The Revolutionists | The Curators

The Revolutionists is the latest production by independent Brisbane theatre collective The Curators. It tells the story of four very different, yet equally powerful women who are drawn together in their own fight for liberté, égalité and sororité in the midst of the Reign of Terror of the French Revolution and under the ever-widening shadow of Madame La Guillotine. Devised in the lead up to the first Trump Presidency, it is also a metaphor for many of the issues of our times; women’s rights, cancel culture, personal legacy, and the power of the media and charismatic figures to whip mobs into a frenzy.

Lauren Roche as Charlotte Corday. Image: Naz Mulla.

Written by U.S. playwright Lauren Gunderson, The Revolutionists centres on Olympe de Gouges, prominent French playwright, feminist and activist who history has tried to forget. We meet her holed up in her quarters in the midst of the Reign of Terror trying to find inspiration for a play that speaks to the time and to her hopes for women’s rights to be included in the new freedoms of her country. Her reputation for creating gold out of her words brings three prominent women of the time to her home who threaten to draw her into the chaos of the Reign of Terror that she’s been desperately trying to hide from.

Her first guest in Marianne Angelle, a fierce freedom fighter for what would become Haitian and amalgamation of those whose stories were not written down. Marianne seeks to inspire the French to follow their new republic with a renunciation of slavery. Following her is Charlotte Corday, would-be assassin of Jean-Paul Marat, full of youthful conviction and seeking the perfect last words to justify her plans for murder. Finally, Marie Antoinette, disgraced former queen, who is not quite in touch with reality, seeking to be understood. All four women fear the impending touch of Madame La Guillotine, yet their stories inspire each other to make a stand in a world gone mad.

Gunderson devised the The Revolutionists from the stories of three women of the era and of Haiti’s fight for independence, and how their words and actions were seen as a threat to the new rules of the French Revolution. It is a hefty two-acter, coming in at over two hours, and Gunderson’s text is dense and full of witty one-liners and dialogue that hit you in the feels. To do the script justice, it requires a cast that can balance an impeccable comic timing with pathos and poignancy, and who are able to build the tension of the looming threat of Madame La Guillotine. All four members of the class meet the high bar set by Gunderson with ease, to the point that I don’t think the smile left my face for most of the first act.

Amanda McEarlean as Marie Antoinette. Image: Naz Mulla.

Lisa Hickey imbues Olympe de Gouges with class, fear, wit and a manic desperation. She plays her as one of the original influencer, desperate to leave a legacy, yet too scared to write her own story. She fills every scene with life, and cheekily breaks the fourth wall to bring us along with her. Hickey is a delight to watch. Asabi Goodman’s Marianne Angelle, is equal parts fierce strength, compassion and uncertainty and she provides an effective moral compass for the other three heroines. Lauren Roche brings the right mix of youthful optimism, vamp and vulnerability to Charlotte Corday. And Amanda McErlean’s Marie Antoinette is a charming and loopy scene stealer, bringing an unexpected wisdom and poignancy to a role that could easily be one-dimensional comic relief in lesser hands.

Similar to his production of Vincent River, director Michael Beh once again presents the Revolutionists in traverse style, with the stage set like a catwalk.  This staging imbued both an energy and urgency into the piece for me, as I found myself actively followed the performers’ verbal volleys and movements throughout and enjoyed catching glimpses of the audience reacting to the witty repartee throughout. The catwalk also provided a not-so-subtle nod to highlighting how costuming was but one of the shackles imposed on women in those times.

Under the careful direction of Beh, the mise-en-scène is highly effective for such a hefty script for most of the piece. There were only a few moments were the pacing lagged, and I’m sure that will tighten up over the run of the show. In a diversion from Gunderson’s original work, the creative team gives each of the characters a modern theme song to capture their frame of mind. Although Asabi knocked ‘Feeling Good’ out of the park and the rest of the cast performed their tunes effectively, this is the only element of the production that doesn’t quite work for me. It felt so tonally different from the rest of the piece that it took me out of the world the team had created for the Revolutionists, detracting from the tension driving the show. With the play already clocking in at over 2 hours, it felt like an unnecessary addition that didn’t add anything for me apart from highlighting the vocal talents of the cast.

Asabi Goodman as Marianne Angelle. Image: Naz Mulla.

The Curators have established themselves a reputation for elaborate costuming and setting and the Revolutionists is no different. Their home in Milton’s Christ Church has been transformed into a lush Parisian parlour, adorned with what could be kilometres of fabrics for the Revolutionists. Combined with lighting design by Bethany Scott, the characters are effectively highlighted and silhouetted throughout the piece to great effect. Combined with the attention to detail on the intricate costuming and make-up, I was transported into the world of the French Revolution.

To me, The Revolutionists is a reminder that in times where the gap between the rich and the poor seems insurmountable and when leadership is corrupt and manipulative, what defines us is our willingness to act in the face of unknown terrors and overwhelming odds. That a life lived authentically and without comprimise can be one of the most risky, but powerful forces for change for those on the margins. That we are doomed to repeat our mistakes if we don’t learn from the lessons from the past. And that (surprisingly) The French Revolution could be such a relevant allegory for these strange times we live in.

With The Revolutionists, The Curator’s continue to lead the way for local independent theatre. They have established them as a company to watch, both through their ambition and willingness to take risks and their passion for presenting politically charged works that respond to the issues of our times and that explore our shared humanity. I look forward to seeing their next curation.

The Revolutionists plays until 26 March at Christ Church, Milton.