As many of us know, work can be all consuming.
So much so that to our detriment we tend to neglect those nearest and dearest to us, the ones that supposedly mean the most to us.
I refer to our wives and partners, our children, relatives and friends.
Photos by Steven Mitchell Wright
In Ron Kent’s case, it is the former.
Ron is obsessed with astronomy. He is figuratively reaching for the stars.
He knows he has met someone special when he sets eyes upon and then awkwardly courts lawyer Michelle.
But the laser focus of a man who loves coding is on unlocking an algorithm that will revolutionise cosmology.
His relationship suffers as a result.
Bear in mind that he is someone who works in the shadow of greats such as Galileo.
A high point for Ron is when Michelle presents him with a shiny blue telescope with a personalised engraving on it.
After collecting a prestigious accolade, Ron is interviewed by a young reporter named Amy.
She asks him why he spent more than half of his acceptance speech praising his wife.
In so doing, Amy unearths a treasure trove of regret and success at great cost, for this is Ron’s story and the path he chose.
That includes a surfeit of missteps, lost funding and employment, arguments and rage.
You could say that for Ron the planets didn’t align and so it is that the tale unfolds through the observations of the planets.
I refer to the sun and the moon, Earth, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Neptune and Uranus, names assumed by most of the actors.
In reflecting, Ron also gives Amy food for thought, for it is clear she has been readily dismissive of her partner, namely her boyfriend, Devin.
Ron clearly hopes Amy will learn from his mistakes.
The work of writer Nick Jay, Midnight Carousel is creative and eclectic.
It combines narrative with poetry, song and dance, while projections are also part of the offering.
It takes effort on the part of the audience to piece together the threads.
As a whole, it is open to interpretation.
In fact, it is up to us to make of it what we will … perhaps to inject our own life experience into our assessment.
For the most part, the nine strong cast is confident in its delivery, with Terry Hansen leading the way as Ron.
There is a world-weary gravitas in how Hansen conducts himself.
As Ron, he doesn’t have tickets on himself. Ever the pragmatist, he is self-critical, readily owning up to his shortcomings.
While Midnight Carousel has much to say, I also found it somewhat bloated and repetitive. As a result, my mind started to wander.
The piece could readily have been pared back from its running time of 100 minutes plus interval to a neat 60 minutes. It would have been stronger as a result.
While most of the actors projected most of the time, there were occasions when the music overwhelmed the spoken word. That is an easy but important fix.
Having said that, sound and lighting design are key ingredients of Midnight Carousel, which benefits from the input of director Belle Hansen.
There is no doubt that this is a play with a distinct voice. The question is whether it is one everyone wants to hear and that is a matter of individual taste.
Some will shy away, while others will embrace its originality.
Regardless, it announces the arrival of a playwright with vision in Nick Jay.
Midnight Carousel is on at Theatre Works until 16th November, 2024.
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