Venue: Old Fitzroy Theatre (Woolloomooloo NSW), Mar 10 – Apr 11, 2015
Playwright: Marshall Napier
Director: Marshall Napier
Cast: Anna Bamford, Marshall Napier, Ben O’Toole
Image by Tim Levy

Theatre review
Marshall Napier’s very Hitchcockian Freak Winds has all the suspenseful intrigue, perverse humour and subversive eroticism that keeps an audience simultaneously repelled and seduced by its story. Unlike Hitchock, Napier’s work is of the twenty-first century, with much less censorial restrictions, so what we get is an update for the genre and style. It does not resort to gore and constant bloodletting, but it delivers thrills and creates tension with a rather more explicit incorporation of sex, murder and terror. Napier’s lines are quirky and cheekily controversial, and the structure of his play is unpredictable, with an edgy sense of danger at every turn.

Direction of the piece is sharp and dramatic, with beguiling characters that feel enigmatic, but always able to reveal just enough for their plot to work its magic on the audience. Aside from a couple of unexplained touches like the mysterious appearance of a wheelchair at the start of Act 2, and a bizarre moment involving a red light at the conclusion, Napier shows himself to be a director with an untameable creative flair and a knack for conveying complex, multi-dimensional narratives that could be read in a variety of ways by different viewers. His style is elegant, but brave. There is no hesitation in exploring absurdist territory when appropriate, and a distinct eagerness to tantalize with taboo subjects that really satisfies (except for the unveiling of a disappointingly modest dildo after quite a substantial build up).

Ben O’Toole plays Henry, a young and ambitious insurance salesman in the middle of a living nightmare. The role is comparatively simple, but O’Toole works through it aggressively, with an energy that can only be described as exuberant. His entertaining performance is a necessary contrast to the mysterious and somber quality of the show’s other elements, and the actor leaves a strong impression characterised by excellent commitment and passion. In the role of the very creepy Ernest is Napier himself, who brings experience and an intelligence that keeps us on our toes. His work is efficient, often impactful without needing to push very hard at all, but the performer’s eyes seem to always evade our gaze, rejecting our appetite for the truth in Earnest’s world. The play’s third character is Myra, thoroughly weird and unquestionably mad. Anna Bamford is feisty enough for the part, but her interpretation feels repetitive where we expect extremes coming from all sides. Nevertheless, the unorthodox and precarious sexual atmosphere created by Bamford’s chemistry with her cohorts is an unexpected delight for any theatrical space.

Freak Winds is beautifully designed by a creative team that has addressed every aspect of sight and sound with good taste and sensitivity. Nate Edmondson’s sound design rumbles beneath our feet to taunt us into a space of horror, and along with Alexander Berlage’s lights, the small venue is dissected into a hundred different spots, adventurously explored in all their possibilities. The highly effective set and costumes by Lisa Mimmocchi provide a strong context with immediate visual signifiers that help tell the story almost on a subconscious level, from curtains up to the very bitter end.

Freak Winds‘ macabre comedy mixes with spine-tingling gothic influences and dark erotica to spawn an unusual piece of theatre, yet scary tales seem to have been with humanity since time immemorial, existing in different forms in all our cultures. They remind us of our mortality, and of the arbitrary membrane that keeps us separate from harm. We rely on rules and regulations, laws and legislation, but mostly, we count on the kindness of strangers so that we can live unhindered or protected, but all it takes is one person losing their mind for catastrophe to engulf another, such is the fragility of our existence.

www.oldfitztheatre.com

Venue: Old Fitzroy Theatre (Woolloomooloo NSW), Jan 14 – 31, 2015
Director: Scott Witt
Cast: Penny Greenhalgh, Kate Walder
Image by Yael Stempler

Theatre review
Bad is a show performed by clowns about acting (amongst other things). Along with director Scott Witt, performers Penny Greenhalgh and Kate Walder have devised a work that uses clowning traditions and influences from Commedia dell’arte, to deliver a theatrical experience that is slightly left of centre. Their show is more amusing than it is funny, and their ideas are familiar rather than original, but there is an earnestness and purity to their approach that can be quite charming.

Walder is the “stunt woman” clown who speaks with a French accent, toddling around in a pair of tap shoes. Insisting that she is Cate Blanchett, the Hollywood and theatre star, she goes on to present a show entitled ‘Where’s My Bucket, Mom?’, enlisting the help of Greenhalgh, “philosopher” clown who gradually warms to the idea of being Geoffrey Rush (another star of stage and screen). The plot and story are chaotic and random, but we are always brought back to the theme of performance. Walder and Greenhalgh explore the nature of the theatrical space and the experience of acting using their unconventional methods, with mixed results. The pair is well rehearsed, but the play’s frenzied style and structure require more intense energy levels to provide a sense of abandonment and absurdity to match its concepts. Both actors seem fairly cautious, creating a space that feels safe, where we would prefer a sense of danger and unpredictability.

Not every actor is a clown, but all clowns act. They give us something unique, that can be found in their license to transgress. Clowns do not speak much, because they communicate in better ways. They reach out to us in realms that are beyond words, so that we understand the world from a different perspective. When done right, they impart a kind of wisdom that brings unexpected enlightenment. Bad is not always good, but what’s worse is doing things the same way over and over again. There is a courage at play here, and we need more of it.

www.oldfitztheatre.com

Venue: Old Fitzroy Theatre (Woolloomooloo NSW), Jan 14 – 31, 2015
Playwrights: Gareth Davies, Charlie Garber
Directors: Gareth Davies, Charlie Garber
Cast: Gareth Davies, Charlie Garber
Image by Marnya Rothe

Theatre review
Two actors collaborate on a work for the stage, talking about what they know best. Gareth Davies and Charlie Garber’s Masterclass is about the craft and experience of acting, and all the anxieties associated with it. They take the art of self-mockery to great heights by depicting versions of themselves that are flamboyantly theatrical and deeply cynical, to interrogate the nature of their creative beast. An extreme self-consciousness manifests itself in a persistent need to make light of their art form, which delivers gales of laughter effectively, but its attempts to demystify and deconstruct the psychology and process of the actor takes irreverence to a sometimes uncomfortable place, and one begins to question the exasperating disquiet that Davies and Garber seem to feel about their profession. We see their resistance against taking any of their craft seriously, but we see them exploring this iconoclasm, with impressive commitment and skill.

There is a distinct, almost stubborn sense of humour at play, but the pair manipulates pace, rhythm, and plot dynamics to give the work variations in tone that keep us engaged, despite its very simple premise. Garber has a quiet confidence that allows him to portray the wild comedy of Masterclass with relative restraint. His style is often deadpan, but the clarity of intent he brings to every moment gives a surprising coherence to his unorthodox part, and a convincing strength to his punchlines. Davies’ approach is wider in range, and his comedic choices are decidedly riskier. The man’s energy is the foundation of the piece, and his control over spatial atmosphere and his audience’s responses is quite marvellous. We do not necessarily empathise with every idea Davies expresses, but there is certainly a lot to be admired of his ability to entertain, while conveying concepts that can be quite obscure.

Technical design is a crucial element to the structure and timing of this comedy production. Uncredited work on sound and Benjamin Brockman’s lights add much needed sophistication to an otherwise aesthetically challenged show. The play’s context allows for imaginative use of sets, props and costumes, but no investment is placed on those areas, and Brockman is called upon to provide all visual embellishment in the black box to admittedly satisfying results. Also noteworthy is stage manager Nick Foustellis’ precise and elegant execution of cues and changes.

The play concludes with a hint of poignancy that arrives after a long wait. The two young men prove themselves to be brilliant at light entertainment, but they seem to shy away from the inevitable gravitas that any theatrical piece requires. Not every story needs to give you something to think about, but when careless, jokes can leave you feeling empty. The sweet taste of success is for delighting in, and young talent should learn to embrace their gifts, even in the land of tall poppies.

www.oldfitztheatre.com