A punk rock Gen Xer and a girly pop Gen Zer – name a better duo.
Lucinda Gleeson’s The Bridge is a punchy and cheeky production that fuses the alternative cynicism of the ‘80s and ‘90s with the sensitivities, concerns and nostalgias of the 2020s. Unapologetic, the performance celebrates female rage whilst capturing youthful angst and hurt, questioning how much has really changed.
The story begins in the ‘90s when Australian rock star Amber (Zoe Carides) signs a record deal, catapulting her to fame. Angry, rebellious and authentic, Amber struggles with management. She disappears from the music scene after a final radical performance at the Australian Music Awards.
Fast forward to today, and TikTok influencer Alyssa (Clare Hennessy) has rediscovered Amber’s music and her reputation. She creates a controversial homage to one of Amber’s most vulnerable songs, Medea’s Curse, unaware that it has come to the attention of Amber herself.
There is a simmering force throughout Carides’ performance. She is clearly comfortable and plays into the carelessness, hurt and rebellion that mirror the misfit nature of Nellie LeRoy in Babylon.
When playing Amber in her rock star days, however, Carides struggles to own the space, playing Amber with a softer voice and a little less conviction. This results in a missed opportunity to turn that simmering force into the white flames of passion that Amber represents.
In her transition to the present day, Carides effortlessly carries Amber’s past rage and rock star aura into the present. Amber lives a typical day-to-day life as a mother and a guitar teacher without compromising the authenticity of her transition into these roles. It is here that Carides illuminates how Amber manages, reflecting the multifaceted concerns of womanhood and rage.
Equally as strong, Hennessy’s performance blurs the distinction between fiction and reality. Hennessy plays the Gen Z archetype with tasteful precision. She soundly depicts the bubble-wrapped paradox of courage and insecurity of youth and a system willing to exploit it.
A special mention must be made to Hennessy’s performance of Medea’s Curse, delivered with a strong vibrato and powerful tone. Through her acting, dancing and singing, Hennessy showcases her multi-disciplinary talent, leaving a lasting impression on the production.
Integrating technology, especially social media, into a plot is no easy feat, but Gleeson takes the challenge in her stride. Through a clever use of projectors, incredible lighting by Aron Murray and sound effects by Rowan Yeomans and Elke Rea, Gleeson seamlessly weaves social media into the production. It stays relevant to the plot without ever feeling jarring against the live performance.
Murray’s lighting design and Yeomans’ and Rea’s sound design enhance the production’s experience, becoming almost secondary characters in this performance. Yeomans’ and Rea’s sound designs, especially in earlier scenes, effortlessly foreground both context and setting.
Murray’s lighting also provides a fantastic transition between the flashback and the current day. It also enhances the intensity of the TikTok duet battles between Alyssa and Amber.
The Bridge is an entertaining exploration of female rage. It also touches on a range of critical issues, including legacy, agency, systemic exploitation, and feminism. In trying to incorporate so many topics, the production doesn’t quite satiate the initial points it raises, resulting in some of its compelling ideas being underdeveloped.
Regardless, The Bridge is a funky production that explores generational divides, female rage, all whilst passing the Bechdel test with flying colours. While it may juggle one too many ideas, it never loses its sense of fun or energy, leaving the audience thoroughly entertained.
The Bridge is presented by CrissCross Productions in association with bAKEHOUSE Theatre. It runs to 13 September at KXT on Broadway, 181 Broadway Ultimo NSW 2007.
Tickets: https://events.humanitix.com/the-bridge-m8tlqvhu
Website: https://www.kingsxtheatre.com/the-bridge
Socials: https://www.instagram.com/crisscross_productions/
Photo credits: Ravyna Jassani
