Review: Primitives (staged reading)

**Picture (L to R):** Leah Fitzgerald-Quinn (Alice) and Willem Whitfield (Von Brandt [VB]). *Image credit: Creative Futures Photography*

Primitives is a new Australian Gothic work by Willem Whitfield, presented by Whitfield Studio as two staged readings during the 2025 Anywhere Festival. The promotional information hints at what to expect: ‘set in Australia in 1907, Primitives details an afternoon rendezvous between wealthy young heiress, Alice, and impressionist painter, Van Brandt, as Sylvester the giant Eagle plans to eat them.’ The outline, and headline promise of ‘Love. Art. Entrails,’ enticed a sizeable audience to the South Brisbane VENTspace for the first performance. Rebekah Schmidt (Director), Leah Fitzgerald-Quinn (Alice) and Willem Whitfield (Von Brandt [VB]) have a success on their hands, if the audience reaction is anything to go by. This is a show that delivers on its promises… and just a little more.

Primitives is a mature piece of writing that explores themes of nature, repression, desire, marriage, religion, existence, feminism, prejudice and capitalism. But it’s not always quite as serious as that list sounds. Expect surreal moments, some dark humour, entrails… and a final twist that will give you plenty to talk about over a post-show beverage.

And don’t worry about a headline that refers to the show as a ‘staged reading.’ Yes, the two actors have their copies of the script to hand, but the paperwork is there as an occasional prompt, the costumes are well-chosen, and the backdrop and props all help to create an intimate and compelling show. Primitives is definitely more a preview than mere staged reading.

For future developments, I’d love to have a clearer sense of time and the setting of the sun—and perhaps sprinkle in a little more of the light-hearted humour at the start of the piece. But these are small points, and might be easily accommodated with more funding for the production.

Anywhere Festival supports the development of new work, and opens up alternative spaces for production to teams to test their work with local audiences. Hopefully it also opens up opportunities to discuss the future development and partnerships for successful productions. It would be great to see this 2025 Anywhere Festival Brisbane production snapped up for one of Brisbane’s more traditional black box theatres (Metro Arts?)—and even perhaps establishing a link with the Dead Puppet Society team. In the meantime, see if you can snap up one of the final tickets for the 17 July show. Just let me know if I am the only person who was wondering about what might have happened to the driver and to Aunt Emily’s dog….

Catherine Lawrence

**Picture**: Leah Fitzgerald-Quinn (Alice). *Image Credit: Creative Futures Photography*

Audience information: The 2025 Anywhere Festival Brisbane run of Primitives (Staged Reading) is at VENTspace, 23 Glenelg Street, South Brisbane on 12 & 17 July 2025. 16+. Entrails, some suggestive dialogue, and the use of a knife. 75 minutes, no interval. Tickets $35, plus $4.40 booking fee.

The reviewer attended the 12 July 2025 7pm show.

Geoff Lawrence