REVIEW - Yellow Moon | Melbourne Theatre Company

Written by Gordana Andjelic-Davila

Tuesday, 06 May 2014 09:02

Left – Luke Ryan, Mark Constable, Naomi Rukavina and Daniela Farinacci. Photo – Jeff Busby It's Friday night, and 17-year old stag Lee is bored. Lee is thinking of ways of making easy money, and when he sees his school mate Leila at the same all-night superstore, leafing through celebrity gossip magazines, he invites her to hang out at the cemetery. ‘Silent Leila’ as she is known amongst her peers, is a good girl and a top student, but Leila secretly feels inferior to others. In her mind, Leila is stupid, ugly and does not feel ‘real.’ When Lee insists: “Silent Leila! Are you coming, or are you coming?” Leila suddenly experiences a sort of rush; one she’s only felt twice before in her life, and during her secret self harming sessions. Much against her better judgement, Leila can’t decline the offer and takes off with Lee. After a sudden life-changing event at the cemetery, Lee and Silent Leila, find themselves heading north to the Highlands in search of shelter. Faced with a rough and dangerous landscape, without proper gear or any hope of refuge, the duo are scared and destined for impeding doom, until an unexpected stranger enters the equation and suddenly they find themselves forced to confront their demons. Yellow Moon is a teenage thriller, played out on a stark stage by only four actors, who share the narration, sometimes reciting poetry, accompanying it with synchronized fluid modern dance movements. Luke Ryan captures Lee's anxious and awkward young cock strut, and Naomi Rukavina embodies the meek demeanor of Silent Leila which she contrasts with the character’s tumultuous inner self doubting filled persona. Daniela Farinacci (Jenni/Holly) and Mark Constable (Billy/Frank) each portray a pair of adults in the play, morphing from one character to the other as if by flipping a switch, delivering very credible ‘incarnations’ at all times. Because Leila and Lee are so young, their story and the play’s plot can be somewhat predictable for anyone over the age of 25, but Yellow Moon, is more than a theatre piece. The play enables the audience to peek into the angst which ANY hormone laden teenager may feel, not just Lee and Leila’s, and it taps into our own past experiences, by re-visiting old feelings now foreign to us (hopefully). The play resonates with young audiences, and with the young at heart, reminding us all that the ‘teenage condition’ can, and inevitably does get better, given time and patience. Yellow Moon is a simple yet elegant piece, packing a message with a powerful punch, well worth experiencing. Melbourne Theatre Company presents Yellow Moon by David Greig Director Leticia Cáceres Venue: Southbank Theatre, The Lawler Dates: 2 – 16 May 2014 Tickets: from $35; Under 30s just $25 Bookings: 03 8688 0800 | mtc.com.au Regional Tour Dates: 19 – 31 May, 2014 Bookings: Kate Vigo, Regional Arts Victoria, 03 9644 1808 or education@rav.net.au The above review was originally published on Australian Stage and it can be read by clicking here.