Pulling them into the Old Fitz in droves is the play Catch as Catch Can, by American playwright and academic Mia Chung.
An old English phrase, later adopted as a wrestling term, ‘catch as catch can’ means roughly to do, or manage with whatever is at hand. Chung has used this to refer to the relationships that must be managed by two working class New England families, the Italian-American Lavecchias and the Irish-American Phelans.
Catch As Catch Can is a close examination of six characters in the two families, but here is where it gets interesting, all six are played by three actors across gender and generational lines, and with minimal costume changes.
This makes it very interesting in the first half hour or so, as you find yourself not only familiarising yourself with the structure of the play. That is, until you get used to their individual body and vocal cadences, as the characters and settings change.
These take place every five to eight minutes or so, when a lighting cue represents a change of scene or character, often reinforced by a reposition of chairs or sliders to change location within a bland interwar-year working class home.
Making all of this work, and with utmost conviction, are three highly skilled actors under Anna Houston’s sharp direction.
David Soncin doubles as mother Roberta Lavecchia and her son Robbie, while Andre de Vanny is Tim, and also plays his mother Theresa Phelan. Robin McLeavy is both father Lon and daughter Daniela Lavecchia.
The play opens with Soncin as Roberta and de Vanny as Theresa at the table discussing their respective families. They engage immediately, even if you are left wondering how the rest of the play is going to unfold.
Character lines are quickly drawn and you quickly adjust to the gender switches. The accents are New England working class, with nods to each family’s ethnic origins, the costumes are minimal, and the character changes are nuanced.
Unseen, are two Asian characters, one of whom is Robbie’s ex-wife, and the other Tim’s fiancée, who are both often referred to in a derogatory manner, which the mothers, especially, think is normal.
This modern take on the old fashioned kitchen sink drama, with the author’s dictate that the play be produced within a strict framework, is rescued from the norm by the authenticity of the dialogue, which shows acute observation powers.
Another element elevating Catch As Catch Can from the ordinary is the power of these three actors’ ensemble performances, which demand split second adjustments in attitude, accents, business and physicality, delivered with conviction, with little help from a script that seems more aware of its own smarts than providing a pathway for engagement with the performances.
Accent coach Linda Nicholls-Gidley deserves credit for getting the cast up to speed with believable and consistent delivery, while Aron Murray’s lighting leaves you in no doubt that things have changed on set.
Kate Beere’s set is a masterpiece of design for the Old Fitz stage as it serves the time and class values of the two families across multiple situations. The music from Steve Toulmin relies on strong vocal harmonies and brassy snatches of updated doo wop and girl group sounds that work with the setting and tone.
With Houston, McLeavy, Soncin and de Vanny on board, Catch As Catch Can is a watchful and engaging piece that is one of the strongest and challenging theatre works that you will see this year.
Catch As Catch Can
Old Fitz Theatre, 129 Dowling Street, Woolloomooloo (Sydney)
Season continues to 31 October 2026
Information and Bookings: www.oldfitztheatre.com.au
Images: Catch As Catch Can – photos by Phil Erbacher
Review: John Moyle