Photo: Supplied.
History throws up many great relationships – there’s Romeo and Juliet, the Odd Couple, Tweedledum and Tweedledee…and Maggie and Arthur. The lead roles in Mother & Son, Theatre Redlands’ comedy production at Redland Museum, are complex and intriguing characters. Are we talking co-dependency? A whiff of Oedipus? Mutual enabling? Should we even be laughing as much as we are? What sort of relationship do Maggie and Arthur really have? Let’s ask the actors…
Maggie is played by actor and drama coach Libby Harrison. What’s her take on the setup?
I’m a very doting and caring mother – The Mummy Bear who wants to take care of everybody, especially Arthur. When my husband died Arthur and his wife – EX-wife – Deidre (dreadful woman) moved in to look after me. I was nice to her – VERY nice, I bent over backwards – but Deidre (dreadful woman) just walked out and dumped him there. He’s dating ‘whatsaname’ at the moment…hmmm. She messages him very late at night and I don’t think that’s good form, nice young ladies should be asleep by then.
Arthur’s a very good boy, too good for his own good sometimes. Arthur fusses around and still tries to help me; his older brother Robert, the dentist, nags Arthur about nagging me but he can’t be here too often, he’s very busy, (he’s a dentist, you know).
Poor Arthur, he went back to being a little boy when Deidre (dreadful woman) walked out. He’s lucky to have his Mummy Bear around to look after him…
Arthur, played by Trevor Sammon, has a somewhat different understanding…
Let me preface all of this by saying, I love my mum. I love her but she’s a handful.
Between practically giving our money away by believing every scam artist out there, to her (admittedly well-intentioned) getting involved in community programs, to her aversion to cushions, she’s driving me round the bend.
When Dad died, I was worried because it was clear she was going to need help. It was Dad’s dying wish for me to look after her. So I did. You can’t rely on Robert; he only thinks of himself.
She can’t be left on her own and she’s getting worse. I mean, don’t get me wrong, I love Mum – but she does my head in. It’s getting to the stage now where I need to tell her things multiple times and leave her a note, and she still forgets stuff. It’s a wonder that I have any time to do anything else but chase after her. And if I have to hear about that dolphin one more time…
I need a break. Robert and Liz can look after Mum for a while.
Nothing can go wrong. Right?
Mother & Son will play at Redland Museum until June 9. Visit https://www.trybooking.com/events/landing/1208548 or call 3286 3494 to purchase tickets.
