NATURISM
NATURISM, Griffin Theatre Company at STC’s Wharf 2, 15 October - 15 November 2025. Photography by Brett Boardman
One member of the opening night audience of Naturism laughed loudly and incessantly for the entire 85+ minutes. She cackled at anything and nothing – mostly nothing. The only respite came when she occasionally gave herself a coughing fit, but sadly, she didn’t choke to death.
She seemed determined to fill the silence left by the rest of the audience for much of the time, and the quieter and less amusing the moment, the more she guffawed. For the unfortunate person sitting directly in front of her – me – it was misery. Not kidding: several times my watch shivered and warned of proximity to dangerous decibels, and that more than 30 minutes could result in hearing damage. Hey ho.
So. The play. A new one by Ang Collins that’s explained in a 1000-word program essay that also details the exhaustive development and assistance it has received along the way. Would that every new play had similar human resources lavished on it. Why this one? It has to be because the setting is a rural retreat somewhere in Victoria, where the basic rule is No Clothes. And yes, the actors: Nicholas Brown, Glenn Hazeldine, Camila Ponte Alvarez, and Hannah Waterman are unclothed throughout, aside from footwear and Hannah’s “artwork” hats.
The play was inspired by the author’s experience of being close to a catastrophic bushfire near Noosa. She intuited that writing about climate disaster, impending doom, existential meltdown (Hannah’s character is desperate for intellectual stimulation), and other second-millennium blights would be much more entertaining as comedy. Also, there has already been so much written and performed around these tropes that to be noticed, something else had to be added or taken away.
A question: Is human nudity still a thing in 2025? Really? In 1969, eminent London theatre critic Kenneth Tynan produced a show that indirectly asked: would anyone be interested in this if the performers weren’t nude? Oh! Calcutta! titillated Broadway and West End audiences for more than 5000 performances. However, writing in the New York Times, Clive Barnes, the other eminence of the day, noted: “Oh! Calcutta! is likely to disappoint different people in different ways, but disappointment is the order of the night.”
Disappointment, in this instance, despite the presence not only of Hannah Waterman, but also of Glenn Hazeldine. Both are consummate comic actors whose inner pathos and chutzpah make them riveting presences. He is Ray, the leader of the commune whose dodgy air-conditioned past is gradually dug up. She – Helen – is there with husband Sid (Nicholas Brown) whose passion for the cause blinds him to her doubts.
Enter the catalyst for change: TikTok-influencer-kind of-eco warrior Evangeline (Camila Ponte Alvarez). The men are suspicious, Helen is desperate for arty gossip. Eventually, there are two more change-makers: Ray’s “all these trees have to go” nephew, Adam (Fraser Morrison), and the looming, roaring bushfire.
The latter – via sound designer David Bergman and lighting designer Verity Hampson’s immaculate, imaginative work – will make any Australian’s stomach turn to ice. These elements contrast beautifully with set designer James Browne’s sylvan retreat, and all is enhanced by the unmistakable sound of whip birds, as poignancy overtakes laughter. Kudos too for intimacy director Chloe Dallimore’s contribution for the confident ease on stage that makes lasciviousness impossible.
Naturism often doesn’t make a lot of sense, which isn’t the same as being a bonkers comedy. Yet it’s probably funnier than it seemed on opening night, and not just because of the rabid hyena behind me. However, director Declan Greene is also credited as dramaturg, which puts him close (too close?) to the play. It could account for the permanently high volume from the actors, which, instead of performances, drowns out the script’s touches of subtlety and nuance. Noise isn’t inherently funny, and when it’s constant, it’s death to meaning and to excellent one-liners.
Question: Would anyone be interested if it were set in a commune where everyone dressed in grubby denim, flowing frocks, embroidered bell-bottoms, and reeked of patchouli? Probably not.
