Tag Archives: qtopia

Review: Shook (Qtopia / Lost Thought Arts)

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Venue: Qtopia (Darlinghurst NSW), May 16 – Jun 5, 2024
Playwright: Samuel Bailey
Director: Emma Whitehead
Cast: Malek Domköc, Isaac Harley, Edyll Ismail, Louis Regan
Images by Becky Matthews

Theatre review
The action takes place at a young offenders’ institution, somewhere in England, where three incarcerated teenagers take a course in parenting skills. Samuel Bailey’s 2019 play Shook offers a cuttingly amusing look, at the state of masculinity in the contemporary age, along with the perennial problem of societies grappling with those we call juvenile delinquents. These are young men whose behaviour is almost entirely learned, yet we rarely reflect on the examples we set, putting effort instead, on rehabilitation in the aftermath.

The unmistakeable vigour in Bailey’s writing, is brought to robust life by Emma Whitehead’s direction, which instils for the production an admirable, and enjoyable, realism. Not only is the work consistently believable, we are placed excitingly, somewhere between apprehension and empathy, for the trio of multi-faceted characters. In the simultaneous experience of revulsion and identification, we perceive with a high degree of authenticity an entertaining show, characterized by its unabashed theatricality and quality.

Design aspects are simple but effective. Set and costumes by Lochie Odgers work harmoniously with the rawness of the site, to evoke a sense of accuracy for the storytelling. Lighting transformations by Prinyanka Martin, along with music by Oran Harkin are noticeable only between scenes, both elements perfectly calibrated to sustain our attention, and to position us firmly within the context of the correctional facility.

A strong ensemble presents Shook, evidently very well-rehearsed, and demonstrating ignitable chemistry. Actor Malek Domköc is wonderfully considered, in his naturalistic portrayal of Riyad. Louis Regan sets the tone with dangerous irascibility as Cain. Isaac Harley’s exemplary concentration as Jonjo, brings intensity. Social worker Grace is depicted by Edyll Ismail with commendable integrity.

Learning to care for one’s own child, while a man serves time in a penitentiary, is not only a bittersweet idea, but is also one that inspires meditations on despondency and hope. The severe deprivation of freedom for those who have done grave wrongs, seems to be both necessary and dangerous. We want certain transgressors to suffer extrication and punishment, but we also want them to become better people as a result. In dehumanising them, we risk further degeneracy, but the truth remains, that people do learn from fear. We hear of better ways that could be explored, if only we dared to change.

www.qtopiasydney.com.au | www.instagram.com/lost_thought_arts

Review: Toy Symphony (Qtopia / Ad Astra Theatre Company)

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Venue: Qtopia (Darlinghurst NSW), Apr 18 – 27, 2024
Playwright: Michael Gow
Director: Michelle Carey
Cast: Adam Dakin, Chantal Elyse, Felix Jarvis, Wendi Lanham, John Michael Narres, Bernadette Pryde, Sam Webb, Gregory J Wilken
Images by Bojan Bozic

Theatre review
Roland has lost his ability to write, which is a disaster for someone who relies on it to make a living. His art is of course, also the foundation of his self-esteem and the only thing that gives him a sense of purpose, so in a moment of desperation, he can only turn to professional help in the form of a psychologist, to hopefully work things out. In Michael Gow’s 2007 play Toy Symphony, we watch the therapeutical process unearth the protagonist’ past; not only his formative youth, but also his regrettable behaviour in more recent times. Roland is taught that to gain an understanding of all that has hurt him, along with the hurt he had inflicted on others, is key to being set free.

Hence a writer’s life story unfolds, commencing in 1966 suburbia where parochial values began imposing themselves, until the dawn of the new century, when he finds himself bursting at the seams, as though unable to contain decades of toxicity, that seems to have an ability to accumulate and exacerbate. There is a lot of detail in the personal reflections of Toy Symphony, and while not all of it is universal in resonance, the process of self-examination and rehabilitation, certainly is.

Lively direction by Michelle Carey keeps us invested in the storytelling, and although we perceive a sense of poignancy, it manifests somewhat inconsistently. Gregory J Wilken is extremely focused as leading man, with an unwavering commitment that makes the experience feel worthwhile and authentic. The ensemble cast is strong, admirable for the integrity they bring to a wide range of characters. Less effective are design and aesthetic aspects, in a production that can look and sound creatively deficient, or perhaps insufficiently imaginative in its manipulations of a tight performance space.

In Toy Symphony, we observe an interesting parallel between homophobia and the fear of imagination. Roland’s story is concerned with the suppressive and stifling tendencies of traditional Australia, that part of our culture that insists on conformity and that punishes those who rock the boat. It is insidious, so we often overlook its severity. Roland however demonstrates the devastation that results, from trying to survive in a place that tells our children, that their nature is wrong. Roland inherited their fear, and has turned it against others, as well as harming himself with the same. The play’s conclusion is tentative, and we can only hope that healing is possible and real.

www.qtopiasydney.com.au | www.adastracreativity.com