Post-feminism laid bare in ‘Venus In Fur’

The play’s poster immediately brings to mind two of the arts’ most flamboyant characters: playwright Arthur Miller and his one-time girlfriend Marilyn Monroe. Perhaps not surprisingly since the play itself is about a cunning playwright (well, story adaptor) who falls for his ‘suffers-no-fools’ leading lady (ie: the most promising actress at the audition phase).

Indeed, Venus In Fur is so rich in its intertextual referencing, viewers often don’t know where fiction ends and the possibility of fact begins. In a plot where life scarily begins to imitate art, one wonders if the dude who wrote this thing has done so via first-hand experience. If so, David Ives is one kinky fella. If not, he’s damn good at studying kinky life.

But let’s not cast aspersions and simply get to the multi-swerving narrative, shall we?

New York playwright Thomas (Adam Booth of previous Black Swan production The Seagull) is about to close shop on auditions one stormy night when in walks feisty actress Vanda (fresh WAAPA graduate Felicity McKay) who ironically – or perhaps not-so-ironically – happens to share the name of the main character of the play she is auditioning for.

And that’s just the beginning of the ironic similarities. Vanda – in the play within the play – is set up as an S&M mistress, her masochistic ways encouraged by a male lead who craves to be subjected and humiliated mostly for his own satisfaction. Vanda – the actress auditioning for the role – begins to wonder if the director testing her skills is actually a sadistic kinko himself.

Before you know it, all manner of roles, from sex to class to gender, are being swapped in one very quick-witted two-hander, while audience members’ minds start going into overdrive analysing the sexism, classism and gender-prejudice of it all.

Without needing to spoil the ending for you, it’s enough to say that if you’re a man who has ever wanted to ‘let go of the reigns’ on occasion, or a woman who’s wanted to ‘jump into the saddle’ once in a while, you’ll discover some home truths in this production that’ll have you scratching your head and thinking about your own sex life over that post-viewing drink. Just don’t go analysing too hard or you might get a headache.

All up, a brilliant, rollercoaster ride of a production that relies on its actors’ smarts and fluid talent more than any mis-en-scene, backdrop or, for that matter, costuming.  Antonino Tati

‘Venus In Fur’ is on at the Studio Underground, Heath Ledger Theatre, Northbridge, from now until February 8. Bookings direct at the theatre or through www.ticketek.com.au. Photography by Gary Marsh.