5 Questions with Alex Mau and Olivier Rahmé

Posted in Suzy's 5 Questions by Suzy Wrong

Alex Mau

Olivier Rahmé: If you could play any one role in the show, which one would it be?
Alex Mau: Queenie, of course! Who doesn’t want to play a blonde? Queenie is such a wonderful, three-dimensional female role, something we could do with more of in theatre! When the party is lit, Queenie is living her best life, sassing it up with her BFF Kate, throwing shade at the grand dame Dolores and killing it with her signature dance move, the “Black Bottom”. Come dawn, Queenie breaks it down with the most poignant and touching ballads in the show, alongside the gorgeous hunk Black. Queenie has so much light and shade, it would be so amazing to play her but, fortunately for you, I won’t be doing that and, instead, you’ll have triple threat and all-round superstar, Georgina Walker, portraying this once-in-a-lifetime role!

Which role excites you most in the rehearsal room? Why?
The director! I am in awe of how our director, Alexander Andrews, always does unique and refreshing takes on classics, such as Little Triangle’s inaugural production of Sunday In The Park with George and its sophomore production of Merrily We Roll Along. He encourages the cast to bring themselves to the characters, creating really interesting and fully-developed interpretations of characters that could otherwise be simple caricatures. I couldn’t stress enough than audiences should see this production of The Wild Party – not only is it a rarely produced musical in Australian theatre, you’ll definitely want to see what Alexander Andrews does with this amazing material!

What’s a funny/crazy/interesting thing you’ve picked up on in the rehearsal room?
The Chorines are like the bubbly and hilarious Greek Chorus of The Wild Party (portrayed by Victoria Luxton, Matilda Moran, Sophie Perkins, Jordan Warren & Rosalie Neumair). Being incredible dancers, our fabulous choreographer, Madison Lee, has given them heaps of intense and electric choreography that it feels like they’re doing full-body workouts throughout the entire show! It’s crazy how effortlessly they smash that chorey and then go on to belt those group numbers like they eat dissonant harmonies for breakfast – #goals. Keep an eye out for what I think is one of their funniest dance moves (in the spirit of 1920s vaudeville), which I would describe as a cross between the spread eagle from Chicago and squats in the air – yes, I can see you trying to picture it, but you’ll just have to come and see it for yourself!

What is the wildest party you’ve ever been too?
What happens at The Wild Party, stays at The Wild Party.

What do you think the audience’s reaction to The Wild Party will be?
Michael John LaChiusa (composer and lyricist for The Wild Party) is well-known for writing complex theatre scores so I think audiences will be expecting some very challenging, intellectual theatre. Alexander Andrews has taken an interesting and refreshing interpretation of bringing out and focusing on the human connections between the characters so, while the music is still technically difficult (which, as a pianist, I love!), I think audiences will be surprised by the humanity and rawness of the story and the characters. Prepare for side-splitting laughter and tear-jerking moments, it’s gonna be a WILD PARTY!

Olivier Rahmé

Alex Mau: Describe The Wild Party in five words?
Olivier Rahmé: Hilarious. Crazy. Shocking. Thrilling. Eye-opening.

What drew you to The Wild Party and why should people see it?
A lot of my friends have worked with Little Triangle before, so I was thrilled, humbled and so excited to be a part of such a reputable company. People should come to the show because of the impact a show like this can have on you – that’s what I love about theatre. As actors we hope the audience members gain something from the performance; to leave with something to think about & to be impacted. I truly believe The Wild Party succeeds in doing this.

What surprised you most about The Wild Party and what do you think will surprise audiences the most?
I love how meaty some of the roles are and how the actor has so much to play with. The script offers a lot and doesn’t box any character into being one thing. Many of us show all sorts of colour, which I love. I think the audience will be surprised by the level of talent – So. Many. BEAUTIFUL. Actors! And the voices are really shown off. My hat goes off to the production team for their casting.

Tell us a little about your character Eddie and how your approach to the character has changed over time.
When I first started reacting to the energies the other actors were giving me and read the script, I thought… Eddie is awful. What an awful man. Perfect. I can do that! But exploring his journey more and trying to figure out why Eddie does some of the things he does, I’ve now realised; Eddie isn’t a bad person. He is a defeated person who does a horrific and unforgivable thing. He struggles a lot with his identity and doesn’t quite know how to be happy – constantly masking his unhappiness and failures by blaming how life turned out on his beautiful wife Mae (Emily Hart). Sidenote: Emily’s belt may or may not be a solid and definite reason you need to see this show).

Tell us a little about the most challenging thing about the role.
The most challenging this I find is the final scene with Eddie towards the end of the show when he abuses everybody both verbally and physically. Emotionally and physically this section is exhausting for me as the actor. I definitely feel my body and mind tiring out after a few runs of this scene!

Alex Mau is répétiteur/pianist and Olivier Rahmé plays Eddie in The Wild Party, the musical.
Dates: 15 – 24 Nov, 2018
Venue: Seymour Centre

2Nov2018

Review: Whose Uterus Is it Anyway? (The Old 505 Theatre)

Posted in Theatre by Suzy Wrong

Venue: Old 505 Theatre (Newtown NSW), Oct 30 – Nov 10, 2018
Playwright: Georgie Adamson
Director: Eve Beck
Cast: Toby Blome, Alexandra Morgan, Finn Murphy, Chelsea Needham, Annie Stafford
Images by Jasmin Simmons

Theatre review
It is a game show in the reality competition style, involving the infliction of humiliation and abuse for the benefit of a television audience. In this case, contestants are made to jump through hoops before they are awarded the reproductive health care that they require. George Adamson’s Whose Uterus Is It Anyway? is an indictment of the way bodies of women and trans men are controlled, relegated to a lower class, when they deviate from unreasonably strict norms. When a uterus is not being used for procreation, society sees fit that its owner is put through a process of castigation, as enacted here by a white man in a stylised lab coat, playing the role of game show host, manipulating scenarios and exercising his power, to ridicule his subjects.

Ideas in the play are fresh and exciting, assembled with an enjoyable quirky humour. Its writing could be further refined for a more satisfying plot structure, but its unique approach makes for a show that is at once pertinent and amusing. Eve Beck’s direction for the piece contains appropriately subversive measures, and although its comedy proves slightly inconsistent, there is no doubting the production’s ability to have us firmly engage with its stimulating themes. Martin Kinnane’s lights and Camille Ostrowsky’s set design provide dynamism to a visual aesthetic that conveys effectively, the sinister quality of institutionalised medicine and media. Alex Lee-Rekers is detailed with his work on sound, helping us navigate the many subtle tonal and emotional shifts of the show.

An excellent cast brings to life the theatrical and substantive absurdity of Whose Uterus Is It Anyway?. Toby Blome is captivating as the central authority figure, and as four additional subsidiary characters, his efforts are just as compelling. Alexandra Morgan and Annie Stafford are funny women, both exuberant and incisive with their delivery. Finn Murphy and Chelsea Needham dial up the poignancy factor, for some genuinely moving moments that give the staging a crucial quotient of gravity.

As evidenced in Lysistrata’s fabled sex strike, societies have always been petrified of women using their bodies for anything other than gestation. The impulse to reproduce has fuelled an unquenchable thirst to control our bodies, and as a consequence all of how we exist is dictated in accordance with that sense of ownership and entitlement. Three women in the play, along with a trans man, have made decisions for themselves, but it is clear that their bodies are being held hostage, by traditions and systems that struggle to acknowledge our independence. If our subjugation stems from sex and babies, it would only make sense that a revolution can be precipitated by a radical rethink of our identities in those terms. We should define ourselves in creative and courageous ways, rejecting labels and responsibilities when required, not only to live with greater integrity, but to forge a better, more equitable future.

www.biteprod.com.au

Whose Uterus Is It Anyway? 2018 The Old 505 Theatre

1Nov2018

Review: Madiba (State Theatre)

Posted in Theatre by Suzy Wrong

Venue: State Theatre (Sydney NSW), Nov 1 – 18, 2018
Book: Jean-Pierre Hadida, Alicia Sebrien
Author & Composer: Jean-Pierre Hadida
Additional Material: Lunik Grio, Emmanuelle Sebrien
Directors: Pierre-Yves Duchesne, Dennis Watkins
Cast: Courtney Bell, Barry Conrad, David Denis, Blake Erickson, Perci Moeketsi, Ruva Ngwenya, Tim ‘Timomatic’ Omaji, Madeline Perrone, Tarisai Vushe
Images by Serge Thomann

Theatre review
Known as Father of the Nation, South Africa’s Nelson Mandela served 27 years in prison, for activities opposing apartheid. In the musical Madiba, we see his personal struggles, and the inspiration he had provided, and continues to provide, for racial reconciliation in the region and around the world. Mandela’s heroic aura is unwavering as the centrepiece of a production that unfortunately, never quite lives up to the man’s eminence.

The writing manages to establish coherence for a timeline that stretches fifty years, but it is insufficiently rousing, for themes that one expects to be much more intrinsically emotional. The minimalist approach to visual design proves a challenge for the large stage, with lights that get absorbed by heavy curtains before adequate illumination can be provided to performers.

It is however, an excellent cast that presents the musical, with Perci Moeketsi effortlessly convincing as Mandela, an affable presence who reminds us of the warm personality so often seen in the media. Brilliant dancing by David Denis, Tim ‘Timomatic’ Omaji and a very spirited ensemble, has us thoroughly mesmerised. Barry Conrad, Ruva Ngwenya and Tarisai Vushe thrill us with their singing, making full use of the opportunity to showcase their extraordinary vocal talents.

When Noah emerged from his ark after the great flood, a rainbow of peace appeared in the sky, signifying a new beginning. The dream of a rainbow nation in post-apartheid South Africa, is a vision about inclusivity, for a future in which black and white are no longer divided. Now five years after Mandela’s passing, white supremacy can be seen trying again to rear its ugly head, everywhere from Europe and America, to Africa and Australia. The project of decolonisation is a huge undertaking, an extremely difficult exercise that often seems doomed to failure, but forces determined to defeat fascism can never be crushed. We remember the sacrifices made by Mandela and his country, and the progress they were able to attain under onerous circumstances, and use them as motivation, for all the battles that lie ahead.

wwww.madibamusical.com.au