Hannah Suarez

On Friday December 11, I saw Toy Symphony at the Cremorne Theatre in QPAC.

Overview:

Gifted playwright Roland Henning is trying to convince his sceptical therapist Nina that he doesn’t have writer’s block, it’s just that, well, he can’t write anymore …

With Nina’s help, Roland reluctantly recalls his primary school days in the outer-Sydney suburb of Como, and the extraordinary day that shattered his boyhood plunging him headlong into the dizzy circus of art and life.

But as Roland remains adamant that he is beyond help and will never write again, personal tragedy threatens to permanently derail him.

A chance discovery offers Roland a chance of salvation, but will he grasp it or slip back into old habits?

Gow’s long-awaited new play – and the toast of Sydney’s theatre scene in 2007 – is a compelling journey of personal self-discovery and regeneration.

I found the play delightful with its different characters (Joan of Arc, Ceasar, Nina, and more).  There were gasps when the explorer jumped out from an air duct only to leave the room after battling heavy snow.  There were laughs when Roland conjured up Beverly for his friend’s ‘adoration’.  However, I also found that little moments in the play reminded me of my primary and early high school years.  I remembered the nice teacher who have played a big role in my development.  I remembered my primary school best friend.  I remember the rote learning and being called up to recite something that’s meant to be remembered off by heart.  I remembered the slightly eccentric school principal.  Even memories from the present such as the Victorian bushfires early this year.

If it weren’t for this, I thought that the play could have fallen short of being memorable and would rely on the characters conjured up by Roland Henning’s imagination.

For those who are interested in Toy Symphony and have missed out, yesterday was the last day of the season.  However, there are other plays currently in season and you can read more about them in the Queensland Theatre Company website.