Dangerous territory
Tales
From the Vienna Woods is the story of the corruption of Marianne
(Hayley McElhinney). Seduced away from her fiancé, Oskar
(Steve Le Marquand), by the amoral opportunist Alfred (Eden Falk),
Marianne loses everything – her virginity, her father, her
honour, her love and her son. When Marianne is abandoned by her
lover, with no-one to turn to she descends into poverty and larceny.
The play is the theatrical part of several landmark
German works under this title, beginning with the waltzes of Johann
Strauss, written in 1868. In homage to Strauss’ music, Odon
von Horvath wrote his play in 1931. In 1964 and 1979 Horvath’s
award winning play was adapted to film.
Horvath seems to have had no love of the Viennese,
in particular the women. No-one escapes the wrath of his pen.
The men are debauched and misogynistic, the women loose and money
grubbing. Only Marianne has any virtue and that is soon erased
by the depredations of the people around her, her lack of education
and one fateful choice.
There are no characters in this play with which
to sympathise. None of them have any redeeming features and it
soon becomes clear that Marianne will not be saved. It’s
a difficult play to watch with no-one to relate to and no hope
for the heroine. But Horvath, whose writing career was characterised
by such anti-Nazi work, was not interested in traditional romantic
sentiment. His aim was to speak out against the Nazi regime and
warn people of putting their faith in fascism.
Perhaps in the lead-up to the Australian Federal
election this was a relevant theme. But Horvath’s message
is somewhat obscure. He had to cloak his message in allegory for
fear of reprisal. Marianne, it could be said, represents the German
people. She is corrupted by an outsider. Falk’s combed over
straight black hair, which he brushes back the way Hitler used
to, is a dead giveaway as to who he represents.
This is an interesting play for the Actors Company
to do, mainly because it excludes one of the company’s most
talented actresses, Amber McMahon, from any substantial role.
It also includes an outsider, Paul Capsis. Perhaps in light of
Colin Moody’s exist stage left this was necessary. Perhaps
it is a marketing ploy. Regardless, Capsis is superb. He plays
two roles – Alfred’s domineering grandmother and the
MC of the strip club.
Capsis plays the grandmother with monstrous depravity.
She is evil incarnate, poisoning everyone around her as she manipulates
and bullies her family members into submission. The strip club
MC is a short lived role, which Capsis nevertheless throws himself
into, body and soul. Capsis’ performances are the highlights
of the play.
Tales From the Vienna Woods is not a moral
tale. It’s a warning – resist fascism; don’t
go down that trail. Stay away from the woods. Anything can happen
there. You could lose your life, or worse lose your soul and keep
living.
The message is admirable, however the means by which
it is conveyed does not make it easily digestible. Yet there’s
shock value in this play, even today. Perhaps Horvath thought
the shock would jolt people into swallowing his warning. But it’s
a bitter pill, one not easily swallowed.
Director Jean-Pierre Mignon has endeavoured to help
the audience digest Horvath’s message with a spoonful of
sugar in the form of humour. But it doesn’t quite work.
Tales From the Vienna Woods is so dark, it’s something
you sit through and experience. It touches you, but not in a good
way. This is in no way a reflection on the efforts of the cast.
They throw themselves into it. Hayley McElhinney and Deborah Mailman
in particular are superb.
The set, however, was rather annoying. The actors
seemed to move through it with difficulty at times and the noise
the overhead rack made when in motion was very loud and distracting.
The moving sidewalk, however, was a stroke of genius. The Viennese
township painted red was also very appropriate.
A note about the poster – very deceptive.
No one dresses like this in the play. Even if it’s meant
to be provocative, the poster looks more like an advertisement
for Chicago, than a German play about resisting fascism.
Philippa Wherrett
