Meeting Karpovsky at Herald Theatre

Reviewed by SHANNON HUSE

In Meeting Karpovsky, Sir Jon Trimmer moves a lot and says a little, while Helen Moulder says a lot and moves a little. Together they create a moving pas de deux that should find favour with dance and theatre fans alike.

The Willow Productions show is a quirky mix of dance, song and words created by Moulder, Sue Rider and Sir Jon. It tells the story of Sylvia, who is escaping a painful truth through imagined meetings with her ballet hero, Alexander Karpovsky.

The programme describes Trimmer and Moulder as two of New Zealand's finest senior performing artists.

This seemed somewhat condescending on first reading, but after watching the play it was more understandable that the age of the performers should be commented on, as the piece explores issues of ageing, loss and grief.

In our youth-obsessed culture it's pretty brave to create a play about the most invisible of people - the retired housewife and mother.

Some people might even find it faintly embarrassing to watch an older woman explore madness and grief in a theatrical manner. But Helen Moulder gives an entertaining and touching performance as a woman finding humour and strength in her darkest hour.

It's no surprise that she won last year's Actress of the Year in the Wellington Theatre Awards for this role.

She has the perfect foil in Sir Jon, who shows he can still command a stage with his ballet-perfect posture. It's a performance that shows body language can shout louder than words.

David Thornley's simply designed attic has suitably flowery wallpaper and naturalistic props that provide a basic backdrop for the performers.

Joe Hayes' lighting moves from stylistic to naturalistic to signpost Sylvia's battle with grief and madness, and works well in most scenes, though some are marred by a garish palette.

Throughout the play there is intrigue as to why Sylvia is losing her grip on reality, and at times I wanted the cause of her grief revealed sooner. But the final payoff is worth the wait, especially for the more sentimental members of the audience.