theatre

Director:    Greg Scur

Location:   210 Petrie Terrace. Brisbane Q 4000 (Pluto Stage)

Season:     April 16 – May 9, 7:30 pm

Bookings: www.trybooking.com/enquiries @adastracreative/ ph. 0417001292

Staged in the boutique Pluto Theatre at Ad Astra, well known Australian writer, Joanna Murray-Smith’s work Three Little Words, made a big impact on the audience when it opened recently.

This comedy is focused on friendships, and marriage relationships. Two long time couples have been friends for over twenty years, Tess, Curtis, Bonnie and Annie.  They show all the elements of bonding in a good solid friendship, which has all the usual signs of familiarity and support for each other, and has lasted for years. However, Tess, who is married to Curtis, drops a bombshell at a special anniversary dinner. It upsets everything and causes change which is both thought-provoking and humorous. The message the writer tells us is  “If this couple couldn’t make their marriage work what hope is there for others?”

Joanna Murray-Smith has captured some poignant issues and touched a few nerves when dealing with aspects of Australian society and it’s customs; she has peeled back the outer covering seen on surface of behaviors and shown what seems to be one person’s idea of freedom is another person’s prison or crisis point; this concept has been interpreted here comprehensively, by director, Greg Scur. With his keen eye for timing, compromise and tension, he has managed to capture vital moments in each short scene, and hold the audience transfixed as they listen to the pointed dialogue and revealed truths that are spoken, amidst moments of hilarity.

Using a very minimalist set, which showed the brick layout of the theatre with only a center table and chairs, a bookcase, and a tea -trolley, for the bar, he has helped to bring more meaning and focus to the dialogue, along with the actions of his four actors. Even the limited exits didn’t cause too many difficulties. His design allowed for the four actors to work in close proximity and at a good pace and energy, which in turn created a good intention and focused the audience.  

Tess (Julie Cottrell), showed great passion and believability in her role as the wife who wanted out, yet the one who hadn’t considered all the consequences of her actions at her age. Curtis (Cameron Hurry, a Brisbane-based actor and writer whose credits include films such as: Boy Swallows Universe, he contrasted very well with Tess, along with Bonnie and Annie. Annie (Bianca Butler Reynolds), has a wide background in theatre and is a writer and theatre maker, in her own right; her character showed an alternative point of view and her costume reflected her status in her relationship with partner Bonnie and the others; even in her shorts and her giveaway white bare legs. In contrast, Bonnie (Nicola Jayne Price), Annie’s partner, was seen as a sophisticated business woman who was very self-assured and worldly, with a good sense of dress and deportment. She brought a depth and energy to the performance and complemented the team.

At times the dialogue was spoken at a very fast pace, but as the actors worked more into the scene, this became clearer and the audience became more attuned to the scenario being played out, and like an orchestra it showed that the scene had crescendos and decrescendos as emotions flared and fell. Congratulations to Ad Astra on this Australian production of Three Little Words; it is thought provoking and a must go see.