Three decades on from her stage debut, Australian actor and singer Natalie Bassingthwaighte has a new coming-of-age in her return to theatre in one its most iconic one-woman plays, Shirley Valentine.

As Shirley, Natalie takes on the role of a Liverpool housewife who rediscovers herself after years of living for others. 

Originally a hit West End play by Willy Russell, the story brings humour and heart to the hard-to-navigate transitional seasons of life.

“[Shirley] embodies a woman that I think we all want to be brave enough to be,” Natalie said.

“[Her story] is life-affirming, it’s heartwarming, and it’s about making a decision to choose your own destiny.”

Fronting electro-pop group Rogue Traders and playing Izzy on Neighbours, Natalie’s no stranger to the pressure of performing, but Shirley Valentine – and the 40-pages of solo dialogue – was a different beast.

“I’m not going to lie, it was daunting,” Natalie said.

“I’m always one of these people that think about it, [then] jump into the deep end and go, ‘how am I going to make this work?’.

“So, it definitely has [been hard], but it’s been incredibly rewarding.”

Shirley’s reinvention and becoming comfortable in her own skin is something Natalie found particularly relatable.

“It’s taken 50 years to be comfortable in my own skin,” Natalie said.

“And [getting there] is about being patient with yourself.

“It’s being okay to evolve and change and grow, and hopefully I’ll continue to do that.”

The plays arrival at Sydney’s Theatre Royal marks a return to the stage where Natalie first performed in Rent three decades ago, making it a significant full-circle moment.

“It’s the first theatre I ever performed in,” Natalie said.

“Just to be standing on that stage on my own, but knowing that the audience are there with me, it’s special.”

Article supplied with thanks to Hope Media.

Feature image: Publicity Image Used With Permission

⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ (OUT OF 5 STARS)

This is the way the world ends, not with a bang but a whimper. – T.S Elliot (1925)

The Hollow Men, Elliot’s legendary poem, does a deep dive into the otherworldly experiences of the spiritually dead. Within these disturbingly brilliant words these “hollow men” have the realisation, humility, and acknowledgement of their roles as broken, lost souls. Director Scott Derrickson (The Black Phone) takes Zach Dean’s screenplay into the dark recess of this world and the human soul to expose the viciousness of humanity. 

After completing seemingly impossible assassinations, Levi (Miles Teller) and Drasa (Anya Taylor-Joy)are two highly trained snipers recruited by a powerful figure (Sigourney Weaver) who assigns them to an unexpected assignment. Each is stationed on two sides of an unassailable gorge. Neither of them is aware of what they are meant to guard against, so the pair eventually become romantically linked. Until this connection leads to their eventual descent into this horrific existence that lies beneath them. As they do all they can to escape this naturally-made prison, the snipers discover a deadly truth from the past.

As the story unfolds, these two lovers travel through multiple genres, making this film hard to define as things move from a futuristic love affair to a military-influenced, sci-fi action piece. Initially, the minimalist dialogue creates a beautiful tension between the characters until they are thrown into the crevasse they are guarding. This leads them on twists and turns reminiscent of Alex Garland’s Annihilation and James Cameron’s Aliens. Here is where they begin to speak, which is unfortunate since these accomplished actors are given such weak dialogue to deliver. 

Teller and Taylor-Joy do their best with what they are given, and the action makes up for the unforgivable discourse. This duo does have chemistry on and off the battlefield, despite the otherworldly and unbelievable scenarios they put in from the midpoint to the predictable conclusion. What initially begins as a fascinating premise and potentially groundbreaking combination turns into an unimaginable result that resembles many of the mutated residents of the cursed valley. 

Interestingly, this film is an unexpected entertaining option despite its outlandish mixture of genres. One part is offbeat romance, one part is sci-fi horror, and the other is a statement against nuclear weapons; The Gorge delivers something different for audiences to consider over the weekend.

Reel Dialogue: How Will The World Come to An End?

It is the Question of The Ages.

T.S. Elliot’s poem inspired this film’s storyline and may have audiences yearning to answer this question that plagues everyone at some point in their lives. The question can bring out fear in much of the population and conspiracy theorists who merely have to provide plausible answers to cause people to continue asking it. What does the Bible have to say about it all? 

The Book of Revelation can be confusing and misunderstood, but it is worth engaging with others on this informative text for a clearer answer to the end of the world as we know it. This book within the Bible is worth reading and seeking the answers to the end of the world—Revelation.

Article supplied with thanks to City Bible Forum.

All images: Movie publicity

About the author: Russ Matthews is a film critic at City Bible Forum and Reel Dialogue. He has a passion for film and sparking spiritual conversations.