Category Archives: Theatre

Review: We’re Bastards (Two Peas)

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bastards1Venue: Old 505 Theatre (Surry Hills NSW), Feb 6 – 23, 2014
Playwright: Oleg Pupovac
Director: Glen Hamilton
Actors: Tara Clark, Oleg Pupovac
Image by Anna Chase

Theatre review
We’re Bastards is a play that doesn’t go anywhere, about people who don’t go anywhere. Everything seems congested, but within the stagnation, an abundance of characterisation is explored in its main characters. Darling and Joe are siblings living in the disenfranchised lower classes of the United States of America. Their concerns are a world away from our middle class Australian theatre audiences, but they are a pair of oddities that instantly spark our interest. It is a bit of a freak show that unfolds, but care is taken to attempt an explanation for the damage they display.

Oleg Pupovac’s script might be too simple for some tastes, but his strength as an actor shines through within the straightforward context. Pupovac achieves a level of realism with his speech and movement that gives the production a feel of authenticity. His chemistry with Tara Clark, who plays his sister, is a highlight of the show. There is a level of intimacy between the actors that comes across, and adds complexity and mystery to their relationship.

Glen Hamilton’s direction is colourful and energetic, but his style is gentle, which sometimes comes into conflict with the script that resides in a space simultaneously cold and brutal. We’re Bastards is a brave work that takes on a time and place that is ignored but intriguing. It is about the third world that is sprouting in our own backyards in this age of increasingly severe class divisions. We all have a stake in this bastardry/illegitimacy, but it is too easy to turn a blind eye, and it is the job of art to impose these stories of injustices upon us.

www.venue505.com/theatre

Review: Bite Me (ATYP)

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rsz_bite_me_5_gxmphotographyVenue: ATYP Under The Wharf (Walsh Bay NSW), Feb 5 – 22, 2014
Director: Anthony Skuse
Playwrights: Jory Anast, Jake Brain, Sophie Hardcastle, Tasnim Hossain, Julian Larnach, Zac Linford, Felicity Pickering, Emily Sheehan, Kyle Walmsley, Keir Wilkins
Actors: Airlie Dodds, Darcie Irwin-Simpson, Joel Jackson, Angelica Madeni, Sam Marques, Paul Musemeci, Julia Rorke, Emily Sheehan, Kate Williams

Theatre review
Each year ATYP (Australian Theatre for Young People) brings together 20 young writers aged between 18 and 26 to participate in their National Studio. As part of the week, the writers are given a common theme and each creates a seven minute monologue for a 17 year old actor. Bite Me presents 10 of those scripts, in an unusual format that brings them together, not as a coherent whole, but a visceral entity that stands alone as a singular work of theatre.

The common theme in all the writing is food, but Anthony Skuse’s direction does not rely on that convenience to tie things together into one obvious unit. Instead, he focuses our attention on the actors’ work and design aspects of the production, to create an experience that is dramatic, thrilling, and avant garde. Skuse is acutely aware of the audience’s senses and all the potentialities an empty space holds for addressing them. His respect for actors and all their capacities is evident, and we are given the best sides of all his performers. Along with movement coach Adèle Jeffreys, Bite Me showcases a kind of image driven theatre that wonderfully imagines bodies in spaces, and pushes the boundaries of creativity within a realm of minimalism.

The cast is a young one, and while their standards of performance vary, all are allowed to present their strengths, and an excellent sense of evenness is achieved in terms of stage time. Julia Rorke, in Kyle Walmsley’s Food Baby, is easily the funniest in the ensemble. Her comic timing is natural and gleeful, and her determination in connecting with the audience is irresistible. Paul Musumeci’s performance of Keir Wilkins’ George is beautifully restrained. Like a caged lion, Musumeci exhibits a powerful magnetism, one resulting from a very controlled expression of a certain mysterious intensity that resides in the actor’s being. Jory Anast’s Pip Nat Georgie is performed by Airlie Dodds who delivers, without the aid of makeup and costumes, a memorable depiction of an archetypal young Australian masculine character. Dodds’ feminine appearance provides the perfect juxtaposition for her character, and allows us to see the actor’s interesting work with great clarity.

Set, lighting and sound design are thoughtful and exquisite. Narratives are scarce in Bite Me, but its atmospherics are dynamic and beautiful. This is a great achievement, given the minimalist approach taken by all the technical components. There have been many other showings of short plays that have entertained or titillated more, but this is a production that fascinates and impresses. It is thoroughly original.

www.atyp.com.au

Review: Proof (Ensemble Theatre)

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proofVenue: Ensemble Theatre (Kirribilli NSW), Jan 31 – Mar 8, 2014
Playwright: David Auburn
Director: Sandra Bates
Actors: Matilda Ridgway, Catherine McGraffin, Adriano Cappelletta, Michael Ross

Theatre review
There seems a fine line between genius and madness. Both are by nature alienating, and people who present these qualities frequently feel misunderstood or isolated. In our age of overdiagnosis and hypervigilance, mental conditions seem to be everywhere, presenting to society innumerable challenges relating to the way we manage them in daily lives. As we continue to obsessively pathologise every less than common behaviour including the display of extraordinary talents, so do our tendencies to impose conformity throughout our communities. Proof is a story about a woman’s gift in mathematical ability, and the pressures she faces from living a less than conventional life.

Sandra Bates’ direction relays the story clearly, and pays close attention to dynamics between characters. We have a good sense of who these people are, and the world in which they live is portrayed vividly. Tragic elements of the play are fleshed out particularly well, with themes of death, illness, betrayal and jealousy providing tension and gravitas. The production is however, less effective in its lighter moments, where some of the comedy can be stiff and muted. Bates’s work might not be consistently strong through every scene, but where the drama does work, things get fabulously explosive.

The four actor ensemble is tight and even. These are generous performers who have opened up to their audience and to each other. The frisson between characters is a highlight of the show, and their interchanges are thoroughly enjoyable. Michael Ross plays Robert with ardour and depth. He delves into a realism that appeals to our empathy, but also performs the character’s madness with a fiery gusto that keeps us engrossed. Lead actor Matilda Ridgway is committed and present. She has a warmth that allows us to identify readily with Catherine’s ordeal, but her emotional range requires further expansion in order to hit all the right notes required by the emotionally complex script.

David Auburn’s writing delivers a story that is intriguing and passionate. It is also deceptively simple, and only with protracted excavation can all its subtleties be brought to light in the theatre. In this new production by Ensemble Theatre, we are treated to a fascinating story, told with an authenticity and a gentleness that will resonate with anyone who has ever wondered about the insanity and ingenuity that resides in every person.

www.ensemble.com.au

Review: Legend! (Decorum / Sydney Independent Theatre Company)

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legend1Venue: Old Fitzroy Theatre (Woolloomooloo NSW), Jan 28 – Feb 15, 2014
Playwright: Pat Sheil
Director: Lex Marinos
Actor: John Derum
Image by Katy Green Loughrey

Theatre review
‘Slips’ Cordon is in his home, reminiscing. We don’t know why, or who it is he speaks to, but there is certainly no shortage of tall tales to share. Pat Sheil toys with our “European history” in his script, re-writing events involving our iconic war heroes, legendary sporting personalities, celebrated performers, and various significant political figures of times past. These revisions are amusing, and depending on your level of affinity with the “source material”, possibly even hilarious.

Cordon is played by the effortlessly charming John Derum, who carves out a character that is immediately endearing. This is an actor who revels in spinning yarns, and his enjoyment of the limelight is infectious. We are drawn in and are glad to be his captive audience. Derum is excellent at punchlines. Indeed, the show does at times, feel like a stand up comedy routine, where a comedian simply tells jokes, without much concern for context or character development. We do not learn very much about Cordon, but he does make us laugh.

This is a clever script that could work well in the form of a novella, but Derum’s interpretation adds a dimension of time and place that is strangely (and ironically) authentic, even though we are free to imagine where and when the action before our eyes actually takes place. Legend! is only mildly iconoclastic. In fact there is an air of reverence for these legends that hangs heavily over the production. Rest assured that our sacred cows are left unscathed.

www.sitco.net.au

Review: Hotel Sorrento (The Genesian Theatre)

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rsz_sorrento3Venue: The Genesian Theatre (Sydney NSW), Jan 18 – Feb 22, 2014
Playwright: Hannie Rayson
Director: Shane Bates
Actors: Sarah Purdue, Melanie Robinson, Gemma Munro, Barry Moray, Martin Bell, Oliver Beard, Lyn Turnbull Rose, Rob White
Image by Mark Banks

Theatre review
One of the key functions of art (if art has any function at all), is to express and represent concepts of identity. In the case of the Australian identity, the discussion is always a fascinating, and complex one. We are intrinsically invested in the issue, and the diversity of perspectives makes for effortlessly dynamic discourse. Hotel Sorrento was written in 1990 and talks a lot about who we are, who we like to think we are, what others think of us, and why we care. It presents a view of Australia as a nation trying to find its feet, almost like an awkward teenager in the later stages of puberty, unsure of itself but determined to establish something substantial and defined.

This production features a committed cast, including Oliver Beard who plays Troy, an awkward teenager just beginning to understand the mechanisms at play in his family that give meaning to his very being. Sarah Purdue is the strongest actor on this stage, creating a Hilary that is tender and moving despite her parochialism. Purdue’s knack for naturalism provides the perfect tone for the production and she successfully shows us the depths of her character even when the details are not all spelt out in the script. Lyn Turbull Rose is delightful and infectious in a scene talking about yearning and passion as Marge, and Martin Bell injects much needed humour in a show that tends to be overly serious at times.

Shane Bates’ direction focuses on storytelling, and the clarity of his plot is a pleasure. The show however, seems to be a bit oversimplified, and the characters seem a little analogous. We are left with a desire for something more colourful, with slightly more complication and inconvenience. Nevertheless, it is exciting to see a great script remembered and revived with such fitting respect and genuine affection.

www.genesiantheatre.com.au

Review: Triple Bill (Ockham’s Razor)

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ockhamsrazorVenue: Seymour Centre (Chippendale NSW), Jan 21 – 26, 2014
Directors: Ruth Naylor-Smith, Deb Pope, Meline Danielewicz
Music: Derek Nisbet, Patrick Larley, Penguin Cafe Orchestra
Performers: Alex Harvey, Charlotte Mooney, Grania Pickard, Steve Ryan

Theatre review
Aerial acrobatics can be relied upon to provide exciting thrills, as it easily evokes sensations of tension and vertigo, but to create narratives and imagery that bear strong aesthetic appeal within that framework is a challenging one. Ockham’s Razor succeeds in presenting beautiful imagery and emotionally involving pieces while allowing acrobatics to remain centre stage. Their stylistic choices are always simple, but they are masters at communicating to our eyes. They know exactly what we look at at every point in time, and they feed us everything we need by controlling how our eyes move and what we focus on.

Their show incorporates the art of miming, through which they surreptitiously acquire our empathy and identification. Relationships between characters are established ambiguously, but our connection with them are certain. In Arc, we see a love triangle set against a backdrop reminiscent of a shipwreck. The performance plays with ideas of emotional turbulence, using it to create a sense of breathtaking danger at every turn. Memento Mori presents life and death as a romance, one that is always at the brink of devastation. Their movements in space allegorise our intimate relationships with love and death, with moments of tenderness, and cruelty. The final work Every Action… injects humour into their craft. It is the liveliest section of the triple bill, cleverly applying mischief and playfulness to their acrobatic skills. The team looks especially effortless in their approach here, but are still able to elicit gasps of surprise and pleasure from the crowd.

Opening night saw fairly long intervals between each work. It is understandable that set up has to be completed thoroughly with no room for error, but with each break, the mood in the auditorium slumps down from the fervour we had been left with at the end of the previous piece. It truly does feel like a waste to not pick up from the enthusiasm and keep building up on the energy. Hopefully subsequent performances will see the gaps shortened.

Music and lighting design are thoughtfully created, adding to the ethereal elegance of these works. There is always a stillness that pervades, like an acknowledgement of the things that could go horribly wrong at any time. We are captivated, by the super-human stunts unfolding before us, the sheer beauty of the choreography, and the irresistible urge to imagine all the “what if’s” that could result from playing with gravity.

www.ockhamsrazor.co.uk

Review: Short+Sweet Cabaret 2014 (Short+Sweet)

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sscabaretVenue: New Theatre (Newtown NSW), Jan 8 – 19, 2014
Festival Director: Kate Gaul
Musical Director: Daryl Wallis
Image by David Paul Jobling

Theatre review
Featuring a diverse selection from the Sydney cabaret scene, Short+Sweet encapsulates the best of our weird and whacky performers, all of whom are idiosyncratic and many, talented and original. The inaugural event concluded with an awards night where winners were announced (list below), based on votes from a judging panel, as well as audience selections. It is noteworthy that among the 40+ acts, a vast majority of participants were female, even though the winners list reads to be fairly gender balanced. This is a space that attracts female artists, and Short+Sweet should be lauded for its establishment.

Highlights include Thomas Albert and Samuel Valentine, two ridiculously talented young men who wrote several original songs and the script for Dirty Sexy Politics, which showcases their skills in comedy and musical performance. Theirs is unquestionably one of the most substantial and confident compositions in the festival, and are greatly deserving of both their award wins.

Harry & Liv is a sibling pairing, by real-life siblings Charlotte and Evan Kerr. Their musical talents and chemistry as a duo are outstanding, leaving an indelible impression and winning them two awards. The brother’s performance of “I Go To Rio” is a particularly effervescent moment in the festival. There are a few pieces in the festival that would benefit from extended renditions (they are only allowed 10 minutes each), and this is one of them.

Another duo Jacqui Dark and Kanen Breen wow’d the audience with their vocal abilities in Strange Bedfellows, a piece about twisted friendships that features unrelenting camp humour. Camp features heavily in the festival. In Dance With De Vil, Brendan Hay plays Cruello de Vill (Cruella’s son) with enough flamboyance and vitriol to make his mother beam with pride, and to win Best Male Cabaret artist.

Other memorable performers include Anne Wilson who presented two creations including the hilarious Pastor Dorcas who very excitedly warns her congregation about Judas who is known for “back-stabbing” (that’s a paraphrase). Great work also, from Irene Nicola who starts off with a nerdy striptease and ends with some unexpectedly beautiful singing, but not before providing a very dense lecture on performance theory and psychoanalysis.

Musical director of the festival is Daryl Wallis, who must be congratulated for the brilliant accompaniment he provided to more than half the acts. He has had to perform a very wide range of styles for performers from all kinds of backgrounds, and on many occasions, supply crucial dramatic or comedic accents. Wallis’ contribution to the festival’s success cannot be understated.

Peoples Choice for Best Cabaret Dirty Sexy Politics

Judges Choice for Best Cabaret Harry & Liv

Best Original Music Thomas Albert and Samuel Valentine Dirty Sexy Politics

Best Script Cienda McNamara Hardly the Portrait of a Lady

Best Comedy Hardly the Portrait of a Lady

Best Burlesque The Good The Bad and the Fugly

Best Newcomers Charlotte and Evan Kerr Harry & Liv

Best Female Cabaret Artist Cienda McNamara Hardly the Portrait of a Lady

Best Male Cabaret Artist Brendan Hay Dance With De Vil

www.shortandsweet.org

Review: On The Shore Of The Wide World (Pantsguys / Griffin Theatre Company)

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pantsguysVenue: SBW Stables Theatre (Kings Cross NSW), Jan 8 – Feb 1, 2014
Playwright: Simon Stephens
Director: Anthony Skuse
Actors: Alex Beauman, Paul Bertram, Kate Fitzpatrick, Huw Higginson, Graeme McRae, Lily Newbury-Freeman, Emma Palmer, Amanda Stephens-Lee, Alistair Wallace, Jacob Warner

Theatre review
Conventions of drama seek to draw in audiences, to create a kind of psychological and emotional engagement that other art forms do not offer quite as readily. Plays about family dynamics in particular tend to provide an experience that is about sentimentality, whether melancholic or uplifting. On The Shore Of The Wide World however, keeps viewers at arms length, encouraging an objective perspective and intelligent discourse about contemporary middle class family lives. This does not mean that the audience is alienated to an extent that we do not care about its characters. Conversely in fact, Anthony Skuse’s direction appeals to our humanity and allows us to empathise with each diverse personality, while engaging deeply with their challenges and circumstances.

One of the main techniques employed to place the material in an intellectual framework is the positioning of actors on stage even when the scene unfolding does not involve them. We see these “extraneous” characters watching and thinking about what is being played out, and try to scrutinise their responses. This causes a constant tension that adds dimension to every plot development, for we are always reminded of repercussions and contrasting points of view.

The ensemble is marvellous. Characterisations are convincing and intentions are clear. We know who these people are, what they think, and how they feel about each other. Kate Fitzpatrick plays the role of grandmother Ellen with restraint and a whole lot of authenticity. It is a minimal performance that works splendidly within the confines of the intimate theatre, and we never question the validity of the actor’s choices. Fitzpatrick’s work is wonderfully elegant, telling her story very persuasively, while being very still. The most memorable performance in the production belongs to Huw Higginson. The role of Pete is written with a lot of thoroughness, and Higginson’s interpretation is equally exacting. His portrayal is subtle and vulnerable, but the actor is unafraid of dramatics when they are required. His chemistry with all co-players are palpable, creating an on stage family that is entirely believable.

This is an unusual theatrical experience, one that talks to its audience with intelligence about themes that are universal. It addresses our concerns with honesty, but does not provide convenient resolutions. Like a good parent, this is a show that tells you what you need to hear, not what you want to hear.

www.griffintheatre.com.au

Review: Wittenberg (Brevity Theatre / Sydney Independent Theatre Company)

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rsz_wittenbergVenue: Old Fitzroy Theatre (Woolloomooloo NSW), Jan 7 – 25, 2014
Playwright: David Davalos
Director: Richard Hilliar
Actors: David Woodland, Alexander Butt, Nick Curnow, Lana Kershaw

Theatre review
Wittenberg is a play that examines the struggle between theology and philosophy. We are positioned along with Hamlet (in his younger years) in the centre of the action, caught between reason and religion. David Davalos’ text is a dense one. Western literature is referenced relentlessly, creating a post-modern structure based on citations of classical concepts, characters and quotations.

Richard Hilliar’s direction is confident and precise. He places equal emphasis on dramatics and content, ensuring a show that appeals intellectually and is also fabulously entertaining. Hilliar does his best to make sense of the lines, which are frequently academic and cerebral, and while some of us might find it challenging to absorb everything, the direction succeeds in keeping us engaged at all times.

Design elements of the production are simple, elegant and effective. The set in particular, works well with the space and the performers. Lighting is creative but also unintrusive. It is a pleasure to see the Old Fitzroy stage given some three-dimensionality and lightness.

Performances are consistently strong, and all actors seem to be very thoroughly rehearsed. Intentions are clear, and their control over their tricky lines are very accomplished. David Woodland’s performance however, is completely show stealing. His portrayal of John Faustus is charismatic, committed and irresistibly convincing. He has a fearless approach that effervesces unceasingly, and he resonates strongly at every turn. We hear his points of view clearly, and we empathise with his vulnerabilities. His co-actors are not weak by any stretch of the imagination, but the show becomes unintentionally asymmetrical in its intellectual arguments due to the overwhelming persuasiveness of one side.

Ultimately, this is not a play that seeks to change anyone’s core beliefs, but it reminds us of the other, and the values it holds close. Wittenberg is about the plurality of our existences, and the constant negotiations we endure in making sense of our daily lives.

www.facebook.com/BrevityTheatreCo

Review: An Enemy Of The People (Nine Years Theatre)

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rsz_1522124_273651802782255_1915973110_nVenue: National Museum of Singapore (Singapore), Jan 8 – 11, 2014
Playwright: Henrik Ibsen (Mandarin translation by Nelson Chia)
Director: Nelson Chia
Actors: Rei Poh, Mia Chee, Hang Qian Chou, Neo Hai Bin, Jean Toh

Theatre review
This is a story about truth, greed, and democracy. Originally published in 1882, its central themes remain relevant and powerful. The play capitalises on our fundamental need to seek not only for truths, but also for personal materialistic gain, and of course the struggle between the two. Nelson Chia’s translation is faithful to the original, and his direction of the text is a straightforward one. There is an emphasis on giving Ibsen’s work and ideas absolute focus, with no obvious liberties taken for updates or reinterpretations. What results is a kind of language and “period” tonality that is fascinatingly quirky. It is simultaneously realistic yet unusual, which gives the production a sense of wonder and theatricality. Visual design elements should also be noted for their effectiveness and refinement.

Performances are committed and disciplined. A sense of polish and measuredness permeates the proceedings, and the precision at which the story is told gives the show not only an air of professionalism but also a rare beauty. Lead man Rei Poh steals the show with moments of flamboyance and pomposity. His portrayal of the hero invites doubt, and disallows convenient certainty, giving the play a complexity that necessitates thought and discussion. The cast of five is a young one, but there is no question that they take this work seriously. This however, comes at the cost of the depiction of sarcasm and delivery of humour, which are evident in Ibsen’s writing. The ensemble’s attention on plot and realism does make the story crystal clear, but some of the comedy seems to have been sacrificed in the process. Perhaps a slightly exaggerated sense of performance could be introduced, so that the play’s farcical nature can be elevated.

An Enemy Of The People is a political story, but the production does not use it to push forth with a simple reading of social mechanics. Indeed, it portrays politics and economies as being problematic by nature, and hence, ambiguities lay central to our existences. It is to the company’s credit that these complex ideas are presented with simplicity, succinctness and a lot of elegance.

www.nineyearstheatre.com