Moonlight and Magnolias is another triumph from the Pymble Players

Moonlight and Magnolias is another triumph from the Pymble Players.

The Art Deco set is sleek and stylish with the attention to detail that regular theatre audiences have come to expect from Joy Sweeney.  The black walls extend seamlessly into the hall, giving the audience the illusion that they too are sitting in David O. Selznick's office.  

Murray Fane as Selznick delivers the lion’s share of the dialogue.  One would expect a film producer to be verbose and melodramatic and Fane provides this in spades (so much so that he can be forgiven for stumbling over a few words).  Selznick's frantic desperation to get a screenplay rewritten is met and nicely balanced by the humour and social conscience of screenwriter Ben Hecht. Hecht, played by Des Harris, is put under enormous pressure but delivers the goods.  Harris maintains a convincing New York Jewish accent throughout and brings a lovely humanity and warmth to the stage.

Published 13 June 2022