Written by Anchuli Felicia King
Directed by Priscilla Jackman
Sydney Theatre Company and National Theatre of Parramatta
Australian premiere.
“Director Priscilla Jackman embeds ensemble scenes with a thrumming rhythm and a brisk tempo to let the words fall into place with zinging vitality. Though there are many intricate layers, Jackman knits the play’s ideas into a cohesive whole, making it digestible and thought-provoking without sacrificing any of its tough messages.
Most brilliantly, the writing doesn’t so much spoon feed as it does offer an opportunity to divulge in complicated concepts on a global scale, such as the nuances between diaspora and homeland Asians, and the traumas attached to belonging in liminal spaces. King’s assured approach to her female characters – equally magnetic as they are spiky – reflects exactly what makes her play so riveting: the unapologetic display of blemishes and imperfections.”
Debbie Zhou
Timeout
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“Priscilla Jackman has assembled a spot-on cast – all of whom do a fabulous job of nailing their character – and directs the play with a zinging assurance and an appropriately light touch”
Jo Liston
Limelight Magazine
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“Jackman directs with scrupulous attention to detail and with panache in her casting and her dynamic choreography of bodies…
You know that feeling when you’re standing on a cliff, and are drawn inexorably a little closer to the edge, and then a little more, and then … This play is like that. It’s all edge, no safety-net. Daring and a touch dangerous, its sense of breakneck velocity and unpredictability are fully realised in this vigorous Australian premiere.”
John Shand
Sydney Morning Herald
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“The writing is thrilling, all sharp crackles and highly-controlled recklessness. She barrels through scenes with velocity and wit, and you could be left breathless or left behind. Best to lean forward and dive in – and with director Priscilla Jackman at the reigns, a steadying hand and muscular force coaxing full-bodied performers out of her actors – it’s a hell of a ride.
The play has an internal and magnetic momentum that presses you ever forward. It’s near impossible to resist.”
Cassie Tongue
Audrey Journal
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“Priscilla Jackman’s direction puts all the elements together in a controlled explosion as hilarious as it is whip-smart.
In a seamless intertwining of big-picture issues and personal anxieties, King covers huge ground. Racism, political correctness, corporate responsibility, business ethics, women’s insecurities and the power of social media are just the beginning.”
Deborah Jones
The Australian
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“Priscilla Jackman does great work directing this propulsive character drama, maintaining its tension and humour in a delicate balance. Moreover, she has an embarrassment of riches with this exceptional cast. It is a true joy to see such an ensemble at work, with terrific representation and such impressive dramatic chops on display.”
Jack Teiwes
Australian Stage
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“Director Priscilla Jackman keeps dramatic intensity at fever pitch for the entire duration, establishing an unrelenting awareness in our consciousness reminding us that the stakes are very high indeed, not only in the fiction that we encounter, but also the real life implications of this timely tale about our social responsibilities as groups and individuals.
The play’s unravelling of corporate culture, engenders a caustic sense of humour that keeps us on edge, for a wildly funny theatrical ride that never releases us from its moral interrogations.
It is a sensational piece of writing, thoroughly researched and passionately rendered. White Pearl throws us into a cauldron of frenzied chaos, but each line of dialogue is crafted with immense precision, for an insightful examination not only of capitalism and racism, but also of the classism and sexism that govern so much of how these characters operate.”
Suzy Wrong
Suzy Goes See
Written by Melanie Tait
Directed by Priscilla Jackman
Ensemble Theatre
“Priscilla Jackman directs with energy a strong all-woman cast. Millerchip brings naivety to her central role as Penny. McMahon is a cracker as the feisty, athletic, potty-mouthed Nikki. Bader’s knowing pauses and comic timing as she sheds the chip on her shoulder are a joy.”
Joyce Morgan
Sydney Morning Herald
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“Director Priscilla Jackman provides ample room for play in her production; during her scene transitions characters dance props into place and share small moments together. These are little capsules of joy, and it’s near-impossible to resist being charmed. She infuses the story with additional, but judicious affection: every character is likeable, even grumpy Bev, and she treats the play’s more serious concerns, like xenophobia and discrimination, with pragmatism”
Cassie Tongue
TimeOut
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“Under the skilled direction of Priscilla Jackman, the originality of these Aussie women is grounded and exciting to watch and enjoyable in their recognisability. Jackman’s pinpoint use of pause is an immeasurable asset to the charming embrace of the production”
Judith Greenaway
Arts Hub
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“With unfussy direction (Priscilla Jackman) and spare design (the set is by Michael Scott-Mitchell), it’s a total crowd-pleaser, a colloquial Aussie play without a moment of cringe…And Jackman, building an impressive body of work on Sydney stages, who skillfully modulates the broad humour and country clichés.”
Jason Whittaker
Daily Review
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“The picture of Appleton painted by Tait and deftly directed by Priscilla Jackman in 90 taut minutes is a colourful and detailed one…”
“The Appleton Ladies Potato Race is a gentle comedy with a sting in its tail. The cast is flawless and funny, Michael Scott-Mitchell’s set of the back of a rusty ute that doubles as bleachers and potato storage is simple and gives them plenty of room to shine. In the end, when the chips are down (sorry, couldn’t resist one potato pun) the ladies come through and humanity wins the day. Would that it were so.”
Diana Simmonds
Stage Noise
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“The maturity of the drama is in its measure, with Priscilla Jackman’s direction complementing Tait’s writing…The Appleton Ladies’ Potato Race is a must-see. There are no downsides to this polished, measured, and punchy work that says so much with such style.”
Sean Maroney
The Music
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“Director Priscilla Jackman shows great confidence in her cast and has a marvellous appreciation of what is comical and treasurable in this very funny, and ultimately very moving, new play”
Frank Hatherley
Stage Whispers
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“Through the lens of five female characters living in rural Australia we look in on ourselves as a nation. It’s a funny play with a huge heart that is not afraid to pack a punch. It is about rejection and acceptance; seeing the world as it really is and at the same time, daring to ask if it can be something more.”
Arts Review
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“Director Priscilla Jackman imbues the show with extraordinary warmth… featuring five actors in a cohesive and joyful collaboration.”
Suzy Wrong
Suzy Goes See
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“Priscilla Jackman directs a bare-bones staging (a Michael Scott-Mitchell design) whose main feature is the arse end of an old ute. Her casting is flawless. Millerchip’s Penny is a winning mix of pep and calculation. McMahon conjures Nikki from equal parts vivaciousness and spite.”
Jason Blake
Audrey Journal
“…The play makes a welcome plea for greater understanding. It is an uplifting work that celebrates individual courage and brings one transgender experience out of the shadows. It will bowl you over.”
Joyce Morgan
Sydney Morning Herald
★ ★ ★ ★
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“Still Point Turning is a fascinating, insightful, tough, moving and surprisingly funny piece of theatre…
…It is cleverly structured and beautifully written, combining direct address with dramatised dialogue and more abstract scenes, which use a choreographed physical language to heighten the situation.”
Jo Litson
Daily Telegraph
★ ★ ★ ★
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“Hard masculinity looms large over a trans story told with empathy and wit in the world premiere of Sydney Theatre Company’s production…The play finds space, too, to address other trans issues with sophistication: passing, identities beyond the binary, dysphoria…Jackman’s team shows us with Still Point Turning that the tension between McGregor’s identity and her position is as taut for her as it is for us.”
Kaya Wilson
The Guardian
★ ★ ★ ★
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“All in all, this production is remarkable. It’s entertaining and challenging, the everyday is turned on its head along with cliches and prejudices. Laughter and tears are rarely far from the surface and on opening night the audience rose as one to applaud…”
Diana Simmonds
Stage Noise
★ ★ ★ ★
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“As both director and writer Jackman has been able to edit and shape what could have been a static, didactic lecture into a riveting piece of theatre.”
Ian Dickson
Australian Book Review
★ ★ ★ ★
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“Jackman’s script is supple and empathetic, eschewing a trans trauma porn narrative for candour and nuance instead…”
“…There is a jewel of a moment in the latter half of the play, when Catherine meets, and is enchanted by, Indian cricketing great Rahul Dravid (Brown)… Catherine is profoundly moved by him – she has never been able to embrace herself quite so fully, but she’s realising that if she doesn’t, she won’t survive. It’s a moment of recognition, realisation, and deep emotion, and Jackman constructs the scene with sincere grace.”
Cassie Tongue
TimeOut
★ ★ ★ ★
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“In Priscilla Jackman’s Still Point Turning, a delicious balance is struck, in which the object of our gaze is simultaneously accommodating and commanding.”
Suzy Wrong
Suzy Goes See
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“Together, McGregor and Jackman have gifted the audience with a complex and quintessentially Australian account of transgender experience.”
Rozanna Lilley
Daily Review
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“The result is a gripping, rollercoaster ride that is intensely theatrical and raises questions about gender roles, misogyny and finding that still centre within our psychic chaos that enables us to stay true to our self. The latter especially gives it a universality.”
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“Still Point Turning is a vital affirmation of trans people through the story of Catherine McGregor”
Noah Riseman
The Conversation
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“Jackman has ensured that Catherine McGregor’s story is presented with an honesty and openness without lecturing or overtly asking for sympathy but rather seeking to make an emotional connection with the audience who are taken on somewhat of a rollercoaster of emotion…”
“…STILL POINT TURNING: THE CATHERINE MCGREGOR STORY is a must see piece of theatre that not only informs but also entertains as it connects with the audience and asks for humanity for everyone.”
Jade Kops
Broadway World
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“In less than two hours, Priscilla Jackman is able to encapsulate the drama, conflict and profound humanity that is at the very heart of a remarkable human being’s life. It could be so easy to sentimentalize, glamourize or embellish a life lived in so many chapters of the human condition. And yet this is so very carefully avoided…
Jackman’s direction appropriately observes the significance of her task to bring McGregor’s life story to the stage. Her approach is simple, economical and strikingly effective in its clear focus…
Still Point Turning is more than a play about Catherine McGregor. It is a lesson in humanity, a cry for compassion, a plea for understanding and a salute to difference. It is an assault on prejudice and a jolt to complacency.”
Peter Wilkins
Canberra Critics Circle