Author Archives: Suzy Wrong

Review: 7 Days In The Life Of Simon Labrosse (Théâtre Excentrique)

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theatrerexcentriqueVenue: Creative Space 99 (Darlinghurst NSW), May 18 – 29, 2016
Playwright: Carole Fréchette (translated by Kris Shalvey)
Director: Anna Jahjah
Cast: Cassady Maddox, Steve McGrath, Gerry Sont
Image by Emma Lois

Theatre review
Simon Labrosse is a talented man, but he has trouble making a living out of his many skills. He tries hard to market himself, giving out samples of the services he can provide, and although he convinces everyone of his abilities, none are willing to pay for his expertise. Labrosse is an artist of sorts; what he does is not strictly scientific, mathematical or easily commodifiable, but he has much to contribute to society. The economy, however, does not recognise his unquantifiable efforts and rejects him, judging him worthless and a burden. Carole Fréchette’s play is about the problems we face as communities of modern capitalism, unable to embrace parts of our humanity that cannot be monetised.

The production is beautifully designed, with the audience situated inside Labrosse’s home. His bed is in the middle of the space, and action takes place all around us. Our view can get obstructed at times, but the constant relocation of activity is exciting and an effective mechanism for maintaining high energy levels. Anna Jahjah’s direction is free and humorous, delivering a work that feels unrestrained and exhilarating. The short scenes are punchy and surprising, full of whimsy with lively characters each appealing in their own way. It is a tightly rehearsed cast, cohesive in style and delightfully engaging. Gerry Sont plays Labrosse, wistful but optimistic, with a pleasing vibrancy that elicits our curiosity and empathy. A greater dose of melancholy would probably give the show a little necessary gravity to have its themes resonate stronger, and for its ideas to stay in our minds longer. Supporting players Cassady Maddox and Steve McGrath create a range of eccentric personalities that make the show unpredictable and give it a consistent buoyancy, while in the process leaving excellent impressions for their versatility and comic timing.

7 Days In The Life Of Simon Labrosse is a light-hearted take of a sad situation. The privatisation of everything in Australia seems boundless, with every annual budget revealing less and less support for those of us whose talents are incongruous with the reductive demands of capitalism. Simon Labrosse shows us all that he is capable of, but he is situated inside an economy that wants him to be simpler and more ordinary so that they can provide a place for him just like everybody else’s. It is the job of capitalism to turn everything and every person into a measurable and sellable unit, and in the process, risk the removal of everything that we know to be the best of human nature. In the seven days that we meet our protagonist, he keeps on trying but does not give up his true essence; we see him fail repeatedly and wonder how he can make things work. We have a collective part to play in allowing his potentials to blossom, but we wonder if what he can give in return will cost too much.

www.theatrexcentrique.com

Review: Xanadu (Matthew Management / Hayes Theatre)

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xanaduVenue: Hayes Theatre Co (Potts Point NSW), May 12 – Jun 12, 2016
Book: Douglas Carter Beane
Music & Lyrics: John Farrar, Jeff Lynne
Director: Nathan M. Wright
Choreography: Leah Howard, Nathan M. Wright
Musical Direction: Andrew Bevis
Cast: Dion Bilios, Francine Cain, Catty Hamilton, Kat Hoyos, Jaime Hadwen, James Maxfield, Ainsley Melham, Josh Quong Tart, Jayde Westaby
Image by Frank Farrugia

Theatre review
1980 is not exactly a great many lifetimes ago, but we have certainly lost a considerable measure of innocence since then. The Xanadu stage musical is a recent incarnation of the now cult classic film that materialised at the very dawn of the 80’s, and judging by the thoroughly farcical approach now taken, twenty-first century life seems to be very cynical indeed. Gone are all the naive idealism and whimsical romance that had accompanied Electric Light Orchestra’s bubblegum pop for the original, replaced by post-modern campery so sardonic, Liberace and Mae West are blushing in their respective graves (maybe with jealousy, but hard to know for sure).

The Xanadu film was never well regarded by critics, and its box office takings were disappointing, but it retains a significant place in pop culture history chiefly for the hugely successful music that it features. It makes sense that Douglas Carter Beane would re-write the piece exposing all the silliness of the story so that we can laugh with his version, instead of laughing at it as was often the case with its predecessor, but there is a compromise to the substantial presence of the original songs that does not always find harmony. Beane can subvert everything in the book, but shoehorning his comedy into the perfectly constructed pop masterpieces often feels antipodal and frankly, a waste of opportunity. Instead of improving the storytelling around the euphoric compositions of passion, he tries to re-engineer them for his comedic purposes with mixed results. Nonetheless, the show is by and large, a very funny one, in the style of a “children’s show for 40 year-old gay people” as one of its character states.

Director Nathan M. Wright rises to the challenge of bringing a tenacious and flamboyant vibrancy to the work, never missing a beat with his show’s unrelenting hammy humour. Always engaging and always in jest, every weakness of the 1980 film is turned into a knowing joke, as are the few effective poignancies from the original. The love story takes a back seat, making way for amusing and frivolous characterisations taking centre stage, performed almost vaudevillian in style, by an impressive cast that seems to have no limits to their abilities. It is not every day that we see people singing, dancing, acting and making us laugh, all at once, and on roller-skates no less. Jaime Hadwen is perfect for the role of Kira, sent from the heavens to raise Xanadu from its ashes. Hadwen’s comedic skills win us over from her first appearance, and while the tender warmth that she is able to inject surreptitiously, is easily overlooked in a mélange of frenzy, it is that quality of sweetness that keeps us endeared and quite miraculously, invested in. Her singing is exuberant and accomplished, but more creative sound design is required to live up to Olivia Newton-John’s legendary recordings. Xanadu may not be perfectly conceived, but its execution is top-notch, especially by the performers who give it their all on stage.

Kira discovers that the reason for humans striving hard for art, is linked inextricably to our mortality. As daughter of Zeus, her life is eternal, but the only way for us to live beyond the last breath is to establish legacy. The fact that Xanadu has endured against all odds through the decades, serves as inspiration to all of us who suffer from lapses of confidence in our work and indeed, other parts of life. We may not always receive affirmation and recognition for the things we do, but it is important to realise the ripple effect of even the smallest of our efforts. We cannot see every tomorrow, but the ones we touch will carry something of us into the days ahead, like “where Alph, the sacred river, ran / Through caverns measureless to man /
Down to a sunless sea.” (Kubla Khan by Samuel Taylor Coleridge)

www.hayestheatre.com.au

Review: As We Forgive (Griffin Theatre Company / Tasmania Performs)

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griffinVenue: SBW Stables Theatre (Kings Cross NSW), May 11 – 21, 2016
Playwright: Tom Holloway
Director: Julian Meyrick
Cast: Robert Jarman

Theatre review
Forgiveness is complicated and unstable, and where it is most needed, its difficulty is at its greatest. In Tom Holloway’s As We Forgive, three monologues featuring an older man demonstrate the purpose of forgiveness, as it relates to a self that needs to find emancipation that can only be derived from an act of absolution. When we realise that life is short, the urgency for deliverance becomes even more pronounced, and Holloway uses the mechanism of age in his storytelling to amplify the poignancy of his message.

The writing is sublime, with evocative and powerful imagery that connect on levels of emotion, spirituality and intellect. Actor Robert Jarman does an exquisite job of the words, sensitively articulating each sentence so that the text communicates with richness and lucidity. Although quiet in presence and at times too gentle with his approach, Jarman is a charismatic personality effective at conveying profound sentimentality. There is an elegance to his work that is memorable for its simplicity, as well as an inner authenticity that contributes to the cogency of the play’s concepts.

The production is melancholic, beautifully so, but a more dynamic atmosphere would perhaps provide an experience that is more engrossing. Lisa Garland’s photo projections and Raffaele Marcellino’s music add tender dimensions to an already delicate staging for an overall effect that is undoubtedly appealing, but for its eighty-minute duration, greater fluctuations in energy levels is required.

The men in As We Forgive are consumed by vengeance, hatred and remorse. Their stories are dramatised but we perceive their feelings to be familiar and true. All our lives parallel, and no matter the obstacles we face, our humanity binds us, allowing us to recognise each other’s wounds and suffering. We may not all be lonely people, but finding forgiveness is a solitary task, and those who succeed are the luckier ones.

www.griffintheatre.com.au | www.tasperforms.com

Review: The Events (Belvoir St Theatre)

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belvoirstVenue: Belvoir St Theatre (Surry Hills NSW), May 12 – Jun 12, 2016
Playwright: David Greig
Director: Clare Watson
Cast: Johnny Carr, Catherine McClements, Pitt Street Singers, Wycliffe Singers
Image by Luke Cowling

Theatre review
There are probably no issues more pressing than those pertaining to immigration, terrorism and mass shootings. Trying to make sense of these realities has become an everyday fixation in many of our lives, and David Greig’s The Events is a timely and sensitive expression of those concerns. Claire is a priest and choir leader whose life and faith is shattered by a traumatic incident that transforms the complexion of all that she knows. Fractured and struggling to find coherence, Greg’s writing is a reflection of the protagonist’s state of being. The play is not an easy ride, but it provides valuable insight for all of us who are part of this contemporary and complicated discussion on nationhood and security.

The play’s structure lends itself to intrigue and tension, which director Clare Watson manufactures well, but its restrained emotional dimension prevents the show from creating the same resonances that we have come to expect when dealing with its themes. There is no shortage of television coverage on these matters, and they are almost without exception, full of cheap sentimentality and irrational fear, which The Events does not replicate, but what it delivers instead can feel underwhelming and uncomfortably tepid. Perhaps its intention is to guide viewership to a more cognitive response for its deliberations, which is a challenging task that it accomplishes at varying degrees.

Catherine McClements is impressive with the thorough authenticity she introduces to the stage, and the ease with which she is able to convey the magnitude and intricacy of Claire’s psychological condition. The aforementioned disinclination for melodrama is disappointing, but understandable. The actor tells the story well, and we learn all there is to know about her character and the circumstances, even if we are not engaged on a more emotive level. Johnny Carr plays a variety of roles opposite the leading lady, engrossing but not always distinct (probably a comment on Claire’s disillusionment with the world), with an energetic approach that we rely on for a propulsive sense of momentum.

Claire has the strength to move forward but she needs time. When disasters strike, we can try to forge ahead in blindness but the scars and stains they leave behind do not disappear without effort. In The Events, we are urged, in times of trouble, to humanise individuals when all our instincts want is for perpetrators of violence to become demonised. It is a story about forgiveness, the truth of its emancipatory effects and the difficulty of its embrace. The problems we face are hard, they may even be thought of as insurmountable, but life persists in spite of it all and we must negotiate its good and its evil the best we know how.

www.belvoir.com.au

Review: Oh My God I Have Been Kidnapped & I Hate What I Am Wearing (The Old 505 Theatre)

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old505Venue: Old 505 Theatre @ 5 Eliza St (Newtown NSW), May 10 – 28, 2016
Playwright: Drew Fairley
Songs: Mikey Lira
Director: Liesel Badorrek
Cast: Drew Fairley, Kate Smith
Image by Michael Bourchier

Theatre review
It is a comedy show with generous doses of cabaret, burlesque and musical theatre elements added to the mix. Completely frivolous and silly, Drew Fairley’s Kidnapped is pure entertainment that avoids serious themes and poignant emotional narratives, but impresses with the quality of talent that it showcases. Sugar is the aspiring artist at the centre of our attention, but it is the artists involved in telling her story that are remarkable.

Mikey Lira’s songs are charming and surprising, each with a strong sense of character that enriches the scenes in which they appear. Sound quality in the auditorium requires improvement (as does lighting design), but musical numbers in the show are a joy nonetheless. Choreography and other physical aspects of performance are cleverly devised, utilising every muscle of its actors to fill the space with movement and lively presence.

Formidable leading lady Kate Smith struts her stuff from head to toe, delivering comedy of the highest calibre, immense in its dexterity and inventiveness. Hilarious throughout, and deeply endearing, she has us in the palm of her hand and we find ourselves swept away into waves of laughter with her supreme, indomitable confidence. We never stop wanting more and she never ceases to amaze. Not content with being playwright, producer and musical director, Drew Fairley appears on stage with Smith, with similarly gleeful results. Fairley keeps the limelight squarely and appropriately on his co-star, but is himself more than a capable supporting actor. His work is full of sharp humour and extravagant flourishes, informed by a kooky sensibility that gives the show its irresistibly unique flavour. Chemistry between the two is flawless and stands as the key ingredient to Kidnapped‘s success.

There are few shows as funny as this, because convergence of talents are rarely as perfect as on this occasion. From its writing, to performance, to Liesel Badorrek’s very brave and instinctual direction, a beautiful harmony is established for a small but very special theatrical moment. It delights us, having us grin from ear to ear and cackle with joy, and it inspires us by showing us what artists can do when given the opportunity to demonstrate the best of their abilities. We have trouble giving artists what they are due in Australia, and although Kidnapped has today materialised gloriously in our fragile artistic landscape, we must think of other missed opportunities, and consider our priorities and responsibilities as a society, and we must decide to spend that investment on a little thing we call our soul.

www.venue505.com/theatre

Review: Telescope (Montague Basement)

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montageubasementVenue: Leichhardt Town Hall (Leichhardt NSW), May 12 – 21, 2016
Playwright: Charles O’Grady
Director: Charles O’Grady
Cast: Shevvi Barret-Brown, Caillin McKay
Image by Omnes Photography

Theatre review
Experimentation often happens behind the scenes. A wealth of weird and wonderful things must happen in rehearsals before an audience is introduced to the mix. For Telescope, the experiment happens before our eyes but without us knowing. Each night, actors in the two-hander swap roles, which means that most would only ever see half of the picture. Charles O’Grady’s script is interested in the meanings of gender as experienced at home, and the surprising extent to which it pervades every corner of family life, insidious but unintended. Joss and Vic have a child going through early stages of gender transition. We do not meet Jem, but his presence is felt through the play, like a dark cloud that hangs over the living room in which all action is set. Sequences of mundanity and theatricality combine to form a plot that attempts to demonstrate the turbulent effect of gender coming into consciousness, and to explore the subtleties of how gender informs our relationships.

In between engaging scenes of argument and conflict, the production’s efforts at representing the banal can be overly indulgent. It takes a lot of time to cut to the chase, but while the audience desires drama, Telescope is interested in what happens in quiet moments. Joss and Vic are a very regular couple, but we are not allowed to disregard the minute conventionalities that inform us of their identities. We look for signs and gestures, usually hidden and ignored but sonorous on this stage, to come to an understanding of their relationship. We need to know who is the wife, who is the husband, but in that process of misgendering and determination, question the necessity of that very information. With our discovery of their respective genders, we consider its relevance to the story that unfolds, and indeed its machinations in real life outside of the auditorium.

Performances by Shevvi Barret-Brown and Caillin McKay are uneven, but effective when they find passion and when they are able to demonstrate hints of connection. There is a sense of detachment on the stage that, although challenging for a two-hour show, helps us observe human intimacy from an unusually critical standpoint.

Joss and Vic are unable to live and let live. They struggle to come to terms with Jem’s deviation, and are tormented by his self-determination. Their emotions are true, but also absurd. Vic and Jem are in a tug-of-war at opposite ends of the gender conceit, both insistent on what they deem irrefutable and real. Telescope not only makes us examine that binary, it leads us to its dissolution. The characters in the play speak only in terms of female and male, but what O’Grady puts on stage is a disruption of those simplistic and myopic ways of approaching life. Like feminism that works for the elimination of patriarchal systems, a revision to how we understand, practise and enforce gender in society would lead to greater equity, but that revision is of immense complexity, and we are only at the dawn of that political movement.

www.montaguebasement.com

Review: My Name Is Asher Lev (Eternity Playhouse)

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asherlev1Venue: Eternity Playhouse (Darlinghurst NSW), May 8 – 29, 2016
Playright: Aaron Posner (from the novel by Chaim Potok)
Director: Moira Blumenthal
Cast: Annie Byron, Tim McGarry, John O’Hare
Image by Blumenthal Photography

Theatre review
We meet Asher Lev from the time he discovers a talent for drawing, and follow his journey from prodigy to established artist. It is a short time getting to success, but the lessons he learns are profound, and writers Aaron Posner and Chaim Potok do an excellent job of sharing those wisdoms in the story. The theme is one that we all have to grapple with, some more often than others, but it is nonetheless universal; we must identify a true and authentic self, and live accordingly. Young Lev’s sense of authenticity is frequently at odds with the life his parents had envisioned for him, but it is that negotiation between forces that allows him to thrive as an artist and more significantly, develop into an independent autonomous being.

Direction by Moira Blumenthal is tender and melancholic, with detailed attention placed on family dynamics that are central to Lev’s experience of the world. The characters are believable and we relate to their psyches easily, but the production needs greater dynamism with its rhythm, and a more pronounced sense of humour to achieve variances in mood and tone between scenes. The role of the young artist is played by John O’Hare who although lacks the adolescent energy required, depicts acute emotional accuracy in order that we understand all the nuances of his conflicts and challenges. More compelling is Tim McGarry in a range of paternalistic parts who brings colour and surprising vibrancy to the show. Annie Byron is convincing as Lev’s mother, and chemistry between all three is beautifully forged for a show that makes a poignant statement about the complexities of family, history and individual fulfilment.

Whether we grow up to be copies of our parents, or turn out to only be partially similar to family members, there is no doubt that blood ties have a deep influence on the people that we become. As a child turns into an adult, they should be given choices and importantly, the strength to make them. We wish the best for our offspring, but they must become their own persons, and there comes a time when father no longer knows best. The world evolves, and it develops in directions that may not always be pleasing. When things become unbearable, we can call upon faith, and trust that something bigger than our own minds has great designs in mysterious ways, beyond our ability to currently comprehend.

www.encounters.edu.au

Review: Rosencrantz And Guildenstern Are Dead (Furies Theatre)

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furiesVenue: Blood Moon Theatre (Potts Point NSW), May 10 – 21, 2016
Playwright: Tom Stoppard
Director: Chris McKay
Cast: Amy Victoria Books, Emily Burke, Lauren Crew, Krystiann Dingas, Emilia Stubbs Grigoriou, Leofric Kingsford-Smith, Amanda Maple-Brown, Logan McArthur, David McLaughlin, Sarah Plummer
Image by Stephen Godfrey

Theatre review
There is a lot of truth in what Tom Stoppard has to say in Rosencrantz And Guildenstern Are Dead. His existential angst may not be shared by all, but his ruminations about the nature of life are as real as they are fascinating. Through a long narrative in which nothing much happens, ideas about time, memory and volition are explored at great depth, not necessarily to provide enlightenment, but for the sheer pleasure of intensive introspection. The genius of Stoppard’s writing is in the very words collated to express abstractions that exist in our minds, making matter out of ephemeral concepts by having dialogue occupy the space of theatre.

Direction by Chris McKay brings to the stage an articulate and thoughtful representation of the text’s meanings. Relying on little more than his actors’ bodies and voices (design is kept minimal, although costumes by Zjarie Paige-Butterworth are very accomplished), the poetic and philosophical qualities of the play are given resonance from beginning to end, reflecting a thorough appreciation of the material by its very able cast. Krystiann Dingas and Emilia Stubbs Grigoriou are Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, both passionate and expressive, help us distil one of the densest theatrical masterpieces, to achieve a level of immersion and comprehension that is admittedly rare in iterations of Stoppard’s work. Both actors are confident, dynamic and very likeable, which is a relief considering the two-and-a-half hour duration. Also remarkable is Amanda Maple-Brown as the Player. Flamboyant and exuberant, yet astutely nuanced, her work is resolutely entertaining, with a delightful and exhilarating presence that leaves a strong impression.

Every significant male character is performed by a female actor in this rendition of Rosencrantz And Guildenstern Are Dead. How that decision affects our spectatorship is entirely subjective, but it does bring to focus the quality of parts and opportunities available to women in theatre. Plays have certainly emerged from feminist ideologies, but none have attained the reverence that titles such as this inspire in all our Western societies. To combat the persistence of the theatrical canon and the misogyny therein, gender reversal is a subversive device that serves a purpose greater than experimentation. Finding a way to exorcise patriarchy from all the old and usual suspects that refuse to go away is critical to the development of art in every civilisation. We may not be able to remove masculinity from Michelangelo’s Creation Of Adam, but we can disrupt the hegemony imposed upon us on every screen and stage.

www.facebook.com/FuriesTheatre

5 Questions with Shevvi Barrett-Brown and Caillin McKay

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Shevvi Barrett-Brown

Shevvi Barrett-Brown

Caillin McKay: What is gender?
Shevvi Barrett-Brown: Lies, identities, forced roles, aesthetics, fluid, oppression, occasionally fun, mostly something to escape.

What is the most challenging things about doing this show?
Learning 88 pages of dialogue, playing a character that I wouldn’t want to talk to in real life – and so finding an in to the character is difficult, as I’ve actively tried NOT to identify with 40 year old cis male upper middle class transphobes. I’ve also been curled up in the foetal position for a lot of rehearsal with a mysterious illness. Cailin bought me a lot of mandarins.

Answer as your character Vic: why haven’t you taken the washing down yet?
I had a double shift at work, I took Chloe to tutoring, took my dad to his doctors appointment and organised things with the bank, I’m busy. I’ll get to it.

Answer as your character Joss: what’s your favourite thing about having children?
Teaching them about the wonders of the world.

If you could be any animal what would you be?
Unicorn. I am queer.

Caillin McKay

Caillin McKay

Shevvi Barrett-Brown: What is gender?
Caillin McKay: Pretty simple really! Of course, it depends on the person you talk to. For example, my gender is *a truck drives past, blaring its horn. Suddenly foghorns sound and air raid sirens shriek*. Hopefully that explains it.

What is the most challenging things about doing this show?
The intense focus on how I move and hold myself has been the hardest part of the show for me.

Answer as your character Vic: why haven’t you taken the washing down yet?
Joss, I did. Two hours ago. That is the new load on the line. Which, I’d like to remind you, you promised to put up.

Answer as your character Joss: what’s your favourite thing about having children?
I’ve always wanted to be a parent! I always knew I’d be a good one. And I have been! The kids love spending time with me.

If you could be any animal what would you be?
A cat. Being able to comfortably sit on the floor sounds like heaven.

Shevvi Barrett-Brown and Caillin McKay are appearing in Telescope by Charles O’Grady.
Dates: 12 – 21 May, 2016
Venue: Leichhardt Town Hall

Review: Edward Gant’s Amazing Feats of Loneliness (Polyamorous Productions)

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polyamorousVenue: PACT Centre for Emerging Artists (Erskineville NSW), May 4 – 7, 2016
Playwright: Anthony Neilson
Director: Natasha Pesce
Cast: Ralph Andrews, Will Hickey, Jonathan Lagudi, Nicole Wineberg
Image by Liam O’Keefe

Theatre review
Edward Gant runs a vaudeville specialising in tall tales of loneliness. Even though the theme is one of sadness, his show is full of rambunctious fun, designed to elicit squeals of pleasure with outrageous and flamboyant sequences featuring his troupe of three mad performers. Edward Gant’s Amazing Feats of Loneliness is Anthony Neilson’s take on the “show within a show” format, brilliantly scripted to deliver extraordinary spectacle accompanied by disarming humour and an unrelenting melancholy. It is the most sophisticated of writing, traversing the basest of human experience to the most profound of our emotional landscapes. Subtly philosophical yet undeniably poignant, the audience is offered a plethora of ways to access its meanings, at whichever level of depth we choose to receive its wisdom.

The wild stories are brought to life by Natasha Pesce’s exuberant direction. Her style is exciting, bold and very funny, particularly effective in the production’s first half where the text presents greater opportunities for ostentatious tomfoolery. Pesce’s eye for beauty is reflected in charming design details that provide a visual splendour, delightful for our senses while helping to convey story and sentiments. Four dedicated actors form a tight ensemble, boundless in mischievous energy and unified in what they convey. Nicole Wineberg is a perfect blend of slapstick, nuance and sexual allure for her demanding role. The actor is captivating in all her guises, whether coy, gruesome, rugged, or ludicrously vivacious in a bear suit, Wineberg is completely engrossing and very entertaining indeed. Equally madcap in approach is Ralph Andrews, memorable for his confident frivolity and distinctly wanton sense of comedy. His work is not the most physically disciplined, but the presence he brings to the stage is replete with an enthusiastic whimsy that appeals to our need for something more tender.

In loneliness, longing is the ringmaster who takes centre stage, controlling thoughts, decisions and behaviour. It is a driving force that can lead one to many possibilities, but its motive is self-obliteration. Longing may replace loneliness with some other sensation, but desire will always remain albeit in a different form, for life simply cannot be without desire. Edward Gant faces a dilemma with the eradication of his own loneliness and the show that must go on. Joy can take the place of pain, but it only exists in relation to its dark other. The pursuit of a happy life is meaningless without sadness, and the resolve of its existence is to be ignored at our own peril.

www.edwardgant.com