In one of the most anticipated theatrical events this year Judy Davis, Elizabeth Alexander and an ensemble of three are lighting up the Belvoir stage with an adaptation of Helen Garner’s The Spare Room.
After a career built in part adapting the likes of Chekhov and Ibsen, Belvoir Theatre’s director Eamon Flack has taken Garner’s 2008 semi-biographical novel and created a script of surprising depth and sharpness that gives the actors so much to work with.
Garner uses her own experiences of when a friend, Nicola (Alexander), comes to stay in the spare room and the gamut of emotions that the experiences of caring for an ill friend trigger.
We know that Nicola has cancer, and is visiting Melbourne to pursue alternative treatments with no scientific foundation from dubious sources.
At first Helen (Davis) is open to being the best friend possible, but as the sleepless nights and the wet sheets add up and Nicola becomes more dependent, she fears that she is losing her own identity.
If this sounds like a hard night at the theatre, it is the nuanced writing and the skills the actors bring to the production that make it three-dimensional, with all of the laughs, complexity and anger that also makes it so watchable.
The Spare Room is proof that Helen Garner is one of our best writers, even if the original text could be claimed into the semi-autobiographical realm rather that pure fiction. The cast is given fully fleshed characters with razor sharp dialogue to work with, with Alan Dukes’ stage magician being a standout moment.
Flack has kept the range of emotions realistic and the pacing quick, though I felt that the connection between Helen and Nicola has room to build. It’s not often that we get a pairing with the expectations of greatness that Davis and Alexander bring to this production.
Davis is an energetic Helen, in constant movement for the entire play, filling the set with energy and being in charge; or is she?
At times she is overwhelmed by the situation, which turns on a dime as she displays deep emotional conflict about Nicola’s terminal state and the negative energy that is radiating. Davis at times is mesmerising as her physicality is paired with her rapid-fire vocal delivery.
Alexander’s role is one of denial, to her own situation and her refusal to see the effects it has on others who love her. The resulting solution to Nicola’s post operative condition is great writing solution to a difficult situation.
Playing multiple roles are Emma Diaz, who shines as Nicola’s niece Iris, Hannah Waterman as a doctor and a sister among other characters, and Alan Dukes, who as various doctors, legit and not so, brings both clarity to Nicola’s situation, while in his quack role he enables her to go down the rabbit hole for the sake of a quick buck.
The single set by Mel Page with its single bed in one corner, with just a shift of furniture or a change of lighting (Paul Jackson), becomes a doctor’s surgery, a therapy room and other spaces where Helen and Nicola and ensemble interact.
Steve Francis’ score is for a single cello played on-stage by Anthea Cottee is in perfect pitch with the various mood changes on stage but also sometimes competes with the actors for prominence.
The Spare Room is a great night at the theatre, and with a few tweaks it will earn its place as one of the year’s greatest productions.
The Spare Room
Upstairs Theatre – Belvoir St Theatre, Belvoir Street, Surry Hills
Performance: Wednesday 11 June 2025
Season continues to 13 July 2025
Information and Bookings: www.belvoir.com.au
Images: Judy Davis and Elizabeth Alexander in The Spare Room – photo by Brett Boardman | Elizabeth Alexander and Alan Dukes in The Spare Room – photo by Brett Boardman | Judy Davis and Hannah Waterman in The Spare Room – photo by Brett Boardman
Review: John Moyle