Written by Hannah Pyliotis and performed by Aurora Kurth, Mara does to the Cinderella fairytale what the character of Mara inexorably does to her own heart over the course of the story: break it apart and piece it back together again, albeit with different results. While the pieces of Mara’s heart turn spiteful and ugly, the pieces of Mara are daring and glorious.
Aurora takes elements of cabaret, circus, comedy revue, and song, along with exquisite physical storytelling to tell a rich and engaging story of a woman desperate to avoid becoming like her own mother, yet it’s in that desperation that she seals her own fate.
The space at Theatre Works proper is a large one, and it’s occupied here by a little circus of sorts. A rolling section of spiral staircase, a desk and chair, an orphaned carousel horse, and Sound Designer Ania Reynolds under her own miniature suggested lines of a circus tent providing excellent musical accompaniment (as well as the odd bit of comedic banter) throughout.
Jason Bovaird’s splendid lighting design not only helps illustrate the story Aurora is telling, but also lifts it at times into something more mythic and eerie. The lights coming from above at sharp angles give a sense that we’re not so much watching a story unfold, but watching the performance of a story unfold under the Big Top.
It allows Mara to step out of the narrative with microphone in hand for a spell of crooning to the audience, which allows Aurora to step out of Mara for a second to exchange a hilarious quip with Ania.
It’s a lovely aspect of Megan Jones’s direction and of the work as a whole that these elements never undercut the main story or lessen any of its emotional impact. First-rate assistance in telling Mara’s story is given by Assistant Stage Manager, Maho Modouris, who provides many lovely touches, cameos, and embellishments.
Considering how Aurora wielded songs like Rock ‘n Roll Suicide and other numbers in last year’s marvellous David Bowie tribute show, Loving the Alien, her ability to fill the space could never be in question.
Just to be certain, however, for those in the audience who haven’t heard her sing, she marks the beginning of Mara with a burst of operatic ferocity that ensures we dare not look away from everything that follows. Not unlike Bowie too, Aurora inhabits a range of characters and personas throughout the show, each compelling in their own right.
Stitched together as they are, these elements help the show become greater than the sum of its parts, while also serving as a terrific demonstration of the merits of the By Theatre Works initiative. Mara’s heart may turn cold, but the audience were left undoubtedly delighted, moved, and entertained.
MARA
Theatre Works, 14Acland Street, St Kilda
Performance: Thursday 23 April 2026
Season continues to 2 May 2026
Information and Bookings: www.theatreworks.org.au
Images: Aurora Kurth – photo by Sarah Clarke | Aurora Kurth – photo by Sarah Clarke | Aurora Kurth and Mahi Modouris – photo by Sarah Clarke | Aurora Kurth – photo by Sarah Clarke
Review: June Collins