“Caroline Lee and Esther Van Doornum rise to the challenge of Marsha Norman’s difficult text.”

“Esther Van Doornum plays a woman galvanised into almost buoyant purpose by her fatal decision. Caroline Lee as the mother dives into a character who has made herself small as a defence against her own disappointments. Low-key domesticity is woven into what plays out, heart-rendingly, as a real-time suicide note.”

“Van Doornum’s performance reminded me of the opening to Albert Camus’ The Myth of Sisyphus – that the only really important philosophical question is whether to take one’s own life. I suppose Hamlet thought along similar lines. But Lee’s counterargument wins – by embodying human experience. No one touched by suicide could fail to be moved by the tragedy of a frail, deluded woman without the resources to prevent losing her child.”

“Briony Dunn directs aching, meticulously drawn performances in a bleak production whose trigger warning you’ll want to take seriously.”

★★★1/2

“The all-female Iron Lung production, directed by Briony Dunn, is a faithful presentation that foregrounds Norman’s taut script and the impressive performances of Esther Van Doornum and Caroline Lee. Played out in the heart of the family home – the kitchen and living room – Juliette Whitney’s naturalistic set design offers a poignant familiarity that underscores the normalcy of the situation, as if this strange scene might be played out in homes anywhere. Clare Springett’s elegant lighting design supports the production’s naturalism, and the intimacy of The Loft Theatre enhances this sense of the domestic, making the emotional impact of this production even more visceral.

This is a polished production buoyed by the skilful and sensitive performances of Van Doornum and Lee. While this show won’t be for everyone, it offers a restorative reminder of the power of theatre to speak to humanity’s darkest moments and most basic saving graces.”

4 stars out of 5 ★★★★

“Jess’s mother Thelma (Caroline Lee) sits alone on her couch in her drab, dull little house – deliberately and cleverly designed by Juliette Whitney with nice period detail – a house without a sign of colour, style or imagination.  Thelma stares into space and such is Caroline Lee’s ability as an actor, we already know so much about her without a word of dialogue.  It is a portrait of such stasis, loneliness and discontent just held at bay that it is distressing to see in itself.”

“Ms van Doornum’s relentless but eerie calm – with only occasional outbursts revealing the banked fires of aggression and resentment beneath – is beautifully maintained.”  

“Ms van Doornum’s performance is a near perfect contrast and foil to that of Ms Lee who, with restless, agitated movements, segues between incredulity, panic, her reluctant awareness of her own unhappy life, her anger and her begging – not just for Jessie not to kill herself but for Jessie’s forgiveness.”  

“‘night, Mother’ is hardly a cheerful piece, but it is a gripping one, delivered by these two fine actors in detailed, considered performances that build inexorably.  Clearly, director Briony Dunn and her cast have explored and pinned down every nuance of the text.  The tension is maintained, on one level, by the question ‘will Jessie really do it?’  But the psychologically acute writing gradually reveals the past of these two women reduced to nothing but each other – and now one of them, in a final assertion, intends to remove herself from that co-dependent arrangement.”

“ Briony Dunn has crafted a thrillingly taut production that beautifully reflects the cadences of Marsha Norman’s slice of life drama.”

“Van Doornum’s performance is so detailed that she is able to achieve the subtlest shifts in mood. … She has a titanic sparring partner in local treasure Caroline Lee as Thelma.

“Lee takes us through a stunning range of responses often beneath well-intentioned chatter; resentment, confusion but ultimately a woman who is capable of boldly fighting for both her and her daughter’s lives. She’s an Amazonian warrior in a house dress. I see Night mother as a play about learning to listen and connect even when those connections are at their most fragile. These two actresses have nurtured a potent, lived in chemistry and they guide us through the various connections, disconnections and reconnections between mother and daughter with aplomb.”

“Juliette Whitney’s sets and costumes are an intelligent and detailed encapsulation of early 80’s middle America. I particularly appreciated her choice to dress the set in warm, domestic tones. Through the emotional turmoil there was some comfort in the cosy domesticity she evoked.”

“Night Mother is a timely play for Australia at this current time. … A beautiful piece of theatre.”

“Whether it was in the performance, particularly in the final moments – Thelma’s (Caroline Lee) grief, visceral, her body twisting from guilt and the loss of her daughter, Jessie (Esther van Doornum) – or the fact I witnessed (and continue to witness) my own mother in the time following my brother’s suicide nearly six years ago, the content warning for ‘night, Mother was woefully deficient.”

“In the days since, however, you realise that if the show wasn’t moving, beautiful, and superbly acted and directed, then this wouldn’t even be a problem. Because the show is moving: At the start of a devastating evening, Jessie tells her mother, Thelma, of her intention to kill herself that night.

Because the show is beautiful: the Chapel off Chapel space can be tricky to dress, but Juliette Whitney’s set design is a lovely floating living room, with enough drab to make it feel lived in.

Because the show is superbly acted and directed: there’s such tension between the desperate stakes and the understated way both actors perform. It would be easy to overcook things, make the emotions artificially large and one-note. Playwright Marsha Norman has written a careful text that requires nuance, space, and commitment, which Esther and Caroline provide in spades. Both do that very fine thing of being relaxed on stage, yet utterly driven.”

“Director Briony Dunn has worked with her cast to tell this story with truth and heart. Sometimes difficult stories are the most necessary, and with a short season, this work from Iron Lung Theatre shouldn’t be missed!”

“A searing portrait of despair.”

“Esther van Doornum and Caroline Lee bring to life the plight of this forlorn woman, who is not willing to carry on. The pair don’t miss a beat in the verbiage-dense play. They’re entirely credible. Their respective characters’ vulnerabilities and peccadilloes are evident. I sat there willing Jessie to find a viable alternative, knowing all too well that that can’t happen. I reflected on the importance of human connection in an increasingly disconnected world, which has more people in it, but also more isolation and resentment. The act of caring for someone or something is part of the equation, but so too having a purpose, something to aim for and anticipate. Skilfully directed by Briony Dunn, ‘night, Mother makes you think and feel. Thirty-five plus years’ on, Marsha Norman’s narrative has lost none of its impact.”

“Few shows swing the pendulum between life and death to such dizzying and uncomfortable heights as Iron Lung Theatre’s ‘night, Mother.”

“The back and forth between Lee and van Doornum is palpable and it isn’t too long before the intensity of the situation envelopes you in an uncomfortable blanket of anguish and anxiety.”

“Lee is a tour-de-force in her role as Thelma, and van Doornum was formidable in her task of portraying Jessie.”

“The final moments were probably the hardest to take, almost suffocating. Looking around, I could see many of the audience members were wiping tears from their cheeks, serving as a warning that this isn’t for the faint-hearted. The performances were astounding given the emotional energy it would take to convincingly play characters entirely grappling with the topic of suicide. Intense, shocking and unforgettable, ‘night, Mother will make you want to call your mum right away and tell her you love her.”

“One could be forgiven for hesitating at the prospect of a two-hander, set in real time, staged in one act, and all about suicide. It sounds gruelling for the audience and more gruelling for the actors. And it is – intensely so. However, it’s also not to be missed.”

“It’s a tall order for the most capable of creatives to undertake, and thankfully, Iron Lung Theatre succeeds in dealing with the content intelligently and thoroughly. Imperative that such a dialogue heavy piece set in one location find all the right emotional beat changes, subtext and layers, director Briony Dunn fleshes these out.”

“As the troubled Jessie, Esther van Doornum brings a beautiful subtlety to a role, which, in the wrong hands, might risk an overly depressive portrayal, but van Doornum hits the mark with her matter-of-fact, often peaceful resolution, only letting tinges of sadness emerge at the most poignant moments. Caroline Lee as Thelma has her work cut out for her in a heavily demanding role that requires a plethora of intense emotional states, and she does a fine job where many an actor might struggle.”

“‘Night, Mother may not be for the faint hearted, but it’s every bit engrossing and rewarding in a rare instance where extremely heavy content is balanced with light, shade and reams of texture.”