OBSERVER: Hemlines
Hemlines is three women Elenor, Flossy, Doris living a life of eternity in their sewing room, only seeing the outside world through the eye of a needle.
This production by Moon Bureau has a lot – painted faces, Irish jigs, songs, fabric and storytelling.
Amelia Gilday has directed a unique contribution to the Melbourne Fringe Festival.
The cast, also the creators of Hemlines, are talented actors bringing to us a story of the women behind the outfits of famous people in history marked out on ‘the scroll’ every outfit they ever made.
These three are together forever creating tension in the group with their different personalities, not all privy to the whys of what they do.
Flossy, the newest of the three was a mistake (the only one made by Elenor), who learns how she came to be in a job she finds tedious.
The three performers have a good rapport on stage. They are comfortable with each other, well rehearsed, easy to watch. The energy each brings however is different.
Flossy (Lana Filies) is young, naïve, childlike. Elenor (Alicia Badger) proud, serious, her work is her life, every stitch meaningful, does not have time for games or ‘goofing off’ as Flossy does.
Doris (Madison Chippendale) is more sophisticated, laid back, equivalent to an older sister. All three are distinct with an equal place in the story.
The songs are catchy, used to enhance the story. Alicia Badger is the most talented singer of the group though all three sing in the show.
There are some misses, yet some nice harmonies. What they lack in singing they make up with their Irish dancing.
Hemlines brings humour, warm characters and thought-provoking notions in a neat fifty minutes of theatre.
Presented at Theatre Works – Explosives Factory.
Review by Elizabeth Semmel
Pictured: Alicia Badger in Hemlines. Photo: Jamie Simmons