Venue: Old Fitzroy Theatre (Woolloomooloo NSW), Oct 22 – Nov 16, 2013
Playwright: Robert Allan
Director: Julie Baz
Actors: Cherilyn Price, Alexander Butt, Mel Dodge, Jai Higgs, David Jeffrey, Carla Nirella
Image by Katy Green Loughrey

Theatre review
At the heart of An Ordinary Person is an unusual relationship. It is an unconventional marriage not often represented on stage, but it is an entirely believable one. Robert Allan has written an interesting story, and he has crafted characters that are idiosyncratic, curious and memorable. The structure of the plot, however, is a challenging one. The show’s first half is full of intrigue, but not much else. It takes its time introducing the various characters in an air of mystery, but the audience needs a stronger sense of the impending drama for these characters to be compelling. Fortunately, the second half is much more satisfying, with drama bursting at all its seams.

Performing the piece is an ensemble of uniformly strong actors. Cherilyn Price is particularly impressive, playing her character Aggie at two different ages. She switches effectively between the portrayal of a middle-aged woman and her 14 year-old version, without the use of costumes or makeup, relying only on her acting. It is quite an experience to see Price’s method in her subtle but distinct transformations. Carla Nirella plays Fiona, and stands out with the effortless intensity and conviction she brings to the production. Her role is a simple one, but she attacks it with clarity and energy, giving very solid support to the key characters.

The play’s themes are dark and uncommon but Julie Baz’s direction does not exploit them gratuitously. She is careful to depict all characters with compassion, so that we leave the show thinking about our society’s issues in a mirror that reflects the social, rather than the personal. Although fundamentally a singular species, ordinary persons bear infinite differences between each and every separate entity. It is in the meeting of these individuals that extraordinary things happen, good or bad.

www.sitco.net.au

Venue: Old Fitzroy Theatre (Woolloomooloo NSW), Aug 6 – 31, 2013
Playwright: Daniela Giorgi
Director: Julie Baz
Actors: Peter Hayes, Gemma Scoble, Gertraud Ingeborg, Cherilyn Price, David Ritchie, Sarah Robinson

Theatre review
Daniela Giorgi’s political satire has an unambiguous message. In its prologue and epilogue, the play talks about the importance of active participation being the only means to effect change in politics and in life. This all sounds very dry and serious, but thankfully, the play’s structure is exuberantly quick and sharp, with succinct scenes that get straight to the point. It has a gentle sense of humour that keeps the proceedings light and entertaining, but this same lightness does seem to prevent a couple of heavier scenes from taking flight emotionally.

Peter Hayes’ performance is strong as the lead character Bill, a well-meaning and left-leaning Minister for Transport with a penchant for colourful language. His depiction of a gentle giant in government is endearing and central to the empathetic effectiveness of the narrative. Cherilyn Price is eminently believable as a well worn public servant, and provides some of the most genuine and lively moments. There are good performances from other members of the cast, but many suffer from playing their roles too plainly, resulting in two-dimensional, archetypal versions of “people in government”, “media types”, or “tourists” that on occasion fail to translate with much credibility.

There are lots of characters and many different ideas, but they all add to the tale, with none allowed to slow down the pace. The story is told with crystal clarity in spite of all the frantic action, and it is to the credit of both writer and director, that the audience is always connected to the plot. Colourful and delightful diversions are introduced throughout the play, entering and exiting seamlessly. It is noteworthy that spacial and psychological transitions that happen between scene changes are established with great flair. Friday might not hold the key to the great political challenges of our times, but it does showcase those challenges well, and presents them in the guise of a great night at the theatre.

www.sitco.net.au