Margaret Mary Hollins turns in a moving performance as a mother tormented by her inability to give enough to her children. Photo / Andi Crown
Red Leap's passionate engagement with Janet Frame's novel Owls Do Cry honours the diverse experience of readers as they encounter a haunting vision of small-town New Zealand, seen through the eyes of outcasts and misfits.
Instead of an adaptation, the show throws up a kaleidoscope of deeply evocative images which
highlight the imaginative processes that take place in the minds of readers.
Those familiar with the novel will easily identify the characters and scenes which are re-imagined with stunning visual panache. For those who have not read the book or are dredging up hazy memories of English literature lessons, there is the thrill of discovering a strangely familiar world and a gripping poetic voice.
Under the artistic direction of Julie Nolan, Red Leap Theatre is committed to an intensely collaborative process which makes it difficult to assign credit to the individual practitioners who devised the work.
Suffice the say the show hinges on the wildly energetic efforts of six highly talented performers. Ross McCormack's electrifying presence brilliantly expresses the anguish of a father who is tragically incapable of forging an emotional connection with his family.
