Her Aching Heart

Reviewer – HELEN RENWICK

Her Aching Heart, by British playwright Bryony Lavery, is a rip-roaring comedy through a trash historical lesbian drama read by two modern women.  Breasts heave, moons wane and by golly do hearts race.  

The story follows the affair between the fair-skinned, nature-loving, honest and true local peasant girl Molly Penhallow and the willful, headstrong, aristocratic Lady Harriet Helstone.

Their paths cross in a thorn bush in the Cornish countryside while Molly protects the fox chased by Harriet’s hunt.

Their frustrated love carries them from England to France through hills, corsets, revolutions and monasteries.

The script shines.  Simultaneously frothy frippery and substantial, it weaves the stories of historical love with the growing relationship of the two modern women.  It subtly suggests that love, in its frustrations, agonies and delights, transcends ages and class. It is the ultimate leveller.  

There is a peppering of references to England; the fox hunt in particular loses some resonance in Australia but the cultural differences only serve to highlight the universality of humanity. 

Madeleine Swain and Ruth Katerlos bring the script to stage with in an effortless fashion that belies hard-earned talents and hours of thought and rehearsals put into the piece.

Their songs, which add so much to the texture of the play, are lyrical in their simplicity and well sung.

Director Sarah McCusker weaves the pianist into the action well, leaving him as a link between audience and actor.

Each actor plays a handful of characters, none as strong as the protagonists.  The old crone in particular is an example in upstaging, though the bald slapstick split the sides of the audience.

Only a few stumbles by Katerlos made it clear that these were actors on stage rather than reality.

This is what independent theatre should be.

Her Aching Heart, produced by Wishing Well Productions, is on at Trades Hall in Melbourne until Sunday 11^th February.