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John

A play of atmosphere and immersion – a truly fantastic experience.
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Ursula Mills, Johnny Carr and Helen Morse in John. Image (c) Jeff Busby. 

There are several minutes at the start of John, the Melbourne Theatre Company’s latest production, where the audience is given time to linger with the set. The set design and lighting’s warmth and coziness easily drawing the audience in. A grandfather clock; a ceramic dog collection; a miniature train set and a pianola  –  that punctures the play as it intermittently plays itself – all contribute to the singular setting of kitschy Gettysburg B&B owned by eccentric Mertis Graven. And the same singular setting that Brooklyn couple Jenny and Elias step into. But it’s Annie Baker’s brilliantly engaging script that holds you there and makes this such an immersive experience.

There is tension between Jenny and Elias (Ursula Mills and Johnny Carr) who are staying at the B&B. Baker’s ear for intimate tension is meticulous – Jenny’s unspoken fury at the way Elias eats turns into him accusing her of being anti-Semitic. Mertis (the exquisite Helen Morse) is their overly attentive host, and with the addition of Mertis’ good friend Genevieve (Melita Jurisic) who is blind and magnificently bonkers we have four full, quirky, utterly contemporary characters. All generously formed, eccentric and intriguing in their own way; and as hard as they are all working throughout the three hours, it is clearly a joy for the actors.

Like her Pulitzer Prize-winning play The Flick, John runs at three hours, but there is never a moment where it flags. A good sign, indeed, it’s a refreshingly slow pace, and pleasurable just to be in the room with it. You can feel the silence and stillness working hard – pauses in conversations, characters walking up and down stairs and eating alone, all these things form the space that allows the unfolding development of atmosphere.  And John is funny. The audience erupts regularly throughout, at the play’s quirky, understated humour and its nod to magical realism. As an audience member you also feel bounced between comfort and unease. Creepy dolls, strange stories and disconcerting conversations about unusual rooms all contribute to an odd atmosphere.

There is a curiosity and generosity between the troubled couple, their host and her best friend. Epic concepts are woven into domestic chatter, threads, themes and details tug, pull, come and go, the weight of their importance in the play unpredictable, and there is real pleasure in being drawn into Baker’s magnificent trip. 

While there is a narrative, and a very definite denouement which is uncomfortable and hilarious all at once, it is really a play of atmosphere and immersion – a truly fantastic experience.

Rating 4 1/2 stars out of 5

John

by Annie Baker

Melbourne Theatre Company

Arts Centre Melbourne, Fairfax Studio

16 February 2017

Directed by Sarah Goodes

10 February- 25 March

Kate Kingsmill
About the Author
Kate is an illustrator, radio broadcaster and arts and music writer, with a big love of red wine and music bios.