FIVE STARS from Reviewer Meredith Fuller
Features: Amelia Dunn
Co-written by: Amelia Dunn & Tuia Suter
Directed by: Tuia Suter
Produced by: Lucy Kennedy
Tech by: Madelaine Jamieson
This one person show explores important themes of female solidarity, guilt, shame and self worth as the protagonist, Alice, revisits her past to locate her missing possession, while on a morning commute in an iconic Melbourne tram.
Tuia and Amelia have also worked together on a four part monologue series, The Waiting Room, which premiered as part of the Melbourne Monologue Festival at the Butterfly Club in 2023. I was keen to review ‘Lost Property’ after reviewing the impressive ‘The Waiting Room’
“Lost Property is a dramedy filled with relatable women’s anecdotes, amusing tram encounters, and a sharp look at the challenging, everyday experiences faced by women. With a mix of humor and heart, this play invites the audience to laugh, cry, and perhaps pay a little more attention to their fellow commuters the next time they board a tram.“
The first moments are slightly slow, but persevere as it is necessary to define her character. As soon as Amelia Dunn cavorts around the stage we know that we are in the hands of a master actor. When ‘Alice’ tells us what she has lost she has us spellbound throughout the hour. What a clever, hilarious and poignant play. The writing is superb and the acting sublime.
I wish that I had gone to school with her – if only we had her for sex education! She is magnificent in her pungent exploration of women’s bodies, body parts, and the perennial tragedy of becoming a woman in our unequal society.
I hope that this play reaches as many people as possible. The best way to educate is through humour; men and women in the audience were rollicking with laughter, recognition, and mirth. ‘Alice’ is a sympathetic, touching character who resonates with the transition from child to adolescent to adult as she constructs a commentary about the difficulty and pleasure of a female’s trajectory.
