Iolanthe is one of Australia’s most promising emerging performers, having risen to fame in Darlinghurst Theatre Company’s touring production of Seven Methods of Killing Kylie Jenner. With the support of the Griffin Theatre Company, who are at the Old Fitz Theatre in Woolloomooloo for this production as their home continues to be refurbished, Iolanthe has launched into her writing debut with Sistren, which she also stars in alongside Janet Anderson. 

Spanning 80 minutes, the play tells the story of two final year students in the UK who enjoy making mischief around the school (and beyond). This culminates in a meeting with the principal, who suspends the pair and states that the two must separate for the rest of the school year or risk expulsion. 

The play is interesting enough in concept but shines because of the two performers on stage. Iolanthe is earnest and warm in her delivery, performing with conviction and a bubbliness befitting of a final year high school student while Anderson owns the stage with an incredible swagger and pizzazz. The two work symbiotically, feeding off each other throughout the show as they navigate their new reality, dealing with their own identities and their reactions to those identities in the process. 

The most refreshing thing about this play is the nuance in the storyline. Iolanthe’s script does not come across as a blindly moralistic or didactic tale, into which many contemporary plays that deal with pressing social issues run the risk of falling but rather, it explores the intersection of cultural insensitivity and transphobia with a critical eye. Both characters are, in some way, outsiders and one of the most poignant moments of the production is when Iolanthe’s Isla confronts Anderson’s Violet about her intolerance of the church, which is something that Isla holds dear to her identity before Violet responds by saying that it has been mostly people from Isla’s community that have hurt her through various transphobic remarks. By avoiding the pursuit of a single narrative and exploring deeply sensitive issues with nuance, Iolanthe cultivates a storyline that has a real impact upon the audience. 

The play has a lot to say and, with very strong acting by the performers on stage, is able to pack a lot in, especially at the end of the play, but ultimately, the play is somewhat let down by some of the filler that surrounds the main storyline. The frequent jokes and cultural references as well as the breaking off the fourth wall are intriguing at first but quickly lose their effect as they become repetitive. While Anderson in particular has some extremely funny moments, which are flawlessly executed, they ultimately detract from the heart of the story, which is what carries the most punch. 

Additionally, it does feel as though there are some storylines that are left on the table that would have definitely been worth exploring, perhaps at the expense of some of the pop culture references. A particularly harrowing scene at the start of the play is not addressed until the very end, and although audience expectations are subverted to some degree, this particular plot feels quite underdeveloped. The references to family on both sides are crucial to the storyline but are not tapped into at all, which is a shame given the inextricable link between the identities of the two leads and their families. 

Emma White’s production design is refreshing and well adapted to the unique space of the Old Fitz Theatre while Daniel Herten’s sound design and Kelsey Lee’s lighting complement the action on stage well. TK Abiyoe’s videos are also amusing while Ian Michael’s direction, especially of the two actors, is strong. 

Ultimately, this is a play with a very interesting premise and a degree of nuance that many plays that attempt to fit within a similar realm are missing. The acting is also very strong, with Iolanthe and Anderson both displaying great skill in maintaining an engaging performance. With that said, this feels like a play that is stuck between an experimental comedic work and a serious, weighty piece of theatre. It absolutely has the potential to be the latter and as it continues its run, I hope that the creative team tap into this more as there is definitely something special about this production. 

Rating: ★★★★

Sistren plays at the Old Fitz Theatre until 12^th July. For more information, click here. 

All photo credits: Brett Boardman