Mandarins in summer, the scent of petrichor, and old books – these scents, much like Marcel Proust’s madeleine, have the power to conjure memories: blissful, painful, and everything in between. In her new work Recollection, staged at fortyfivedownstairs, Georgia Ketels employs scent, an often under-utilised device in theatre, to transcend the visual and auditory.
Audience members are greeted with earthy notes upon entry; the stage dressed as a modern apothecary, with spilling plants, jars and cleverly designed compartments. From its depths, a bed, wardrobe and dining table are artfully slid out to layer the past and present. Director Cathy Hunt's expert blocking stages the characters languidly against beams, drifting across the stage, and emerging from the audience, creating an immersive time-blend that only occasionally veers into clunky territory.
The past depicts an endearing mother-daughter relationship and a burgeoning queer romance between Molly (Molly Holohan) and Jenna (Mish Keating). The mother-daughter relationship feels authentic, capturing the heart of a duo who spend as much time laughing and riffing as they do bickering.
In the present, Molly has died, and her mother, Olivia (Eve Morey), attempts to recapture her volatile essence, scoring points for originality in a gothic fusion of Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein meets Patrick Süskind’s Perfume. Morey delivers a painfully emotional performance while Ravenna Bouckaert as Ariana, the scent artist, adds a dry layer of comic relief. Ketels' script is both charming and warm, reflecting our socio-political zeitgeist with well-placed local wit and skilled comedic timing from Keating and Holohan.
Despite the sweetness between the teen lovers, the core of the story lies in the surprisingly touching relationship between Olivia and Jenna. They butt heads over spaghetti but grow connected as they share in mutual guilt over Molly’s death – Olivia for not disclosing Molly’s father's identity (and medical history) and Jenna for helping Molly obtain birth control. The use of birth control here seems to symbolise a reclamation of power rather than a mere contraceptive measure, although Molly’s insistence on going on the pill, while necessary as a plot device, feels thinly veiled.
Recollection scores extra points for its aroma-turgy, most potent in the front row/middle section of the theatre, with thoughtful touches like a specially-made fragrance card featuring–Molly’s blend of coffee, leather and shampoo, thanks to scent artist, Erin Adams. This, coupled with Jess Keeffe’s minimalistic sound design and Eloise Kent’s standout naturalistic and dynamic set design, creates a tender sensory experience that melts the audience into the world of the characters.
The play captures the raring grief of the bereaved in their quest to hold on to the essence of their lost loved ones. It’s an emotional reminder that it’s not the physical remnants that matter most, but the memories that live on within those who love them.
Recollections is playing at fortyfivedownstairs until July 7 and tickets are available now via the venue website.
Stay in the loop: sign up for our free Time Out Melbourne newsletter for the best of the city, straight to your inbox.