Kim Hardwick’s production of The Children’s Hour at the Old Fitz Theatre is an elegant navigation of suppression and queer identity in the 1930s, occupying space in Sydney’s Mardi Gras season as a cutting reminder of consequence.
Running for 2 hours and 30 minutes, including an intermission, The Children’s Hour features a 7 person ensemble of children – led by Kim Clifton as the troublesome Mary Tilford – alongside the 6 person adult ensemble. It follows the story of two school teachers from New England – Martha, played by Jess Bell, and Karen, played by Romney Hamilton – who are accused of having a homoromantic relationship by a student.
Honestly, the first act had me wondering ‘when’s this gonna get gay?’. With little knowledge of the play – written in 1934 by Lillian Helman – and subsequent film adaptation, my instinct was to try and spot the generic clues of a hidden queer romance – stereotypes of grazed hands, brushing of hair, and embraces that linger. I was so determined to search for the small details that I almost lost myself in this preconceived notion of how sapphic relationships ‘must’ be. Hardwick’s direction was not caught up in gesture; instead, it was an invisible but incredibly potent curation of feeling. Feelings of love. Pure, and honest, and completely natural, Martha even noted this herself, saying to Karen “it’s perfectly natural that I should be fond of you, we’ve known each other since we were 17 years old”.
In consonance with the play’s era and religious context, the plot and characters vehemently present lesbianism as a ‘sin’, synonymous with the concept of guilt. Bell and Hamilton do brilliant work of presenting the paradox of wanting to believe this social ‘truth’ whilst authentically living and loving in contradiction to it. They explore ‘nature versus nurture’ by simply existing, with other characters observing that Martha “had always been like that, even as a little girl”, noting sapphic desire’s ever-presence in her nature, only to deem it “unnatural”.
Jess Bell single handedly takes the crown from Emma Stone for ‘mouth-acting’ in her striking portrayal of Martha. Her acting was so brilliant that it often distracted me from the action at hand – she has a presence that cannot be denied. Her careful attention to her accent set Bell apart, transforming the black box theatre into a school in 30s New Hampshire simply with the power of her voice.
Romney Hamilton’s portrayal of Karen takes such a different toll on the audience than that of her counterpart, as for almost the entirety of the play, she appears in a neutral state. On the one hand, she seems blissfully ignorant, choosing not to face the realities of her situation, whilst on the other hand, her silence and submissiveness holds an amplifier to her pain. She is rarely defensive, nor loud, and seems to fall into this motif of ‘nothingness’ that other characters project on her assumed identity. Hamilton handles this role with grace and deep emotion.
These actresses were of course aided by the wonderful crew. The set design was somehow both simple yet ornate, utilising sheer material and carefully plotted lighting cues to add intrigue and create these sort of ‘hideaways’ for characters to eavesdrop. The costuming was superb, especially those worn by Mrs Amelia Tilford, the muted colours evocative of time period. The design was tied together by the ambient original piano score which had a slight Jean Yves Thibaudet vibe.
This dynamic cast worked together in harmony, all utilising incredible passive acting which brought the small theatre space to life, as well as balancing out each other’s highs and lows with fine-tuned pacing – special kudos to Mike Booth who played Joe.
The Children’s Hour is running at the Old Fitz Theatre until the 1st of March, tickets are selling fast!
