Tag Archives: old 505 theatre

5 Questions with Deborah Jones

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deborahjonesWhat is your favourite swear word?
Cunt! Without doubt.

What are you wearing?
Black jeans, black t – shirt with a dollar sign on it. Black flats.

What is love?
Love is having to say you’re sorry… often.

What was the last show you saw, and how many stars do you give it?
Cosi performed by third year students at ACTT. Three out of five.

Is your new show going to be any good?
Apples And Pears is original, fast, slick, and so much fun to perform. Although I think I’m the only one who doesn’t get to say “cunt”, 5 out of 5!

Deborah Jones is appearing in Apples And Pears.
Show dates: 6 – 24 Nov, 2013
Show venue: The Old 505 Theatre

King Lear (Harlos Productions)

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rsz_lear0622Venue: Old 505 Theatre (Surry Hills NSW), Oct 2 – 13, 2013
Playwright: William Shakespeare
Director: Scarlett Ritchie
Actors: Gertraud Ingeborg, David Ritchie
Image above from 2006 production

Theatre review
Harlos Productions’ abridged 60-minute version of King Lear comprises key scenes from the play, joined by a narrator’s summary of events in between. The abbreviation of the plot obviously removes a lot of its development of tension and emotional involvement from the original experience, but what is created with just two players, is a theatrical entity that focuses squarely on the art of performance and storytelling. In the hands of Gertraud Ingeborg and David Ritchie, it is clear that the art form in question is a noble one.

Borrowing from Japanese and Chinese performance styles, both actors articulate their parts distinctly, almost operatically. Their stylistic gestures connect them to the audience, as they guide our eyes into the trajectories of the story. They often speak their lines directly into the fourth wall as though in the form of a narrator, inviting us to admire the beauty in their every movement and enunciation. Indeed, Ingeborg and Ritchie present to us, a craft that is effortless, confident, and thoroughly accomplished. Ingeborg in particular is manifestly comfortable and lively in all her roles, taking on each part with enthusiastic ease, and delighting us with a presence that can only be described as riveting.

Scarlett Ritchie’s direction brings out the best in both actors. We are shown the full range of their impressive skill, which gives the show an exciting feel of constant variation, and that variation is elemental in engaging the audience’s emotions. Props and costumes are minimal, but all items are utilised effectively. The director makes us read those inanimate objects in a specific way, and uses them to accurately shape our perspectives.

Even though the end of the piece is emotionally powerful, and Shakespeare’s epic story is ultimately told successfully, it is the art of theatre creation that triumphs in this production. In one hour, we see clearly the meaning of art, and realise the reverence that we must have for serious art makers.

www.venue505.com/theatre

5 Questions with Alicia González

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aliciagonzalezWhat is your favourite swear word?
I have a few colourful ones that I am attached to. Choose one Alicia. Ok, ok! My fave this month is fuck-face.

What are you wearing?
An American Apparel mens tee and ugg boots. It’s my day off. Oh, and trackie pants. Don’t forget the pants.

What is love?
Absurd, at its best and worst of times. It is like a poisoned chalice.

What was the last show you saw, and how many stars do you give it?
Fred by Lisa Chappell at Old 505. I give it 4 out of 5 stars. Brilliant, original, courageous one-woman piece. Go see it if you can 🙂

Is your new show going to be any good?
Yes, it’s a labour of love. You’ll either love it or love to hate it and walk away and say, “fuck, I don’t think I’ve ever seen that before”, and that’s ok with me.

Alicia González is performer and devisor of Fred & Ginger, part of Sydney Fringe 2013.
Show dates: 16 – 22 Sep, 2013
Show venue: The Old 505 Theatre

Fred (Old 505 Theatre)

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lisachappellVenue: Old 505 Theatre (Surry Hills NSW), Aug 28 – Sep 8, 2013
Playwright: Lisa Chappell
Director: Christopher Stollery
Actor: Lisa Chappell

Theatre review
One woman in an ugly costume, one chair, no set, no props, no “multimedia” elements. This is bare bones theatre that relies squarely on performance, writing and direction. The fact that Fred works so successfully is a real testament to the talent and hard work that Lisa Chappell and Christopher Stollery have put into their craft. This show is relentlessly dark, but also extremely funny. It strikes a balance between the horrific and the hilarious, creating an emotional effect that is painfully unsettling but entirely entrancing.

Chappell’s skill as an actor is exceptional. The thoroughness at which she maps out the frequent and dramatic changes in tone of performance and psychological states is the highlight of this production. Her ability to portray the insanity of being lost in an agonising and devastating memory in one second, and flicking back in an instant to frivolous silliness, is sublime. Also impressive, is that the audience is only ever allowed to see the character, Deidre on stage. The actor, Lisa, is perfectly hidden from view, even though she is right in front of your eyes, expertly casting her magic over a spellbound crowd. Her director Stollery provides a creative and critical “third eye”, and together, they have spawned a one-woman tour de force that is unmissable.

Equally noteworthy is Chappell’s script. Her work explores some of the most morbid crevices of the human imagination, but her storytelling stubbornly remains in the realm of jokes and laughter. This is a perfect (and intense) representation of trauma, mental illness and the human instinct for survival. While the play concludes abruptly, it does so with good reason. It might disrupt the audience’s sentimental response to the character in question, but it is in the awakening from the fantasy into stone cold sober reality that the truth hits home.

www.venue505.com/theatre

A Feat Incomplete (Old 505 Theatre)

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afeatincomplete1Venue: Old 505 Theatre (Surry Hills NSW), Aug 21 – 25, 2013
Playwright: Erica J Brennan, David Buckley
Actors: Erica J Brennan, David Buckley

Theatre review
This is an honest and simple work that meditates on the nature of theatre creation. It deconstructs both form and content to get to the core of what it means to make a work for the theatre. It is the process of stripping down, rather than building up, that characterises this piece.

The run time is fairly short, which keeps the delivery of ideas sharp and fresh, and thankfully prevents things from being too drawn out and self indulgent, which is a fate that tends to befall many experimental theatre practitioners. There is however, a lack of elegance in the visual elements of the production. Aside from Brennan’s red eyes and horns, and Buckley’s nudity, more work could have been put into the execution of design aspects.

Attention is placed instead on the relationship between author and muse, resulting in charming sequences that explore love and intimacy, as well as the mystical space between “dreaming and death”. The artists also deal with the notion of “story” and the tension that exists in relation to narrative structures and lack thereof, in the creation of their art. A Feat Incomplete is brave in its conscious resistance against conventions of storytelling. This is a risky undertaking that can easily lead to an overly alienating experience, but both artists give performances that fascinate and intrigue.

www.venue505.com/theatre

The Twelfth Dawn (Old 505 Theatre)

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twelfthdawnVenue: Old 505 Theatre (Surry Hills NSW), Jul 3 – 28, 2013
Devised and Performed by: Kerri Glasscock, Gareth Boylan, Michael Pigott

Theatre review
This original, unorthodox work tells a story to your heart first, before your brain is allowed to discover the logic behind the emotions. It is at times a dance performance, sometimes a surrealist exploration, and on occasion naturalism sets in when you least expect, but through some unfathomable genius, all these forms are blended together seamlessly. The Twelfth Dawn takes its audience on a journey of the senses and emotions, but removes the reliance on conventional, narrative driven storytelling. A key to the effectiveness of the work, is the empathy its players are able to elicit from the audience in spite of the lack of a story. It is a very pleasant surprise that experimental theatre can look so real and feel so emotional. Within this realm of avant-gardism, all three artists are of the highest calibre.

Michael Pigott creates a character palpable in its authenticity, relying on his extraordinary physical dexterity as well as restrained but precise facial expressions. Kerri Glasscock’s capacity at portraying intense emotions anchor the work in a place that is dark and honest. The level of fragility and vulnerability that she brings to her performance is confronting yet seductive. Gareth Boylan provides the bridge between the audience and the stage action. His timing is impeccable, jumping in and out of the world in which “the couple” inhabit, breaking tensions and moving courses.

The theatrical arts is at its best when all the actors’ facilities, beyond words and speech, are employed, and The Twelfth Dawn is a prime example of what can be achieved. It is disappointing to report that there were less than ten in the audience last night, presumably because an “important sporting event” was taking place simultaneously. It is however, incredibly fortunate that Sydney can give rise to the production and staging of a work of this quality, even if it does struggle to find a bigger audience.

www.venue505.com/theatre