The Vehicle Failed To Stop (Version 1.0)

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vehiclefailed1Venue: Carriageworks (Eveleigh NSW), Oct 15 – 26, 2013
Devisors: Sean Bacon, Irving Gregory, Jane Phegan, Paul Prestipino, Kym Vercoe, Olivia Stambouliah
Actors: Irving Gregory, Jane Phegan, Olivia Stambouliah

Theatre review
The subject is a heavy one, and the themes are serious. We are shown a side to the Iraq war that is little known, and the evidence provided is scandalous and outrageous. The tone of the production is suitably sombre, but it is a lively show that comprises quick and sharp scenes, holding its audience’s attention from start to end.

Exploration of theatrical techniques and devices are a key interest of this group (the exploding car is wonderful). Using the war story as a backdrop for a wide range of experimentation with sounds, visuals, and all the possibilities of an empty space, this is a highly creative work that is centred on form as much as it emphasises its content. Indeed, both form and content are interesting and thoroughly delved into, but on occasion, they seem to diverge and distract from one another. There are points in the performance where what is being shown on stage is so complex and enthralling, that the story seems to fall by the wayside. The originality of Version 1.0’s theatrical craft is accomplished and important, and so is the message of the story. Fortunately, both manage to get their days in the sun, although not always at the same time.

Aside from three actors, we see on side stage (in this multimedia production), a team of two musicians and a video artist. Their work alternates between providing background effects and featuring heavily at the foreground, but always married perfectly with the stage action. This genre of performance is still unconventional and not always practised successfully, but The Vehicle Failed To Stop is an example of how close collaborative efforts can give birth to something authentic and deliver theatre that is intriguing and unique.

www.versiononepointzero.com

5 Questions with Andrew Henry

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andrewhenryWhat is your favourite swear word?
“Fuck” for its magnificent versatility.

What are you wearing?
A singlet, chinos and my trusty old boots.

What is love?
Life’s great discovery.

What was the last show you saw, and how many stars do you give it?
Miss Julie at Belvoir. Five out of five, it was incredibly uncomfortable and the most dangerous play I have seen for many years. I fucking loved it.

Is your new show going to be any good?
Not at all, the writing is terrible. This Arthur Miller guy had no talent for writing plays.

Andrew Henry is appearing in All My Sons, by Arthur Miller.
Show dates: 1 Nov – 1 Dec, 2013
Show venue: Eternity Playhouse

5 Questions with Jai Higgs

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jaihiggs1What is your favourite swear word?
Definitely CUNT. Sound it out. C-u-n-t… Feel how each sound moves further forward in your mouth, starting the back of the throat and ending with a sharp, direct spit? It’s like the word is designed to cut through the air and attack the listener. I know it sounds like I’ve over-thought the trajectory of this word, but it’s only because my character unleashes the c-bomb a couple of times in this show, honestly…

What are you wearing?
My corporate slave-wear. Please come and see An Ordinary Person so that we can all make millions and I can overthrow my capitalist overlords to devote my life unceasingly to my craft.

What is love?
A battlefield. Am I right, ladies??

What was the last show you saw, and how many stars do you give it?
Miss Julie at Belvoir. 4.5 stars. What the actual fuck? It was the most intense piece of theatre I’ve seen in a long time. I sat in my seat for five minutes afterwards trying to digest what had just happened.

Is your new show going to be any good?
Fuck yeah. It’s going to make King Lear look like Mean Girls.

Jai Higgs is appearing in An Ordinary Person.
Show dates: 22 Oct – 16 Nov, 2013
Show venue: The Old Fitzroy Hotel

5 Questions with Lizzie Schebesta

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lizzieschebestaWhat is your favourite swear word?
Fuck, I don’t know ? They’re all pretty good. Swear words are the most delicious part of the English language… And so they should be. They offer instant consolation when life sucks balls.

What are you wearing?
It’s 5am. I’m wearing my pyjamas.

What is love?
A mixture of adrenaline, dopamine and serotonin designed to make you procreate and stay alive.

What was the last show you saw, and how many stars do you give it?
Penelope. Ten stars. It was fantastic. Beautifully realised and very funny.

Is your new show going to be any good?
Mind blowingly good. It’ll change your life.

 

 

Lizzie Schebesta plays Jacqueline Kennedy in the world premiere of Love Field.
Show dates: 23 Oct – 2 Nov, 2013
Show venue: Tap Gallery

5 Questions with Pontus Aleryd

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pontusalerydWhat is your favourite swear word?
HelvetesJävlaSkit (Swedish).

What are you wearing?
Undies.

What is love?
Equality, generosity and a lot of fun.

What was the last show you saw, and how many stars do you give it?
South Pacific – 53.5 stars (that’s REALLY good).

Is your new show going to be any good?
Both these plays are very special, Three Winters Green will affect you emotionally and psychologically, and Butterflies Are Free is a fast moving rom-com drama, both with a warm heart.

Pontus Aleryd is stage managing Three Winters Green and Butterfiles Are Free, two plays in repertory.
Show dates: 17 Oct – 3 Nov, 2013
Show venue: King Street Theatre

The Good, The Bad & The Lawyer (Big Splash Productions)

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rsz_gbl_40_-_geoff_mark_marcVenue: TAP Gallery (Surry Hills NSW), Oct 10 – 27, 2013
Playwright: Tony Laumberg
Director: Richard Cotter
Actors: Mark McCann, Tricia Youlden, Brigid O’Sullivan, Geoff Sirmai, Marc Kay

Theatre review
This is Tony Laumberg’s fifth script with his Crowley characters. Henry is a conservative Sydney lawyer, and his wife Margaret is a headstrong left-leaning “home maker” who likes nothing more than to challenge her husband’s belief system. In this installment, Margaret decides to welcome an asylum seeker from Iran in their home much to Henry’s chagrin, but the real conflict begins when Henry’s cousin Mickey arrives from Queensland, with a lot of baggage.

Performances in this comedy are consistently exuberant. Geoff Sirmai’s portrayal of Ahmed (the Iranian) should be noted for avoiding gross stereotyping, and also for being the most surprising character in the show. The actors all have different individual strengths that are used to their maximum potential, but some moments could benefit from a little curbing of enthusiasm. Their madcap frenetic energy is effective to a point, but too much of a good thing ends up a little repetitious in this 2 hour production.

The play’s structure is a classic one, and Laumberg is adept at writing jokes and clever punch lines. A bit of editing would perhaps tighten the second half the show, but The Good, The Bad & The Lawyer delivers a night of entertainment with plenty of good, clean laughs.

www.tapgallery.org.au

5 Questions with Luke Holmes

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lukeholmesWhat is your favourite swear word?
Fuck, mainly for the variety. It’s one of the most versatile words there is.

What are you wearing?
Shorts and a t-shirt.

What is love?
When you’re happy to risk a lot of pain for a chance at a little bit of happiness.

What was the last show you saw, and how many stars do you give it?
Penelope at the TAP Gallery. 4 out of 5 stars.

Is your new show going to be any good?
Triune will be three whole types of awesome 🙂

 

Luke Holmes is writer and performer of Triune.
Show dates: 22 Nov – 7 Dec, 2013
Show venue: TAP Gallery

Hay Fever (New Theatre)

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hayfever1Venue: New Theatre (Newtown NSW), Oct 8 – Nov 2, 2013
Playwright: Noël Coward
Director: Rosane McNamara
Actors: Alice Livingstone, Jorja Brain, James Bean, David Halgren
Image by Bob Seary

Theatre review
Noël Coward’s work has an irreverent and subversive sensibility that stands the test of time. Hay Fever is about a family that is characterised by early 20th century notions of decadence and the bohemian, and Rosane McNamara’s vision has created an interpretation that speaks to modern audiences, while retaining all the robust and wicked humour that Coward is best known for.

Judith Bliss is the matriarch of the household, and a middle-aged star of the theatre who seems unable to live life without manufactured drama and exaggerated affectations. Played with flair and excellent humour by Alice Livingstone, the role is front and centre of the show, and absolutely crucial to the success of this production. Livingstone’s firm Cowardian grasp of flamboyance and wit is marvellous. Her skills in high camp delivers barrels of laughter, and she carves out a character that is perversely alluring despite her hideous indulgences. Livingstone’s counterparts do not quite match up to her comedic excellence, but all have created distinct and memorable personalities that move the plot along with clarity and sharpness.

Another star of the show is production design; all visual elements are impressive. Set and lighting design are effective, and their take on 1920s Art Deco is graceful and charming. Costumes are superb and detailed, and in the case of the character Myra especially, hair and makeup are simply stunning.

New Theatre’s Hay Fever is a bold and wonderful achievement. Noël Coward’s characters and wittiness are not the simplest to portray, and even though this production does not hit every punchline perfectly (most notably when the leading lady is off-stage), it is remarkable that his story is brought to life so vividly. With the passage of time, its century-old aesthetics might look to be outmoded, but Rosane McNamara’s direction fleshes out everything that is exceptional and unconventional in Coward’s writing that is rarely, if ever, replicated.

www.newtheatre.org.au

5 Questions with Marc Kay

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marckayWhat is your favourite swear word?
Mother F**ker.

What are you wearing?
Shorts and t-shirt.

What is love?
$200/hour.

What was the last show you saw, and how many stars do you give it?
Jerusalem at New Theatre, 4 out of 5 stars.

Is your new show going to be any good?
No, it will be great.

 

 

Marc Kay plays Mickey the gambling addict cousin from Brisvegas in The Good, The Bad And The Lawyer.
Show dates: 10 – 27 Oct, 2013
Show venue: TAP Gallery

Roberto Zucco (Sydney Independent Theatre Company / Le Théâtre des Assassins)

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robertozuccoVenue: Old Fitzroy Theatre (Woolloomooloo NSW), Oct 1 – 19, 2013
Playwright: Bernard-Marie Koltès (translated by Martin Crimp)
Director: Anna Jahjah
Actors: Tim Cole, Lyn Pierse, Gemma Scoble, Sam Dugmore, Adrian Barnes, Neil Modra
Image by Katy Green Loughrey

Theatre review
Subtitled “the journey of a beautiful murderer”, Roberto Zucco is based on events and crimes committed by Roberto Succo in Italy and France in the 1980s. Bernard-Marie Koltès’ script (his final one, written in 1988) has shades of absurdism, but it is thankfully a coherent one that director Anna Jahjah is able to materialise on stage with humour and logic. This is a funny show with solid performances from some of the cast, and it is indeed the comic actors who leave the greatest impression.

Lyn Pierse plays 3 whimsical roles, and she is the consummate scene stealer. The younger players try hard to match up to her abilities, but Pierse owns the stage, and the audience hungers for her every gag and punch line. Neil Modra and Sam Dugmore are a delightful duo, with brilliant comic timing and chemistry. The personalities they create together, and individually, are whacky and wonderful, and both show a level of confidence and pizzazz that works perfectly for the tone of this production. Adrian Barnes takes on the older male characters, and applies wildly different approaches to each of them. He is a delightful presence but it is his performance as the tender, playful and charming “Old Gentleman” that is most interesting.

Design aspects though not particularly appealing, are effective. The construction of two levels on the Old Fitzroy stage adds a visual complexity to the play, and helps the actors emphasise the physicality of their performances. Jahjah’s work demands that her performers are agile and expressive with their bodies and faces, keeping her show consistently fast-paced and fun. Roberto Zucco fascinates with interesting characters and talented players, but ends up being overly light even though murder and rape are central themes. Nevertheless, this is a show that will entertain and amuse, even if the bigger questions are not thoroughly explored.

www.sitco.net.au
www.letheatredesassassins.com