Review: The Seed

The Seed by Kate Mulvany
Company B
Review

Unedited version of review published in today's The Daily Telegraph

It’s been just over six months since Kate Mulvany’s new play The Seed first premiered at Belvoir Street Theatre. But it was a premiere under very different circumstances to the one we witnessed this week.

In the small and cramped downstairs theatre, Mulvany put her heart on her sleeve with an autobiographical play that delved into the world of a family reunion with all the muck, confrontation and skeletons that come with it.

For audiences that venture out past the footlights of the big budget theatre productions, they found a little gem of a play that was not only an Australian story, but one that has a universal resonance. It was so popular that it has now traversed upstairs to the larger stage at the same venue.

Mulvany plays Rose Maloney a young journalist who accompanies her father Danny (Danny Adcock) on a birthday reunion to Nottingham to see her Irish grandfather Brian (Martin Vaughan).

She is keen to find out about her father’s childhood and the extended family who she has never known.

Brian welcomes the two into the home with a mixture of grandfatherly affection and a parental authority that immediately creates an emotional tension for Danny who hasn’t returned to his home for forty years.

Central to this tension is the fact that he finds himself squashed in the middle of a father he is still intimidated by and a daughter who continues to suffer the effects of his experiences as a Vietnam War conscript.

The play since last year hasn’t changed that much. It is a lot tighter with some scenes removed and some lines taken out, but the most dramatic difference is that it becomes less the story of Rose and more the transformation of Danny in facing his demons. Adcock’s stunning performance enhances this beautifully with dignity and a delicate touch.

It will be most interesting to see which direction Mulvany heads as a playwright now that success has been found through her family story. In the meantime, if you weren’t one of the lucky few to see the first carnation of this play, ensure that you enjoy the privilege of seeing it come back stronger and even more striking in its emotional power.


Belvoir Street Theatre, 25 Belvoir Street Surry Hills
$33-54 http://www.belvoir.com.au/ 02 9699 3444
Until 30 March