MIAF 2008
KittenMalthouse Theatre and Melbourne International Arts Festival
8 October 2008
Beckett Theatre, CUB Malthouse
Kitten is about the transformative nature of grief and explores one woman’s journey through its drowning, floating and cleansing effects.
Directed and written by Jenny Kemp (who directed the astonishing Woman Bomb) and designed by Malthouse’s wonderful Anna Tregloan, I was looking forward to something spectacular - but I found it distancing, frustrating and ultimately boring.
Kitten’s husband has died and her obsessive search for him leads to her breakdown. This work depends on the audience’s empathy with and sympathy for its protagonist and their understanding of her emotional narrative. Having three Kittens, who were far too similar, left the character strangely underdeveloped. Instead of creating a fuller picture of Kitten, it felt like a competition for which Kitten the audience liked best.
The opening act was slow, quite and intense. The emotional intensity started high and didn’t change, so the characters had nowhere to go that wasn’t down. In a scene that should have bonded the audience with Kitten, we were physically separated by a curtain and never allowed the emotional space to get near her.
Act two was filled with over-obvious dialogue, like Manfred saying, “I think you’re out of control” (I suspect I wasn’t the only person muttering “derr” under my breath) but missed vital clues to her behaviour. I have no idea if Kitten liked, loved or loathed Jonah, her dead husband, and couldn’t even figure out her conscious, or unconscious, feelings for the onstage Manny.
Act three brought the bi-polar bear. This scene was hilarious, gorgeous and spectacular, but nothing prepared the audience for such an extreme and unexpected change of mood, tone and style. Despite all its prettiness, wit and absurdity, this act felt so awkward.
I could see the academic, intellectual and emotional intent behind Kitten, but I think the intent got very lost in the translation.
