Sweet Bird of Youth

August 06, 2024

Guy Pearce is back onstage to headline the second production of the Melbourne Theater Co.'s subscription season. The curtain rises on him naked but for a pair of slim, white silk pyjama pants. Tanned, blonde and carrying zero body fat, Pearce is a sight to see as Tennessee Williams' fidgety, hell-bent wannabe movie star Chance Wayne.

After a two-year absence, Guy Pearce is back onstage in his hometown to headline the second production of the Melbourne Theater Co.’s subscription season. The curtain rises on him naked but for a pair of slim, white silk pyjama pants. Tanned, blonde and carrying zero body fat, the former competitive body-builder is a sight to see as Tennessee Williams’ fidgety, hell-bent wannabe movie star Chance Wayne.

Sadly, Pearce’s one-dimensional perf turns out to be the show’s weakest link — his honed appearance belies his preparedness for the part. He is easily outplayed by Wendy Hughes as the Princess Kosmonopolis, aka Alexandra del Lago.

Also in great physical shape, Hughes had originally rejected the role in favor of a national tour headlining “The Graduate,” but signed a day before rehearsals started, after the “Graduate” tour was abandoned due to slow ticket sales in Sydney.

Popular on Variety

Director Kate Cherry has elicited some strong perfs but fails to build enough cohesion and momentum to overcome the script’s protracted scenes. Ugly, cumbersome set leads to several tedious set changes — the aud sits in dim lighting staring at clouds projected onto the curtain, and front rows can hear hammering — that further deplete momentum.

Creative coup for Cherry, the MTC’s associate artistic director, was assembling the strong cast, notably Hughes, Beverley Dunn, John Stanton and Michael Robinson. Financial masterstroke was signing Pearce, who has attracted big, younger auds to the bastion of the gray-haired set. It’s a pity he doesn’t deliver the performance they’ve come to witness.

Monthlong season was extended a week. The day after closing night, Pearce departs for the U.S. to commence publicity for “The Time Machine.”

Jump to Comments