Reviewed by Kim Choe
It’s been a decade since Madeleine Sami first trod the floorboards in the inaugural season of Toa Fraser’s solo play No. 2. She was 18-years-old and fresh out of high school. Since then, Sami has showcased her diverse talents on the stage, the small screen, the big screen, and even with her two sisters in their band the Sami Sisters.
The play has also been through its own transformations. It was turned into a Sundance award-winning feature film in 2006, and now returns to the stage - with Sami - for a limited season at The PumpHouse Theatre on Auckland’s North Shore.
No. 2 takes place on a scorching hot summer’s day. Nanna Maria, a delightfully demanding and alcohol-imbibing matriarch, wakes up and decides she wants a feast. There is to be a pig on a spit, red wine in bottles (not cartons), and a priest – just like in Italy. Nanna Maria enlists the help of her grandchildren, telling them that she will name her successor at day’s end.
It’s a big Fijian family – and Sami plays them all. For 90 hilarious minutes, she transitions seamlessly between nine characters of varying age, gender, and ethnicity. It is barely apparent that there is only one actress on stage; such is the depth of her performance. I did have to spend the first few minutes sorting out who was who and how they fitted into the family, but it didn’t take long for the distinct personalities to emerge. There is a chaotic energy throughout as Sami dances, sings, and causes fights with herself in the build-up to the feast itself.
The play has not lost any of its appeal in the last 10 years. Sami encourages theatregoers to resist any temptation to compare the play with the film. She has never watched it; only read the screenplay. The two are significantly different in both style and substance, and this delightful production certainly deserves acclaim of its own.
No. 2
:: Writer: Toa Fraser
:: Starring: Madeleine Sami
:: Running Time: 90 mins (approx)
:: Running: 1 - 11 April, 2009