I went to see The Dictionary of Lost Words at the IPAC in Wollongong last night.
The production was quite brilliant (although not flawless): superb stage design, lighting, costumes, music, effects – a triumph of theatrical effect. In some respects, the set designed by Jonathon Oxlade is the star of the show. Dominated by a stage-wide curved wall of more than 700 pigeonholes used by the dictionary editors to store the paper slips they used to contain word definitions, references, and quotations (as well as the occasionjal prop or two), it featured a central staircase leading to a second level on which some of the action took place as well displaying visuals designed to evoke time and place, some of which were projections of words and objects manipulated on the main editing table.
In addition, the wall of pigeonholes featured a couple of hidden doors and an opaque background that allowed it be lit from behind to show shadowy figure for some scenes. In fact, all the lighting was also extraordinary, creating a remarkable range of effects for time, place, and mood, sometimes bathing the entire stage and sometimes isolating characters.
The costumes were also brilliant, with a bright example that way Esme’s clothes evolved as she aged but retained core elements of colour and design that were cleverly nuanced to reveal her character. And regard should also be given to the sound design, often subtle, never strident and utilising the same thematic consistency as the visuals, the gentle picking out of the notes of Auld Lang Syne being particularly evocative.
The theme was also superb, based on Pip Williams’ best-selling book (which I’m now going to read), intertwining the creation of the Oxford English Dictionary with the rise of the suffragette movement, the growth of Esme, daughter of one of the editors, from young girl to woman, and the role of words – their meaning, their uses, their inclusion and their exclusion – in social and personal relationships. This is very much a play about women, their role in society, the lack of value and respect they endure and how they deal with the men who don’t understand them – all of which which resonates so strongly still, today.
The title refers to Esme’s habit of collecting scraps of paper citing and defining words that were dropped on the floor and thus dropped from the OED. Her collection creates a different kind of dictionary that comes to play a key part in the story.
The acting was by and large convincing and engaging. I did wonder why so many of the actors had to play double or triple roles. They did it pretty well, but why not just have a larger cast? Maybe all the money went into the visuals.
One actor who did not have to double up, but had a much harder task, was Shannen Alyce Quan, who played Esme from the age of four, complete with ringlets, in 1886 to 33 in 1915 as an active member of the suffragette movement. Playing an unusually articluate and intelligent young child is, at best, a difficult task. Either the child comes across as a small adult, or somewhat of a self-aware brat. Quan handled it as well as anyone could, but it’s her transition through teens to twenties to thirties that really lets her shine, finding shades of expression true to both the turn of the 20th century times and the character’s personal development.
All the cast handled their characters very well, convincing even when forced to hide themselves in admittedly splendid costumes to signify character changes. I’d make particular mention also of Ksenja Logos, who shone as the forthright, streetwise former prostitute Mabel and three other key characters. Mabel’s discussion of certain parts of female anatomy raised quite a few nervous titters in Wollongong audience.
My other main criticism would be that at 2 hours and 45 minutes, a show like this has to be energetically paced. At times, it dragged a bit. I wouldn’t cut it, just pep it up a bit. Maybe they thought with all those words they needed to give the audience time to digest them.
All in all, definitely worth seeing for the ideas, the story, some standout performances, and a staggeringly beautiful stage realisation.
