Jagged Little Pill
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Date Reviewed: 19/12/2021
A contemporary and challenging production, Jagged Little Pill is perfectly at home in the newly refurbished Theatre Royal. Inspired by the seminal rock album of the same name by Alanis Morrissette, the diverse vocal range of the performers is sure to wow even the toughest critic.
Jagged Little Pill is a fairly new production on the musical scene having only opened on Broadway in 2019, and the Australia production is its first foray into the international domain. The musical has been written to discuss highly relevant modern day issues such as trans right, black rights, prescription pill addiction and sexual assault. Whilst many of these issues can feel a million miles away from the mind of the typical theatre-goer, they are skilfully brought into context through the experiences of our on-stage centrepiece – the Healy family. Appearing as a happy and thriving family on the surface, we explore deeper into the lives of each family member to consider their own individual struggles which are brought about by a society that moves too fast and discards the weaklings.
Aussie icon Natalie Bassingthwaighte’s diverse vocal range is on full display in her performance as pain-medication addicted Mary Jane Healy. She is beautifully complimented by Tim Draxl in his performance as confused and frustrated husband Steve Healy (played by Tim Draxl). They are joined by adopted daughter Frankie who is undergoing an identity crisis (played by Emily Nkomo) and high achieving son Nick (played by Liam Head). Whilst all lead performers are truly spectacular, in many ways it is the supporting cast that really steal the show. Grace Miell performs as Bella with incredible raw emotion as she learns what it means to call herself a rape victim, and Maggie McKenna experience a theatre-wide standing ovation for their deep and powerful performance of legendary song ‘You Oughta Know’.
Given how recently the Theatre Royal was refurbished, it goes without saying that Jagged Little Pill utilises stellar modern production techniques including large screens as part of the set design. And the implementation of an above stage band is truly exceptional offering perfect integration between vocal and musical instruments. Justin Townsend has done a stellar job at lighting design and employs the new theatres electrical capacities to the fullest extent possible. The only possible downside of the viewers experience for which the production itself is not to blame, is that the Theatre Royal suffers from extremely narrow seats that at times can be distracting and uncomfortable.
Director Diane Paulus has brilliantly re-created this modern masterpiece for the Australian audience, and the production rewards audiences with the perfect mix of relevance of 90s rock nostalgia. From a fantastic date night out, to a trip with friends, you cannot go past Jagged Little Pill.
Review by Cassandra Cheeseman