| Reviews: April-June 2004
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Les Liaisons Dangereuses Brisbane Arts Theatre Dramatist Christopher Hampton’s adaption of this 18th century French masterpiece is witty, wise and wonderfully crafted. It has also been well interpreted by director John Boyce and his talented cast. They have mined its rich veins of human insights, interlacing characters and ambiguities to deliver a powerful performance that satisfies on many levels. The play is billed around its core themes of lust, seduction and betrayal and two thoroughly deplorable characters, Mme La Marquise de Merteuil (Natasha Yantsch) and Le Vicomte de Valmont (Timothy Wotherspoon). They engage each other in a game of lustful and hurtful pursuit. The raffish de Valmont is challenged by de Merteuil to seduce 15 year old, virginal Cecille (Julia-Anna Evans) as revenge against the man to whom Cecille is betrothed. But de Valmont is bored by such simple seductions. They no longer excite him. So he also sets himself a more difficult task, the seduction of the young, married and saintly Mme de Tourvel (Michelle Milne). The prize, should he succeed, is a night with de Merteuil, a former lover who continues to intrigue him. Contrived as that all sounds, it provides an excellent platform for exploring many aspects of the human condition and the games people play. Tragedy is an inevitable consequence of such mean intent and in the end it is really all about power…. the power to seduce and the power to manipulate and control others. De Merteuil, like the audience, thrills in "watching the battle between love and virtue" as de Valmont becomes smitten with his prey, Mme de Tourvel. Yet, through it all, he remains in de Merteuil’s thrall. He presses his case for sex — he implores her that because they are so alike they should be together. But, she rebuffs him: “cardsharps sit at separate tables”. There is some fantastic repartee in this play. Les Liaisons Dangereuses has been well cast. They all do a good job. Timothy Wotherspoon is excellent in the demanding role of de Valmont. So too are Natasha Yantsch as de Merteuil, Michelle Milne as de Tourvel and Julie-Anna Evans as the young seductee Cecille. Even the actors playing smaller roles — like Stephen Davies as de Valmont’s valet and Racheal Leigh Johnson as the courtesan Emile — have a real presence and enliven the show with their exuberance. Another to impress is Diane O’Bierne in the modest, but pivotal role of Mme De Rosmonde, de Valmont’s wise and worldly aunt. The stage design also works well. It is minimalist and functional, shifting easily from one venue to another. The performance is also enhanced by Michael Dare’s bold lighting design. —
John Algate (Performance seen: 30 June 2004) www.STAGEDIARY.com: Queensland's Online Stage Magazine La fille mal gardee Australian Ballet (Lyric Theatre) This is a joyous ballet, superbly performed by the touring Australian Ballet. All components of the production come together magnificently to provide a cheerful night, full of fine dancing and comical situations. Frederick Ashton's choreography of the neglected French classic is as appropriate as at the time of his revival of the work at Covent Garden 44 years ago, as is the quirky design of Osbert Lancaster, whose cartoon-like representations of country life make wonderful backdrops. Several members of the Company and guest artists have danced the principal roles during the current AB season. On this night artistic director David McAllister led his troupe from the front as the Widow Simone. He danced with gusto and a marvellous sense of pantomime, with his many memorable moments including the clog dance. Campbell McKenzie and Rachel Rawlins, as the loving couple Colas and Lise, danced their roles with grace and a special charm. Rawlins exuded the quiet attractiveness of the innocent country girl as she set about her chores in the midst of the distractions of her admirer and the vigilance of her suspicious mother. McKenzie was an attentive and manly admirer, whose talents extended to some impressive lifting in the second half. Matthew Donnelly was a very comic foppish Alain, cleverly stumbling about and more besotted by his red umbrella than his supposed fiancee, while Angus Woodyard as his father added decades to his age and was suitably paternal and unyielding. The corps' Che McMahon's as Notary added to the humour. The many colorful aspects of the production, including a bevy of hens (Catherine Eddy, Sarah-Jane Fedrick, Anna Raetz and Leanne Stojmenov) and their accompanying rooster (Remi Wortmeyer), and a real pony pulling a trap, delighted the audience, particularly the large number of children. Choreographically very clever and very well executed is the modelling of the pony and trap by pursuing dancers. Lise's friends were danced with continuous skill and grace by Gaylene Cummerfield, Jane Casson, Andrea Parkyn, Renee Wright, Camilla Vergotis, Juliet Burnett, Natalie Hill and Lana Jones, who do remarkable things with ribbons, including formation of a human maypole. Various Australian Ballet dancers deployed as villagers, harvesters and grooms all contributed to the general merriment. Simon Hewett brought out the best from the Queensland Orchestra in their exuberant playing of Ferdinand Herold's music as arranged by John Lanchbery. The music is full of surprises and subtleties, including many cheeky borrowings from other composers' work including popular opera melodies. —
John Henningham (Performance seen: 28 June 2004) www.STAGEDIARY.com: Queensland's Online Stage Magazine West Side Story Savoyards The same year the beautiful and tragic Natalie Wood starred in the film version of the Broadway hit West Side Story, a small group of Bayside theatre and music enthusiasts pooled their resources to open the Savoyards Musical Comedy Society. Wood’s star went out 20 years later when in 1981 she accidentally drowned at sea off Catalina Island, but Savoyards have been performing musical comedy to Baysiders for the past 43 years. And they are good at it. Their production of the classic star-crossed lovers in West Side Story is staged at the very swanky Iona College auditorium. Savoyard devotees and newcomers are treated to director Jack Bradford at his best. The fast pace and addictive rhythm is set from the opening scene where the Jets street gang, led by Christopher C. Thomas (as Riff and understudy to the male lead, Tony) take the audience by the throat and let them know they are in for serious musical theatre. The Jets and their street foes the Sharks’ male dancers have been whipped into shape by choreographer Sue Harvey, who has had 25 years as principal of the Sue Harvey Dance Studio. Every player on the stage is on the spot, pretty much every time. If anything, they crowd the small stage area with their acrobatic routines. The female dancers are slightly slicker than the men but as a troupe it’s hard to fault this performance. Located off stage the accomplished orchestra has all the hallmarks of conductor Geoff Secomb’s years of experience in musical theatre. This performance is Secomb’s eighth as musical director for Savoyards and he gets the arrangements just right — perhaps the sound volume is a tad high for the auditorium but the score iss beautifully presented. Both the cello (Amber Augustin) and the French horn (Brian Morrison) are especially notable for their interpretations. Destined to love and lose, female lead Cara Dickie as Maria is ooh! so convincing as the forbidden younger sister of Sharks’ tough guy Chino. Dickie shows she has the range and stage presence to take on this difficult vocal role. She is a delight. The object of her affections, Jets’ hero Tony, played by seasoned opera soloist Mattias Lower, did not show his full range on opening night. Lower has an impressive track record, including stints with Opera Queensland and Opera Australia but was badly cast as Tony. But convincing as the not-so-quietly-suffering Anita, girlfriend to Chino, Sherryl-Lee Secomb is superb. Her classical vocal training and extensive performance history in musicals make her one of the stars. As is Queensland Conservatorium classical voice student Scott Muller as 2IC to the Jets gang. Muller’s stage dominance perfectly complements his strong vocal ability. The players' accents are mostly on the money as well — just a few understandable slip-ups. I got the impression some of the younger performers were more comfortable with the downtown Manhattan street lingo than they might be with their native dialect. Veteran actors Harold Littler, as Doc, and Terry Annesley as Officer Shrank give, as one would expect, polished performances. Littler and Annesley have pretty much done it all in stage and performing and in Annesley’s case, film, television and radio as well. —
Desley Bartlett (Performance seen: 11th June 2004) www.STAGEDIARY.com: Queensland's Online Stage Magazine The Innocents Centenary Theatre Group I have loved dark, scary stories since I was a young girl, so the thought of reviewing a play billed as “a chilling ghost story of innocence and evil” certainly peaked my interest. William Archibald’s The Innocents is based on one of Henry James’ most famous short stories, The Turn of the Screw in which a young governess becomes obsessed by the question of childhood corruption. Are the ghostly apparitions she witnesses “real”, or are they a clever manipulation of her mind by her two cunning young charges? The answer to that is one I will leave readers to find out for themselves, but let me just say that it is not as clear-cut as you may like to believe. In fact, the program tells us that critics have long been at odds with what Mr James was actually trying to say with this story and I expect audiences of the stage version will fuel the same debate. Sets designed by the very clever Sue Watson have never disappointed me and this one is no exception. Attention to detail, from colour choices and window treatments to furniture and ornaments, means we are instantly transported to an English country home in the 1860s. Costumes are also well-chosen, creating a visually pleasing production. Director Brenda White has gone to great lengths to use the entire stage and create a good deal of movement in what could be a very stilted play if not directed well. Clever positioning of furniture and use of areas such as the stairs for some scenes ensures we never see the actors in one area of the stage for too long. This works extremely well and keeps the play moving at a good pace throughout. As the pivotal role of Miss Giddens, the governess at the centre of the story, Francesca Gasteen makes a strong attempt at a very difficult role. Her best scenes are in the first act where she shines as the enthusiastic new governess, eager to please and make herself at home. As the play progresses, the character must rapidly move through a great number of emotions before reaching the final climax and, while Ms Gasteen works very hard and cries beautifully, I would like to see some of the other levels of near-madness and absolute despair explored more deeply. Of the remaining cast members, Jordan Bate delivers a delightful performance as Flora, Janet Barnes makes a lovely Mrs Grose and Chris Rieger looks every bit the troubled, rebellious young Miles. While there is much to like about this production, the main problem I have is the ending which just doesn’t seem to work and which leaves me quite disappointed when everyone works so hard to get to that point. I’m undecided as to whether the script is to blame here, or some confused delivery, or a combination of both, but I just don’t get the “chill” that the play’s promotional blurb promises. Problems with lines and an audible prompt from side-stage do not help when a particular atmosphere is needed for a scene to work. Having said that, I must applaud Centenary Theatre Group’s decision to stage something different, something that is challenging for its thespians and audience members alike. —
Andrea Carne
(Performance seen: 11 June 2004) www.STAGEDIARY.com: Queensland's Online Stage Magazine Company Phoenix Ensemble Sondheim’s Company is the Tony Award-winning story of Bobby, perpetual bachelor and friend to five married couples. Now he’s reached the age of thirty-something he has the suspicion he should be married too. Three potential Miss Rights emerge, but Bobby can’t seem to get it together with any of them, and he isn’t at all helped by his married friends, who decide they want to help and weigh in with much conflicting advice and mixed messages. Phoenix Ensemble have once again shown that they are not afraid of a David-and-Goliath challenge — not only is the score one of Sondheim’s most beautiful and complex, Company is written in a non-traditional musical theatre format, with a very real danger of unevenness if not tightly directed. The Pavilion Theatre’s lilliputian stage doesn't let a production hide its foibles behind glitzy sets or props (although Ray Aubrey has once again done an admirable job with what he’s been given); the cast are at most a disconcerting two metres away from the front row, and the ever-masterful band (led by Casey Chadwick) have had to wedge themselves tightly into one tiny corner. But from the first insistent "Bobby, Bobby, Bobby baby, Bobby bubby, Robby, Robert darling . . ." from the cast, Phoenix Ensemble’s Bobby (Luke Hutley) does a fine job of looking and sounding like a terminally confused guy doing his best to work out what to do with himself, in spite of his well-meaning friends. Tracey Hutley (Amy), Joel Mikklesen (Paul), and Jo Castle (Jenny) turn in performances which will certainly earn them even more fans, and Anne-Crestani as the cynical Joanne does a wonderful and quite un-Ethel Mermanish rendition of "The Ladies Who Lunch". It’s also nice to see Lucy Moxon performing a role worthy of her skills as an actor. Sondheim has put some hilarious scenes into this show, and Joan Stalker-Brown’s direction ensures that such delights as marital karate, discovering pot in your 30s and getting divorced but staying together, are effectively brought to the appreciative audience. Heather Scott’s sense of humour is clearly evident in the choreography, and the ensemble singing is simply wonderful throughout. With this production we readily forgive the hitches with amplification and the odd backstage crash. It’s obvious that the guys at Phoenix are doing an incredibly gutsy job: the whole team give it their all from curtain-up to curtain-down. The night I was there, crew member Rhylee Nowell gallantly stepped into the role of Marta, left vacant by Cathryn Hegarty (who sadly was unwell that evening), and at least one member of the front-of-house staff was also seen treading the boards in Act 2. In all, it’s entirely appropriate that Phoenix chose Company as their latest offering. How can a show about deciding on love and commitment fail when it’s staged by a team who so obviously love, and are completely committed to, their craft? —
Ruth Bridgstock (Performance seen: 5 June 2004) www.STAGEDIARY.com: Queensland's Online Stage Magazine A Midsummer Night's Dream Nash Theatre The peripatetic Nash company shows its commitment to staging Shakespeare in tackling the Bard's delightful comedy A Midsummer Night's Dream — "one of Shakespeare's most popular plays and one of the most perfect comedies written," in the words of The Australian's Jo Litson (28 May 2004). Litson interviewed Anna Volska, who is currently directing this play for Bell Shakespeare. Volska gives us something to think about when she says "I think the major theme of the play is love: possessive, obsessive, controlling love. But it matures into an acceptance that true love is letting the other person be who they are and not trying to change them. It's perfectly structured [as a play]. So well structured that it looks easy. But, in fact, to have the three major worlds in it coinciding or plaiting between each other so seamlessly, and to tell all of the stories without any obscurity, is amazing." Nash succeed in telling the three intertwined stories clearly and amusingly. Performed at Holy Trinity church hall in Fortitude Valley, the production features a young and enthusiastic cast well directed by Drew Mason and Vivienne Abitia. Kynan and Ystyn Francis, Jessica Hurley and Helen Moore effectively portray the lovelorn Athenian quartet of Lysander, Demetrius, Hermia and Helena, while Bree Billington, Brendon Binmore-Wilkinson, Lara Kappler, Brent Summerton, Brad Turnbull and Alex Taylor all do well variously as mechanicals and fairies. Malcolm Steele is suitably stern as Egeus. We have a girl Puck in the shape of Anke Willems — nicely mischievous but perhaps somewhat angrier than is necessary. As the central characters, Jane Ballinger is the Fairy Queen, Titania, doubling as Hippolyta, while Benjamin Hampe is Fairy King Oberon and also duke Theseus. They succeed in the dynamics of both relationships. The directors have made full use of the hall's space, perching the audience on the edges while the players in their nice mix of costumes run riot the whole length of the hall. It works well, and indeed could have been developed further. The more stagey scenes at the opening and closing of the play are performed at the far end, limiting audibility and connectedness with the audience. The mechanicals' "Pyramus and Thisbe" could in particular have been played "centre stage", perhaps seating the Athenian court spectators among the audience. There are a few rough edges, including problems with pace, some garbled lines, and some comic sequences like Pyramus and Thisbe that are rather heavy-handed. On the other hand there are various original comic ideas which add to the entertainment. Best performance of the night is that of Ben Hampe. He acts with authority and with a magnificent Shakespearean voice of the traditional style. —
John Henningham (Performance seen: 3 June 2004) Rodgers, Hart & Hammerstein Queensland Musical Theatre "HART, LORENZ. See Rodgers, Richard" — World Book Encyclopedia 1967 Perhaps lyricist Lorenz Hart can be dismissed as a footnote to the life and work of his more celebrated partner, composer Richard Rodgers, but that is hardly fair. For much of the 1920s, ’30s and into the ’40s it wasn’t like that at all. It was Rodgers & Hart — equal billing as one of the most prolific popular music collaborations ever. Together they wrote 29 musical shows and nearly 400 songs, even more remarkable when you consider Hart’s long and torturous self-destruction through alcohol abuse and wild living. In 1943, after Hart’s death aged 48, Rodgers started to work with another outstanding librettist, Oscar Hammerstein. Over the next 16 years they produced some musical magic: Oklahoma, Carousel, South Pacific, The King and I and of course, The Sound of Music. As the title of this latest production by Queensland Musical Theatre suggests, Rodgers, Hart & Hammerstein tracks the parallel lives of these three famous New Yorkers who grew up just a few blocks apart and found fame and fortune on the same Broadway stages. It has clearly been a labor of love for QMT stalwarts Brian and Denise Cahill, who visited New York to research the story and ensure a sound historical basis for their production. They have chosen a big canvas on which to work — perhaps too big, for there is so much ground to cover, so much that needs to be said, and so much that of necessity must be excluded. The show is presented in two acts, the first, an hour 17 minutes that covers Hart’s tragically short life and concludes with Rodgers and Hammerstein’s first big collaboration, Oklahoma. Oklahoma was an immediate and mega success, running for six years on Broadway and earning Rodgers and Hammerstein the first of their two shared Pulitzer Prizes for drama. (The other Pulitzer Prize was for South Pacific). Act 2 is more satisfying then the first. It is shorter, more focused, the music more modern and familiar, and the quality of performance is higher. The interaction between Bill Carr and Graeme Roberts as the older Rodgers and Hammerstein (1942-1960) is excellent. They convey the genuine warmth that you’d expect in a partnership that survived so long and so well on the strength of a handshake. They are superb in their final scene together, when Hammerstein presents Rodgers with the lyrics for his last song, "Edelweiss", and says a final farewell before heading home to die from the tumor that is consuming him. This is a wonderfully crafted scene, filled with pathos and a slightly understated sentimentality, that makes it all the more poignant, especially when soon after, Jordan Pettman, the outstanding voice in this show, leads the ensemble in the inspirational song "Climb Every Mountain". In the end, Rodgers, Hart and Hammerstein suffers from the scope of its ambition, although there are many musical highlights — Jordan Pettman’s "Climb Every Mountain" and duets with Fiona Franzmann ("The Blue Room"), and Sally-Anne Westendorf ("There’s a Small Hotel"), Preston Oh’s harmonica accompaniment to "Blue Moon", Peter Roberts' "Ol’ Man River", Morgan Balfour's "Edelweiss" and the ensemble’s performance of "Some Enchanted Evening". The orchestra under Marguerite Giovanni’s guiding hand is excellent. It is never intrusive, never overshadows the vocalists (even the softer voices) and if it misses a beat it certainly isn’t obvious. Their efforts do justice to the wonderful selection of music. Although Rodgers, Hart and Hammerstein has many fine aspects it doesn’t quite gel as a total work. It could benefit from cutting a couple of songs in the first act (yes, I know they are all wonderful classics) and forgetting the accents. More often then not accents don’t work and aren’t needed. I’m sure the interaction between Brett Roberts (Richard Rodgers 1920-1942) and Pio Matarazzo (Lorenz Hart), a relationship that is essential to this show’s success, would have worked much better and been far more convincing without the distraction of their accents. Remember how grating Meryl Streep was when trying to do an Australian accent in Evil Angels? Well I’m afraid Brett and Pio didn’t sound much like New Yorkers either. —
John Algate (Performance seen: 4 June 2004) www.STAGEDIARY.com: Queensland's Online Stage Magazine Proof Queensland Theatre Company At first I thought it was a re-run of A Beautiful Mind — a brilliant mathematician, into game theory and groundbreaking mathematical reasoning, tortured by madness. But in fact it's quite different. Proof centres on a father-daughter relationship, exploring a young woman's uncertainties and fears for her future in the midst of grief and family difficulties. Hardly a new theme, but it's very cleverly handled in this script by U.S. playwright David Auburn. The fact that it won a Pulitzer Prize has not escaped mention in QTC publicity, and should attract audiences. But the script would be of less value without a very high quality standard of acting and directing as exhibited in this production. Proof has been a box-office winner in the United States, perhaps because it affords escapism of a cerebral kind from current depressing international problems. The play is timeless in theme, intelligent but accessible, and free of ideological baggage. It is a good script, although perhaps not quite so good as its popularity would suggest. It may just be that it is the right play for the times. The play's gentle humor is understated and witty. Auburn writes with a good understanding of his audience's needs, and manages to make them feel they understand the mathematics jokes. He succeeds in capturing our curiosity about the key mystery of the play, and tantalises us with alternative solutions. The time shifts (across four years) add to the drama and are executed without ambiguity. The action of Proof is played out on a relatively shallow space representing the back porch of a large two-storey weatherboard house, well depicted as upstage set. Most entrances and exits are through the slamming door in centre stage. Subtle lighting and mist effects combine with the set to convey a North American academic suburb atmosphere. The four players, Melinda Butel, Carita Farrer, Kim Gyngell and Christopher Sommers, unite to give a balanced and convincing performance. They are obviously well directed in their roles by Jon Halpin. There is a well-rehearsed ease about their performances and, mercifully, their accents stick. Gyngell's portrayal of the mathematician Robert is firm and assured, representing the professor's human warmth as well as his sharp intelligence which gives way to insanity. His elder daughter Claire is depicted in no-nonsense style by Farrer. The self-satisfied bossy elder sibling shows typical big sister certainty, common sense and intolerance of deviance. Sommers convinces as the geek research student Hal, amusingly conveying the different stages of his nerdiness in his mid and late 20s, as well as communicating his affection for both father and daughter. But it is Butel who really stands out in memory. She is superb in her characterisation of the central character, Catherine. She captures the young woman's unabashed adoration of her father, her intelligence, neuroticism and gaucheness. Through Butel's reading of the character we sense her fear of inheriting her father's madness and his genius. Schoolgirl-like, she folds her legs under her on the sofa, clutches and unclutches her father's hands, trembles on the verge of a kiss with her admirer, gets tipsy easily on birthday champagne. I'll be surprised if Gwyneth Paltrow does better in the forthcoming film of Proof. In all, it's a splendid night of theatre. Well done QTC. —
John Henningham (Performance seen: 1 June 2004) www.STAGEDIARY.com: Queensland's Online Stage Magazine The Laramie Project Underground Productions (Cement Box Theatre) Welcome to Middle America and in particular Laramie, Wyoming. It's a town where two guys defend their hate crime as being gay panic. In other words they are justified in bashing Mathew Shephard, a young gay man, and leaving him for 18 hours in the middle of nowhere tied to a fence. Why? Because, according to one of them, they reacted to Mathew being gay and, in a state of panic, horrifically assaulted him and left him to die. The Laramie Project is confronting and disturbing. Gavin Edwards (as the local police sergeant) hopes the perpetrators are not from Laramie: "We hoped we would not breed children that would commit such a crime," he says. The harsh reality is that Laramie did breed children that committed such a horrendous crime. The play was created from interviews by members of a New York theatre project over several visits to Laramie. They conducted and recorded dozens of face-to-face interviews with the local residents. The script consists of direct quotes from these interviews. The play is disturbing but not overly so. It is carefully scripted to avoid sensationalism and over sentimentalism. There are touches of humor and there is a brilliant cast that executes it. All the actors portray multiple characters from the town. Edwards is extremely convincing and consistent. He delivers accents and performances that are believable and strong. He switches from police sergeant to medical doctor and to his eight other characters without a fault. Gabby Denning-Cotter came very late to the play. She stepped into her role the week the play opened. Despite having notebook in hand for the occasional prompt she too switches between characters with ease and delivers an impressive array of characters. William McBride's exceptional performances are as Jonas and Murdoch. And Justin Woo's characters are a joy to watch. Unfortunately, the decision for one character to keep his broad Australian accent is not a wise one as the audience keeps being verbally transported from Wyoming to the Gold Coast. The Laramie Project is an adventurous project by Underground Productions. Kat Henry's direction produces a work that is captivating and intense. The minimalist set works with performers working hard to produce effect and scene. It's a job that they do well despite the occasional distraction by changing props or clothing. The biggest criticism is of the venue. The Cement box was created underneath the Schonell Theatre at the University of Queensland when the theatre was divided into three venues. Having two pieces of live theatre performing in the same building on the one night is a great testimony to the renaissance of live theatre at UQ. However, the stomping and joyous tunes from Grease drifting down from the main Schonell Theatre during an emotive Laramie speech is entirely inappropriate and a travesty to this intense work. Let's hope the proposed acoustic soundproofing that is part of the Schonell redevelopment solves this. But, hats off to the Laramie cast for pushing through despite such distractions. Overall, they pull off an incredibly difficult work with conviction and professionalism. They are focused and meet the complicated task of each handling half dozen or more roles. The physical demands and emotional strain of such a feat rarely show. —
Mark Jeffery (Performance seen: 30 May 2004) www.STAGEDIARY.com: Queensland's Online Stage Magazine The Wiz Harvest Rain Theatre Company Over the last 100 years, the wonderful land of Oz has well and truly entrenched itself into our entertainment culture. Books, stage shows and a certain 1939 MGM movie have ensured that the story of Dorothy, her little dog Toto and a certain pair of second-hand shoes is familiar to us all. The most recent stage production drawing on the Oz myth is Wicked, currently flavour of the month on Broadway. Thirty years before that some of us might remember The Wiz, a funky ’70s soul version, which was then made into a fairly forgettable film starring Diana Ross, Richard Pryor and a (then black) Michael Jackson. Given the enormous weight of audience expectation Oz now carries with it and the added difficulty of making a fairly dated musical interesting, Harvest Rain are taking on quite a challenge. In many ways, they exceed expectations. This production contains some of the best design concepts I’ve seen in community theatre in quite a while, and the music has us “easing on down the road” in true ’70s-boogy-funk style, despite the fact that the entire cast and production team are white. This all goes to show that some investment in the technical side of an amateur show can really lift the overall production value. Director Tim O’Connor has chosen to emphasise the visual and sound marvel that The Wiz can be. The show borders on "concert-plus-dancing-spectacular" at times. This is a perfectly valid choice given how complex the staging might otherwise get and the fact everyone knows the story anyway. In the Harvest Rain version, poppies sport bright yellow swimming caps and matching umbrellas, crows wear enormous sunglasses and do interpretive dance, Munchkins are puppets with big hair, and plastic-clad Winkies have pink wigs and rattle chains. We’re always hanging out to see what the next fantastic costume-change will bring. But the design pièce de résistance is definitely the Wicked Witch of the West’s Afro wig, which has enough personality to be a character by itself. This production was obviously cast with vocals as a primary concern, and every solo role is occupied by someone with a professional-quality belt voice. Dorothy (Rebecca Laughton) manages to look like Pippi Longstocking but sound like Anastacia, and for some reason it mostly works for this show. She is ably supported by a well-balanced Scarecrow, Tinman and Lion combination (Steve Bako, Jason Chatfield and Luke Kennedy), all three of whom can sing andact (and in at least two cases dance as well), a somewhat unusual feat in musical theatre territory. Bil Campbell-Hurry as Glinda the Good Witch brings a delightfully zany energy to each of the scenes in which she appears, and her hot-pink costume must be seen to be believed. Then Kathryn McIntyre as Evillene the Wicked Witch romps her way through “No Bad News” with the aplomb of a veteran vocalist — WAAPA should take note, as should everyone else. This voice will go far. But the vocalists wouldn’t be able to do such a hip’n’groovy job without the band, whose tunes are more than capable of keeping everyone barrelling (and in some cases singing) along. The sound balance is excellent too. This is a fun and completely untaxing show; everyone involved enjoys themselves hugely, and then it’s all over by 9.30pm. If you or your children are after a humorous romp in familiar territory, Harvest Rain’s The Wiz is for you. Watch for a highly irreverent solo from Toto in Act II. —
Ruth Bridgstock (Performance seen: 27 May 2004) www.STAGEDIARY.com: Queensland's Online Stage Magazine Grease Ignatians Musical Society We all know the songs and have heard them a thousand times. "Hopelessly Devoted", "Grease", "Hand Jive" — the list goes on. The film that is also a musical and still getting toes tapping 20 years later. Ignatians Musical Society is presenting it at Schonell Theatre in a run of non-Gilbert and Sullivan productions. Die-hard G&S fans may be disappointed but a new audience fond of musicals from the last three or four decades are happy. So how is Ignatians adapting to this new wave of productions? The sets are good, choreography and dance great — and so are the group ensemble numbers. The main difficulty seems to be in finding singers to fill the young roles. Singers who are not only youthful but vocally strong enough to fill the cavernous Schonell Theatre at the University of Queensland. Some of the soloists struggle. However, others shine through. Michelle Mathews (Sandy) and Belle Reid (Bety Rizzo) are among the strong group of female vocalists. Stephanie Biggs as Marty enraptures all with "Freddy My Love" and other numbers. And Richard Murphy (Teen Angel, aka Pandora S Bocks) becomes an honorary lady for a most creative drag version of "Beauty School Drop Out". Congratulations to director Lynne Wright for further blurring the blending the gender boundaries by casting Pip Loth as one of the Burger Palace Boys. Marcus Costello stands out as Sonny and Chris Vernon as Eugene the nerd. Chris's characteristation is strong and never falters. He not only provides a laugh but stands out as one of few who present a strong acting presence. The cast deliver convincing accents and create entertaining caricatures of teenage Americans in the 1950s. They are fun, amusing and enchanting. As always with Ignatians the chorus numbers are tight and strong. Even tighter and stronger is Sue Foster-Crilly's choreography and the movement of the ensembled mass cast. The milk bar created by set designer Scott Bagnell is nothing short of stunning. Unfortunately some parts of the production are flawed, including poorly lit sections of stage and blocking that is either busy or masked. But despite a few blights the fun, enthusiasm and aesthetics of Ignatians' Grease will carry you away. Enjoy it. Tap you feet and have a few laughs because they're there for the taking. And if you feel brave even sing along with the encore. —
Mark Jeffery (Performance seen: 28 May 2004) www.STAGEDIARY.com: Queensland's Online Stage Magazine The Creation Opera Queensland/Conservatorium (Lyric Theatre) Over-familiarity with Handel's Messiah has led me to ponder what it would have been like to have been part of that original Easter Sunday audience in Dublin in 1742. This performance of Haydn's magnificent oratorio The Creation has given me a parallel opportunity. Having, I confess, never seen or heard the work before, I had the chance to experience it almost as would a Viennese burgher of 1798. That first performance reportedly sparked huge interest, with police deployed to control the milling crowds. At first I thought something similar was happening in Brisbane of 2004, with parking unexpectedly at a premium in the convention centre (but it turned out it was a rock concert upstairs.) There are various parallels with Handel. Haydn wasn't really an oratorio man, but greatly admired his predecessor's work and was persuaded to have a go himself. Moreover, Handel had been offered an early libretto on the creation theme, but had never got around to setting it to music. Hence, Haydn was able to take the torch and carry it forward. It is itself a great creation, and the Opera Queensland-led team brought forth a great rendition. Members of the OQ chorus, fresh from jousting with toreadors, were joined by young singers from the Conservatorium Chamber Choir as well as the Con's Chamber Orchestra. Conductor Graham Abbott was a sight to behold. Playing continuo from the Con's priceless fortepiano while keeping the beat with his head and shoulders, he would "in the twinkling of an eye" leap up, conduct a beat or two with his hands, grab the baton, push in his chair and get behind it, all while directing his choral and orchestral performers in perfect timing. His zest for the music communicated itself, and the choir rose wonderfully to the occasion, with some truly fantastic and memorable singing. Haydn's music has many a suprise, in keeping with his famous symphony of that name. His music goes in unexpected directions, and he delights in the dramatic switch from near-silence to triple fortissimo, representing the transformation of darkness into light. Choir and orchestra gave it their all. Recovering from the bullfights of the previous night, the Lyric Theatre was a nice venue for the performance — more intimate than the concert hall and allowing the medium-sized orchestra to comfortably fill the stage. The higher strings were arranged on both sides of the podium, lower strings to the rear on the left, brass to the right and woodwinds to the rear. The ensemble gave a full-bodied and balanced sound. An occasional bit of roughness from the brass section was compensated for by impressive bass trombone work. All three soloists excelled. Despite a slightly muffled opening, Andrew Collis's robust and rich bass baritone gave us a stirring archangel and a very macho Adam, while Jaewoo Kim's lovely tenor soared into the heavens. Leanne Kenneally as archangel and later as Eve was a sheer delight to hear. Her joy at singing her words was evident, especially in her wonderful With verdure clad the fields appear/ Delightful to the ravished sense/ By flowers sweet and gay/ Enhanced is the charming sight. In this she captures the essence of Haydn's nature-centred work. The helpful program notes quote musicologist H.C. Robbins Landon's assessment that "perhaps only an old and very wise man could have written The Creation, and perhaps, too, only a sexagenerian could so poignantly recapture the bliss of the early morning, the magic of the moonlight, or the rapture of a spring day: these things which he knows will soon retreat beyond his grasp." Haydn's libretto combines passages from Genesis and Psalms with extracts from Book 7 of Paradise Lost. (Purists should note that the English libretto is a back-translation by van Swieten from his own German version, and hence is not authentic Milton.) But it was wonderful to hear Miltonian poetic descriptions of these momentous events set to music. Most entertaining were the passages on the bringing forth of the animals, where for each species, bass recitative was followed by a musical representation of the new creature — an 18th Century foretaste of Peter and the Wolf and Carnival of the Animals: Straight opening her fertile womb,/ The earth obeys the word,/ And teem creatures numberless,/ In perfect forms, and fully grown./ Cheerful, roaring, stands the tawny lion./ In sudden leap the flexible tiger appears. The nimble stag/ Bears up his branching head. With flying mane,/ And fiery look, impatient neighs the sprightly steed;/ The cattle, in herds, already seek their food/ On fields and meadows green./ And o'er the ground, as plants, are spread/ The fleecy, meek, and bleating flocks./ Unnumber'd as the sands, in whirls arise/ The hosts of insects. In long dimension/ Creeps, with sinuous trace, the worm. As for the creation of man and woman — Collis and Kenneally fully tapped the energy and exhilaration of this nubile couple, capturing Haydn and Milton's intention of their purity and innocence — together with quite some frisson to suggest they weren't spending all their time naming animals. Their lovely duets were among the most memorable parts of the evening. Fortunately Haydn didn't spoil things by dwelling on the unfortunate circumstances that were to befall the happy couple — just a one-line reference to remind us of that little slip-up. Instead he went for the celebration of the glory of creation, as did Opera Queensland and the talented young people of the Conservatorium in re-telling this great story to a new age. —
John Henningham (Performance seen: 22 May 2004) www.STAGEDIARY.com: Queensland's Online Stage Magazine One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest Brisbane Arts Theatre Being a great fan of the movie starring Jack Nicholson, I was more than a little keen to see Dale Wasserman’s stage version of Ken Kesey’s groundbreaking novel. Program notes reveal that Kesey wrote the celebrated story based on his experiences as a medical guinea pig for government research into psychoactive drugs at a US hospital in 1959. The resulting novel, based largely on his drug-induced ponderings, enjoyed instant critical and commercial success. Set in a mental institution resided over by the cold and calculating Big Nurse (Nurse Ratched), it was read as a battle between the Establishment and the Everyman, the latter represented by one Randle P. McMurphy, a character that Jack Nicholson made his own in what has become a cinematic classic. The trouble of course with a character that has been made famous by such a respected and revered actor like Nicholson, is that it is hard to see anyone else in the role, which must put a great deal of pressure on any actor that tries to fill such enormous shoes. In the Brisbane Arts production, Michael Mudd makes a fine attempt at doing just that and, for the most part, succeeds. From a slow start, this talented actor warms to the role and by the end of Act I is indeed an enjoyable McMurphy, well and truly reveling in his sparring matches with nemesis Nurse Ratched (Karen Peart). There was much debate among fellow theatre-goers on the night as to whether Mudd had borrowed too much from Nicholson, a debate which I’m sure is common when a role is so connected to a single actor, but few can deny that this young performer obviously relishes the opportunity to play such a magnificent character. In front of an appropriately drab, grey set, director Jan Paterson leads her actors through the funny and moving script with an ease that is only let down temporarily by a lack of pace in the opening scenes. I’m undecided as to whether the script is partly to blame here but it seems to take an awfully long time to go anywhere. The energy and pace that comes to the fore at the end of Act I, when the patients gather to pretend they’re watching a baseball match, is pure theatrical magic and is at a level that I would like to see much sooner, particularly from McMurphy’s first entrance. Technical hitches on a couple of occasions unfortunately added to pace problems but, hey, this is live theatre! Of the supporting cast, the standout performance for me is Dan James as Billy Bibbit. This actor’s concentration, mannerisms and vocal work, including a pronounced stutter, are all spot on, making him extremely watchable throughout. David Nicoll as Ruckly has almost no lines and yet delivers perhaps the most focused performance of all, never losing concentration for a second. Gregory Rowbotham’s Martini is also an accomplished performance with repetitive movement and facial twitches adding immeasurably to the character, and Greg Stiff’s Chief Bromden is a well-rounded and moving characterisation. If there’s one thing that doesn’t quite work for me, however, it is the relationship between McMurphy and Ratched, which is after all the driving force behind the whole story. It is a tension which should gently rise to fever pitch by the middle of Act 2 but which I don’t feel, on the night I saw it at least, quite reaches the necessary heights demanded by the writer. Two talented actors are in charge here and indeed work hard to position themselves as polar opposites in the drama as it unfolds, but I guess I just want more, to the point where their icy glares across the room could be cut with a knife and the audience feels uneasy in their presence. This quibble aside however, Brisbane Arts is providing yet another entertaining night of theatre which I’m sure will improve greatly in pace and energy with a few more performances under its belt. A play which depicts a group of mentally ill patients can so easily be insensitively overdone but the director and cast of this production ensure this is never the case, offering the audience a group of very real, moving and thought-provoking characters who stay with you long after the final curtain falls. —
Andrea Carne (Performance seen: 22 May 2004) www.STAGEDIARY.com: Queensland's Online Stage Magazine Carmen Opera Queensland This is a different kind of Carmen. Less of a man-magnet (although she is still that) and more of an independent woman of the world, Carmen opens the opera by emerging silently from the dark, puffing at a cigarette, eyeballing the audience, challenging them, before departing the stage while the familiar rousing music begins. Director Lindy Hume's concept is a feminist Carmen (which is fine up to a point, although at time out of kilter with the text). It is certainly a fascinating and original production of Carmen, with much to please old hands as well as newcomers to this most popular of operas. Yet for various reasons it is not entirely satisfactory. The OQ chorus under chorus master John Dingle and the Queensland Orchestra, conducted by Vladimir Kamirski, do a splendid job. There is a consistently fine sound from the orchestra, including some top brass passages as demanded by the score. The chorus is rich and vibrant with great depth and range, and is well augmented by the children's chorus. (By the way the children could be grubbier as urchins.) The large chorus and extras are generally well used by Lindy Hume (and local director Richard Jones), although not all their movements are convincing. And the repeated spectacle of all the men menacingly pointing their rifles at any minor disturbance is more comical than realistic. There's also much smoking, as verisimilitude would require, but the chorus understandably look uncomfortable puffing at their cigarettes. The generally good surtitles are a bit wobbly. Sets are ominously impressive, representing stark concrete-rendered inner-city buildings, down to cracks and signs of decay, buttressed by external stairways which give the huge cast room to spread in all directions. The generous depth of the stage is used and lit very well, in representing the city square of the opening scene and the open air vistas roamed by the gypsy bandits, as well as giving plenty of space for movements of the large numbers involved. The shifting inward of the sets allows an intimacy when required, especially for the dramatic final scene where Carmen is confronted by her obsessive ex-lover. As to the principals, the much heralded German mezzo Yvonne Fontane plays her character in a dramatic and riveting way, but is disappointing vocally for much of the first half, outsung by fellow principals, with her sultry sexiness at times blurring intonation. Happily her command of the singing part steadily improves, so that the fine music with Natoli and chorus at the end of the first half is beautifully sung and very effective. Their paean to freedom is an expression of human yearning, needing no feminist gloss. Similarly impressive are her vocal and dramatic work at the opera's bloody conclusion. Dominic Natoli as Don Jose sings a soaring melody line. His is a clear and pure tenor sound, and he acts his part well, although like most Joses he doesn't quite seem the type who Carmen would fall for, even temporarily. Jeffrey Black as Escamillo looks and acts very much the magnificent bullfighter who sweeps Carmen off her feet as both hunk and soulmate. Yet Black is singing at less than his best and doesn't seem entirely comfortable with the French diction of the libretto. Surprise star of the night is the beautifully voiced Nicole Youl as Micaela. Acting the girl next door to perfection, her singing is a treat, and we will long remember her soaring soprano voice as she pleads for Jose's affection. Perhaps she didn't have to be made quite so homely. There are other pleasures. Andrew Collis, Bradley Daley, Shaun Brown and Jason Barry-Smith make a fine contribution, while I was particularly taken by Tarita Botsman and Deborah Humble, whose lovely duet in the gypsy fortune-telling scene is thrilling in its effect. Carmen traditionalists should be warned that as part of Hume's vision of doing away with Spanish paraphernalia we lose the dancing: scenes for which Bizet wrote music to be danced are swayed or played out in various eroticised movements, some OK, some silly. I'd have liked a nice habanera or seguidilla. —
John Henningham (Performance seen: 15 May 2004) www.STAGEDIARY.com: Queensland's Online Stage Magazine The Mayne Inheritance La Boite In August 1940 Mary-Emilia Mayne, the last surviving child of Patrick and Mary Mayne, died in the family home, "Moorlands" on Coronation Drive, now incorporated into the Wesley Hospital. Her estate was willed to the University of Queensland which had already benefited substantially from the family’s accumulated wealth of a century and the estate of her youngest brother, James. None of the five Mayne children who survived infancy married. Patrick Mayne’s line died with Mary-Emilia. The volatile teenage Patrick left the depredation of Ireland and arrived in Australia with only the skills of a farm labourer in 1841. In 1844 he gained work as a slaughterman at a boiling-down works at Kangaroo Point earning one pound per week. On 26 March 1848, one Robert Cox was murdered in the area of Patrick’s workplace and lodgings. Cox’s dismembered body-parts were found in four locations. Mayne was never a suspect. It is speculated that Cox could have been carrying about three hundred pounds. Whatever the sum, it was never found. William Fyfe, alleged to be Cox’s homosexual partner, was hanged for the crime in Sydney on 4 July 1848. In September 1849, the pound-a-week Patrick, now married to Protestant Mary McIntosh, purchased his first Queen Street property, a butcher shop, for two hundred and forty pounds. On 8 August 1865, Alderman Mayne, aged 41, with expansive (but heavily mortgaged) property holdings in central and suburban Brisbane and its environs, died after deliriously confessing to the crime in the days before his death. The confession became public. Such facts as there were fell victim to public embellishment. Not only was Patrick Mayne a murderer, he was insane. This sin of the father was to visit his survivors to the end of each of their days and beyond. On his death his widow, with five Catholic raised children — Rosanna (15), Isaac (13), William (9), Mary-Emilia (7) and James (4), undertook redemption, consolidation and expansion of their property-based wealth. This responsibility eventually fell to Dr James Mayne. It is suggested that the children were sworn to a family pact never to marry for fear of passing "inherited insanity". Under the omnipresent stigma of a fortune built on blood, the family imploded. Rosanna became a nun, confined for life after a nervous breakdown, in All Hallows Convent, seemingly in a state of perpetual prayer for the redemption of her father. Isaac, a lawyer and homosexual, slipped into insanity and hanged himself in a Sydney Asylum, aged 53. A love-denied William lived out his life in miserable comfort at Moorlands. Less affected by her father’s legacy of guilt, Mary-Emilia’s course in life was steered first by her mother and then by James. Despite his standing as a surgeon, business acumen and public generosity, homosexual Dr James Mayne could not wash the blood from the family name. Built after the death of Mary, Moorlands became and remained a place children avoided well into the twentieth century. Brisbane was opened for free settlement in 1842. Its population doubled to 5000 between 1844 and 1850. Two-thirds were Irish, but as the city developed its governance, together with the swelling population, became Protestant-dominated. Catholic influence rose through the tenure of James Duhig as Catholic Archbishop of Brisbane from 1917 to 1965. Moorlands, Mayne Junction and Mayne Hall at the University of Queensland are the skeletal remains of a family whose benefaction is virtually unsurpassed in Brisbane and Queensland’s history. It is from their history that Errol O’Neill has structured his episodic The Mayne Inheritance – a Play, with acknowledged "inspiration" from Rosamond Siemon’s book of the same name. Ms Siemon suggests the saga of the Mayne family contains the ingredients of a Greek tragedy. Certainly it echoes Eugene O’Neill’s great familial tragedy Long Day’s Journey into Night. Regrettably for this reviewer, a long time admirer of the current playwright’s talents and social commitment, the production did not realise the full potential of the subject matter. This is attributed in part to the play’s structure, but mostly to direction which, in turn, did not realise the pathos and dramatic tensions latent in the script, and some performances which failed to capture the complexities of the central characters. The play as published is in two "parts" with 47 scenes — 23 in Part 1 and 24 in Part 2. In this premiere production six actors play some 30 characters. Most secondary characters appear in Part 1, which jumps back and forth in time and place through events, real and imagined, from 1854 to 1930. Part 2 is more chronologically sequenced and the location of events more clearly defined. The design is minimalist and obscure and offers little assistance to the audience in following the time and place shifts in Part 1. Limited use is made of the theatre’s obvious technical resources in creating and sustaining the play’s dark theme or exploiting its few lighter moments. As it is Patrick’s deathbed confession which is central to the family’s subsequent travails and traumas the playwright opens the play on the dying man with his "children" circled at a distance. Almost immediately Mary-Emilia transforms to her mother Mary and James to Father (later Archbishop) Dunne, as Patrick blasts out his delirious confession. From that moment there could be no surprise or suspense associated with the murder. Remembering the ages of the children at the time, the audience is immediately asked to accept the conventions of flexible time, place and shifting characters adopted. In a minimal set and with limited assistance from costumes and lighting throughout, this was a big ask and a large demand on the characterisation skills of the actors. Mr O’Neill acknowledges the difficulties of compression in the play’s long gestation period. He also asserts, in dealing with historical figures and events the playwright’s advantage in "being able to use the best of several (historical) interpretations as the point of departure for … dramatic speculations". Those speculations should finally produce "a piece" offering a one-time viewing audience ready access to the story being told, appreciation of its theme and empathy with or sympathy for characters caught in the maelstrom of structured dramatic tensions. Though becoming more involved through a reading of the text of Part 1 than during the production (which was confusing), this reviewer considers that that part remains more a work-in-progress than a finished text. Progressively it reveals the Gothic horror of the murder as the family lapses into almost immediate guilt without the full measure of dramatic tension denial, doubt or disbelief could have provided. Through their capitulation the audience is denied the same dramatic experience. We are witnesses to, without identification with, the family’s individual implosions. By Part 1’s end, James, who had escaped the cauldron in London, is pulled back into it by the death of his mother. If the play has a "tragic hero" it is James. Surrendering his future as a surgeon for fear of "insanity" it is he who continues the family’s fortunes; he who resists the overtures of Archbishop Duhig for money to advance the Catholic cause; he who weathers the bigotry against the family, their heritage and blood inheritance and he who initiates the benevolence to the university, despite which he dies without public recognition anyone not Irish, Catholic but incredibly wealthy and generous would have received. The play does not fully explore the dramatic wealth offered by Dr James Mayne. In Part 2 we also witness the denial of William’s one hope for love and his lapse into indolent misery; Isaac’s complete unravelling, committal to the asylum and suicide; Rosanna’s purgatory of prayers and finally Mary-Emilia’s solitary death after a brief flashback to the young, hopeful and sane Patrick leaving for Australia. Patrick’s foreboding presence in the lives of Rosanna, Isaac and William is maintained by his recurring appearance "in their thoughts". He never intrudes in this way on Mary-Emilia or James. The play begs for imaginative surrealism in production but unlike the dead Patrick, this never materialises. Minimalism in most aspects corrodes the intent and theme of the work. This is not to suggest that a director is not at liberty to "interpret" an established work, but this is new coin and the playwright’s published stage directions make it clear he is also no mean-hand as a director. By way of example, Patrick Mayne, historically, was a man who carried and used a stockwhip as a weapon. The text provides him with one. The production does not. The text has Isaac symbolically use it to suicide. Patrick’s death blanket is a less telling substitute. Although an actor with patent talent, Haydn Spencer continues to mar intensity with volume and in this production neglects the first vocal discipline of being intelligible. His Patrick is present, but unaided by the available technology, rarely the "presence" the role requires. He redeems himself, to some extent, in quieter scenes. Mary-Emilia is a pale shadow of her mother. It is she who would have capitulated to Duhig had James not intervened. Sue Dwyer in the dual roles is solid and controlled, but clearer physical definition between the two is required. She is not assisted by costume. As the younger Rosanna and in her secondary roles, particularly Florence, Elise Greig, despite vocal limitations, achieves clear differentiation and depth where the script allows, but in Rosanna’s prayer-prattling senility lapses into quaking caricature. David Brown’s Isaac gives us unrelenting unorchestrated two-dimensional anger at volume, but without anguish can not hope to excite empathy or sympathy. His Quinn and Duhig are closer to the mark. Stephen Carleton (James and others) and Michael Futcher ( William and others) carry the play and the production with thoughtful, moving performances across the board. La Boite is to be congratulated on its willingness to present "local product". —
Ron Finney (Performance seen: 15 May 2004) www.STAGEDIARY.com: Queensland's Online Stage Magazine The Cherry Orchard Queensland Theatre Company QTC’s Cherry Orchard venture has arrived as spectacularly as the Cherry Venture ship wrecked three decades ago on our coast near Double Island Point. In his production for the centenary of Chekhov’s last play, Michael Gow has moved even ahead of his daringly dislocated adaptation of Henry Handel Richardson’s Fortunes of Richard Mahony. In continued collaboration with Mahony designer Robert Kemp, Gow has mounted the Russian classic on a vaudeville-boarded stage whose curved enclosing shell evokes the fragile beauty of the doomed cherry orchard whose blossoms breathe in through a tall window. Noisily the actors caper, clump, prance and dance across the resonant boards with a vigour that both counterpoints and underlines the interweaving of punchiness and pathos in the script that alternately tickles our ribs and tugs at our hearts. All the huge cast make the most of the vinegar and the vodka in their roles. No character is a carbon copy of any other yet they all manage to interlock in the play’s rocky progress from arrival to departure. In the Bille Brown Studio we are brought up close to a game of musical chairs on the deck of a landlocked doomed Titanic, with chainsaws echoing the imminent iceberg. Michael Gow made pre-season comments that the plot is minimal, yet the apparent inaction of the four acts camouflages a minefield of emotional, social, financial and ideological booby-traps, some of which fail to explode but some of which do. I guess we all guess that the orchard’s gotta go, man, but I’m sure Chekhov wanted to surprise us about whom it goes to — and I’m not going to give it away here. On the cutting edge of the orchard, we are caught in a spider web of bonds entangling Madame Ranevskaya, (Sally McKenzie), her billiard-ball-brained brother Gaev (Steven Grives), naïve daughter Anya (Rebecca Dale), frenetic adopted daughter Varya (Rebecca Murphy), neighbours the brash Lopakhin (Andrew Buchanan) and mortgage-minded Pishchik (Leo Wockner), with one-woman circus Charlotta (Caroline Kennison), employees Dunyasha (Kellie Lazarus), accident-prone Yepikhodov (Lucas Stibbard), opportunist Yasha (Patrick Drew), octogenarian Firs (David Clendinning), the eternal student Trofimov (Bryan Probets) and local functionaries, swaggies and musicians (Nick Backstrom, Sasha Janowicz, Katei Chang, Patrick Marchisella and Tom Raymond). Sally McKenzie is deliciously irritating and finally heart-breaking as the rouble-reckless matriarch, hopelessly non-coping with the turbulence round her. But the whole cast makes a mosaic, each fully individual in tone colour but each responding, whether by sympathy or send-up, to the situations of his or her fellows. Thus the poetry-reciting stationmaster of Nick Backstrom is aware that he is a guest in an uneasy household. And tearful Dunyasha among the luggage and resigned Charlotta against the back wall contribute in complementary ways to the final collapse. The eternal student Trofimov’s truisms are triggered by internal volcanic fires and erupt with passion that erases their rhetorical clichés. I have no problem with the multi-mix of clothing styles that leaps barriers of period and place or with a production style that interweaves naturalism with its very opposite. A century after its birth in pre-Revolutionary Russia, this play has much to download into our New Millennium. The background of mortgaged estates and remembered serfdom is not at odds with our rising interest rates and tensions of Social Security. Nor am I troubled by the locating of the outdoors Act 2 within the basic interior space of the other acts. The deckchair interlockings of Dunyasha and Yasha, the comic weaponry interplays of Charlotta and Yepikhodov, and the deadly-delicious duettings of Yepikhodov and Yasha make field, stones and poplars utterly superfluous. And the quiver of rippling light supplied by Andrew Meadows is all we need to “internally image” (as Stanislavsky would say) the river. Choreographer Neridah Waters has made the dancing seem spontaneous. Sound designer Pete Goodwin has intensified Chekhov’s final wishes for the death agony of the orchard. —
Paul Sherman (Performance seen: 30 April 2004) www.STAGEDIARY.com: Queensland's Online Stage Magazine The Odyssey Zen Zen Zo (Cremorne Theatre) Long before they were written down, the famous legends attributed to Homer were tales told by wandering bards. This tradition is recaptured by Zen Zen Zo in their retelling of the story of Ulysses' (Odysseus's) arduous journey home after the defeat of Troy. Central to the production is the enormously talented Eugene Gilfedder as playwright and narrator of the tale in the role of "old Ulysses". In total command of his character, Gilfedder never leaves the stage. The story is told from his perspective as he recounts his defeat of the Trojans and subsequent wanderings, including the bad karma wich followed destruction of Cyclops, son of the sea god Poseidon. Strongly acting out the young Ulysses' travails is Sandro Colarelli as the warrior whose journey takes a decade, while Larisa Chen as faithful wife Penelope and Jaydn Bowe as their loyal son Telemachus effectively complement the two Ulysses characters. Supporting players as oarsmen, suitors to Penelope and inhabitants of the various mystery worlds all contribute to the production through their well-drilled athletic movement and dance. This is an energetic and absorbing production with many brilliant and dazzling moments. The ribs of a vast ship frame the stage, providing Ulysses and his crew with a majestic bark for their long and tortuous voyage. Spectacular lighting and sound effects give us tempests, monsters and an overwhelming sense of bewildering weirdness, incorporating exotic elements of eastern theatre. Effective and memorable moments include Cyclops' all-ocular persona; the Penelope's fantastic weaving; catastrophic effects of releasing the captured winds; the lotus eaters; and Circe in her beautiful shimmering garment tinkling with shells and pearls. As Ulysses is lashed to the mast we wonder what haunting calls will come from the sirens: the technique used is indeed unexpected and original. The text works well as the retelling of the story together with hints of its wider implications without laying this on too thickly. Unfortunately as characters they do not engage with our sympathies or emotions (blame Homer, not Gilfedder), but the message of the nature of heroism and fidelity is well conveyed. All the creative team have excelled in this extraordinary production, including director Simon Woods, movement director Lynne Bradley, designer Bill Haycock, lighting designer David Walters and sound designer Colin Webber. The attentiveness of school group audiences shows how well theatre of this form can enchant young people who will decide the future of performing arts in the 21st century. —
John Henningham (Performance seen: 28 April 2004) www.STAGEDIARY.com: Queensland's Online Stage Magazine Baby With The Bathwater Centenary Theatre Group This is a perfect example of making the most of what you’ve got to work with. Despite a small budget, director John Boyce and his talented cast have pieced together Christopher Durang’s play sans hitch or hindrance. Baby With The Bathwater is like a Woody Allen script with Monty Python wit and a character list devised by John Henson. Both droll and dry, but with underlying darkness that speaks ill of contemporary America, the play is loosely the story of two neurotic parents who could do with a lifetime of Dr Phil’s advice on babies. Indeed, Helen (played by Jane Cameron) and John (Chris Carroll) know so little about babies that they name their healthy young boy Daisy. With the aid of the peculiar character of Nanny (June Balfour), whom Durant probably wrote a bit over the top, young Daisy is subject to nightly doses of Nyquil, ravenous dogs, screaming and what comes to be a whole new definition of negligence. Daisy is a scarred child and thanks to Nanny’s nihilism and a bizarre "boy named Sue" conundrum, Daisy undergoes psychiatric help. Sub-plots drift in and out of the play and Natalie Bochenski, who does a good job of playing Daisy’s abstract principal Mrs Willoughby, and Genvieve Langbien, as Miss Pringle and Susan, should be commended; though the character of Cynthia is not expressed to its full potential. For all the quirky dialogue, Durang has a malicious undertone to his writing and it is best expressed through Timothy Wotherspoon (who plays an older Daisy). At times Wotherspoon is reminiscent of a young Rick Mayall or Whithnail (from George Harrison’s funded Withnail and I) and bigger roles are surely waiting for him around the corner. Although the backdrop to Baby With the Bathwater could have been pulled from a Bjork video clip, it reflects the absurd and Absolutely Fabulous-ness of the story. It is over the top and very bright. As the characters are so unrealistic to begin with, an unrealistic set only complements the director's good taste. Given the recent events in Sydney of a 12-year-old girl choosing to be a boy, the script, though American in origin, is relevant to an Australian audience. Those with a penchant for the risqué and an appreciation of nuances should get along to see this show. PS: Leave the kids at home as they might be afraid of Nanny. —
Pat Watson (Performance seen: 23 April 2004) www.STAGEDIARY.com: Queensland's Online Stage Magazine The Taming of the Shrew Brisbane Arts Theatre I’ve seen some very good productions of Shakespeare’s work, including ones by the world-famous Royal Shakespeare Company in England and by the magnificent Bell Shakespeare Company here in Australia. I’ve also seen some very mediocre productions from companies who feel they must perform Shakespeare to be considered a “real” theatre company and yet don’t have the talent to pull it off. Let’s face it — Shakespeare is hard work for directors and actors alike and professional companies dedicated to producing his plays have set very high benchmarks which most amateur groups would find hard to reach. Having headed off to Brisbane Arts Theatre with this in mind, it was very pleasing indeed to see that the cast and crew of The Taming of the Shrew make this Shakespeare stuff all seem so easy in what is a most satisfying night of theatre. Director Pat Wallace has assembled a talented and versatile cast. In front of Una Hollingworth’s simple but effective set, Wallace has created an environment in which the actors move effortlessly through the play as a unified and cohesive ensemble. Witnessing such brilliant ensemble work makes it difficult to select a handful of stand-out performances as each actor plays their part in making the show the success that it is. Having said that however, it would be remiss of me not to applaud Ross Balbuziente and Louise Marshall. As the central characters of Petruchio and Katharina (the shrew that must be tamed), these two actors deliver fine performances. Both obviously relish the chance to play these wonderful characters and work extremely well together throughout. Also worthy of special mention are Ian Peters as the splendidly comical Gremio, Peter Settle as the dottery old manservant Grumio, Gerry Lowley as the wonderfully camp Tailor and the man who plays Curtis (who for some reason does not appear in the program). Younger members of the cast who play various other roles would undoubtedly be learning a great deal from these accomplished actors. So the acting is excellent, the directing is brilliant and the set effective — is there anything negative to say, you ask? Well, I have to say that the play is a tad long and could be edited a little. The use of a singer and musician to entertain during scene changes is a nice touch but lengthens the already-long play a little too much. Secondly, while costuming is for the most part excellent, I suggest ditching the men’s brown Grosby slippers and the cook’s beard. I found these items detracted from what was essentially an extremely well-costumed cast. But if these two minor quibbles are all a critic can find to criticise … well, you work it out. If you are one of the many theatre-goers who shy away from Shakespeare — perhaps you have some awful schoolroom memory of being forced to recite endless passages of text in a less than creative atmosphere — then this could well be the production that changes your thinking. Those who go along will be charmed by the wit and wonder of one of the Bard’s best and most accessible comedies, performed most admirably by Brisbane Arts Theatre. —
Andrea Carne (Performance seen: 16 April 2004) www.STAGEDIARY.com: Queensland's Online Stage Magazine Bouncers Stagedoor Dinner Theatre John Godber’s Bouncers is performed from the perspective of four doormen: the philosophical “Lucky” Eric (Damien Lee), the hyperactive Les (Tye Shepherd), bonehead Ralph (Jeremy Wood) and the instable Judd (Michael Lamb). Quickly, the eponymous four become Maureen, Rosie, Elaine and Susie, a gaggle of girls out to celebrate a 21st birthday, and then Kev, Baz and co. heading out for a big night on the town. With secondary characters thrown into the mix throughout, Bouncers sees four actors occupying a total of 20 roles. As is obvious, Bouncers is Godber’s take on nightclubbing culture: the superficiality, promiscuity, binge drinking and drugs, and it certainly gives more than a good stab at capturing the people and the places of the everlasting Friday night we’ve all had one too many of. But for a member of Generation X such as this reviewer, some of the references are a touch outdated. Disappointing too, that when today’s clubkid slang is used effectively it loses any credibility by the show’s end by being muttered at the drop of a hat. Still, this is modern theatre executed with confidence, flair and fun. What struck me immediately about this performance was how clearly the cast enjoyed themselves. The ensemble morphed between characters effortlessly and the swatches of dance and song sewn throughout are clearly relished. Lee is likeable as Eric, the oldest (and perhaps wisest) of the gang. He’s a father figure, having watching the door for too long, and Lee shows us many sides to a man who, prima facie, seems simple and content with his lot. By my count, Wood was responsible for the most roles at six, and a very promising young actor he is, with terrific accent work and a commanding presence on the stage with all of his characters. Lamb is given the best material (as the off-kilter Judd and the maniacal Susie), and is a riot for most of the show. Shepherd takes all his roles into the stratosphere with beyond energetic delivery. Thankfully there are lapses from the toilet humour when Godber looks into the deeper sides of his characters, unearthing their broken relationships, their prejudices and their discontent with work, and this is where Bouncers hits its straps, offering real depth to characters who so far have been entertaining only on a two dimensional level. Due to the comic flair and impeccable timing this play demands from its cast I am sure there have been many mediocre productions since Bouncerss opening night in 1977. With a keen sense of humour from all involved and sharp direction this production is surely not one of those. Bouncers relates a universal experience, and for a Brisbane audience the show has been tailored nicely: there are the obligatory Ipswich jokes and the references to local pubs and clubs which the audience lapped up. There is a particularly poignant moment when Eric (during one of his many monologues) alludes to witnessing a gang rape by a football team while watching the door one night. Director Karen Crone has selected a professional, entertaining ensemble. All four are thoroughly capable comic actors, seizing their schizophrenic roles with exuberance and flair and as a result Bouncers is very, very funny, with near flawless delivery. Too often dinner theatre is a little, well, half-baked. It is pleasing then that Bouncers provides a rollicking night out, accompanied by superb food and the rich, jazz-club atmosphere the Stagedoor Dinner Theatre provides. Although the fliers and humour may suggest otherwise, Bouncers is technically demanding theatre which works well thanks to a well-drilled ensemble and a director who has seized the colour, campness and fun of this irreverent, sharply written show. —
Cameron Pegg (Performance seen: 2 April 2004) www.STAGEDIARY.com: Queensland's Online Stage Magazine Cat on a Hot Tin Roof Villanova Players “The human animal is a selfish beast.” Yes, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof is back, with the Villanova Players' rendition of Tennesse Williams’ Southern tale of social climbers, no-necked monsters, a decaying landed gentry and spastic colons. Directed by Luke Monsour and presented at the Morningside Institute of TAFE, this production offers both the best and, let it be said, not so great aspects of what amateur local theatre offers. Williams will always sell and it is a play that audiences know well, but small production companies pit themselves against great odds when they choose plays that demand greatness. Set in real time, the production technically achieves well with its set design, costumes and lighting, though a few stray shadows on the balcony could probably be re-worked. The cast’s momentum is constant and steady, and when only a few characters appear there is a strong rhythm that flows well. Unfortunately, however, this cadence is interrupted when most of the cast appear on stage, with an effect that is often both awkward and cluttered. Brian Cannon as Big Daddy and Maria Plumb as Big Mama deliver excellent performances, and younger actors should pay close attention to how it is done. Jenny Woodall as Maggie also delivers a fine performance and bounces between her "charm of the defeated" and sultry seducer with fluid ease. Southern accents are difficult to pull off and both ranges of skill are represented here in all their naked glory. To his credit Monsour has chosen Williams’ original ending: the tensions of a family crisis, a questionable inheritance, alcoholism and dubious homosexuality ultimately leave a more satisfying dialogue between cast and audience. The actors have done better with the serious aspects of the play as compared to Williams’ subtler lighter humour and dialogue. If brooding silences and tension are your cup of tea, you are in for a thought-provoking night. —
Pat Watson (Performance seen: 1 April 2004) www.STAGEDIARY.com: Queensland's Online Stage Magazine |
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