6 October 2023
By James Mullan
Set in the 1990s, author Shelagh Stephanson’s new Ensemble production The Memory of Water follows the story of sisters Mary, Catherine and Teresa who are coming together for their mother’s funeral. But how will the three sisters remember their childhood and what skeletons are living in their family’s closet?
Director Rachel Chant said the opportunity to direct The Memory of Water began to take shape as far back as 2020 while she was an assistant director for two Ensemble productions; The Women in Black and Nearer the Gods. Chant then went on to direct Love Letters at the Ensemble in February 2022 before being approached to direct this year’s show.
“The first time I read it I was crying and laughing in the one read of the play. I got to the end of it and thought any play that can do both of those things on a first read is the right play for me,” she told the Sun.
Chant was immediately drawn to the story, especially to the relationships between characters. “Seeing the way this family worked together and didn’t work together” adding that the juxtaposition of family grudges with their love really stood out: “They can be your worst enemy and your best ally, friend and the only person who can understand you.”
According to the director, the piece is filled with humour as well as serious drama, creating an emotive experience for the audience. “It is a rolling comedy but the way I talk about it so often can make it sound like this heart breaking, poignant piece.” Chant told the Sun.
The director believes the play strongly confronts the idea of how much family runs through all of us: “There’s no escaping where we have come from and actually how we embrace that.”
This ties into the title of the show. “We’ve been talking a lot about the metaphor of water and I think there’s something really great about the idea that water never dies. It has a different evolution and lives in different states, but it never entirely disappears,” she said.
This play promises to be thought provoking, humorous and will run from 20 Oct 2023 until 25 Nov 2023.
Chant also works as the director of the Bondi Festival which goes hand in hand with her directing gigs.