THE SECRET WIVES OF ANDY WILLIAMS
The Secret Wives Of Andy Williams
This play based on tales of love and sacrifice through the eyes of a young novice nun, Caitlin, in the late ‘60’s is an eccentric and occasionally very funny production. However it often trips itself up on those very eccentricities but when it slows itself down, takes its time and lets more insightful moments occur it gathers more strength revealing more depth. Performed by an exceptionally strong and gifted cast Sadie Hasler-who also wrote the piece-, Sarah Mayhew-who directed it- , Charlie Platt and Edward Mitchell it is economical but effective in its execution.
The narrative focuses on the tale of Caitlin who enters a nun’s order with every intention of joining but along the way finds herself unable to reconcile her I ternal feelings and desires with what is expected of her if she is to continue on this path. Starting off at a frantic pace which verges on skittish slapstick the mood soon shifts and the feelings she reveals are not wholly exclusive to novice nuns but to every teenager. What makes them more intense for Caitlin however is the fact thay if she ignores them then she has to put them aside and not allow them back in.
Each cast member takes on various roles extremely effectively and the whole production is expertly handled. There were times I felt they tried to cram too many things into a short space simply to show how versatile they were but this is minor quibbling and also what the Fringe is all about. All in all an enjoyable show with lofty ambitions that it occasionally met.
The Secret Wives of Andy Williams is on at Underbelly until August 25th at 3.30pm
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