Babyteeth

11 Feb-16 Mar ,

Theatre reviews

Recommended

A new Australian play that captures the beautiful bitter-sweetness of life

First published on 24 Aug 2011. Updated on 17 Mar 2012.

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Written by actor-playwright Rita Kalnejais and directed by Eamon Flack, Babyteeth is a play about life, erupting with all the humdrum and chitchat that fills the time in our human existence, it’s about love, need, habit, joy, distraction and bereavement. It’s also a comedy, but the story is very sad. It follows 14-year-old Milla (played superbly by Sara West) who’s undergoing treatment for cancer. Milla doesn’t have very long to live. In fact, she’ll die before her 15th birthday.

Thanks to set designer Robert Cousins, the revolving stage sets a pace and vibrancy that works like a playful merry-go-round skipping through the family home to Henry’s office, the violin teacher’s house, Central Station and other locations (a dose of audience imagination may be required at times). And the liberal use of the stage and the play’s sprightly musical score gives Babyteeth a cinematic quality that, at times, evokes the drama, fun and light humour of a soap opera.

Rita Kalnejais’s acute observations on modern-day life fiddle our emotions like the strings on Milla’s violin, but they also provide relief and black comedy. The play doesn’t make light of Milla’s illness, but skilfully tackles serious issues of drug use, dependency, racial stereotypes (Gidon, the Latvian violin teacher), euthanasia and grief with a lightness of touch. Much of the comedy comes from trivial conversations about figs, eggs, clouds and pancakes. (“Do you even like my pancakes, Henry?”)

There are first-rate performances from the main cast and some truly delightful moments from supporting characters - pregnant neighbour Toby (Kathryn Beck) and Gidon (Russell Dykstra). The most entertaining and poignant scenes come when Milla’s parents take centre stage. Kalnejais’s talent for writing is brought to life by Helen Buday and Greg Stone as they prepare for the loss of their daughter. In an amusing squabble about bathroom tiles and water pressure, Henry’s words jerk the tone back to melancholy with: “It’s just grief, Anna.”

It won’t provoke teary reactions from everyone. But Babyteeth is special: a beautiful new Australian play that, at its best, can bring our own lives into focus.

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Words by Emma Joyce