State Theatre Company of SA. Dunstan Playhouse. 30 July 2014
The audience erupts from the theatre in a haze of happiness. A good Earnest is a delicious experience - the theatrical equivalent to the perfect cucumber sandwich. Well, maybe this one is not quite of that traditional custom. Cucumber and rocket, perhaps, since Geordie Brookman has pushed the conventions, as is his wont. He's a young director who likes to put a dash of the fresh in the classics.
Thus is this production of ‘The Importance of Being Earnest’ set upon a circular pedestal of richly polished red wood and enclosed by giant shower curtains which, dragged to and fro by human hand, serves as backdrops to the scenes. Ailsa Patterson is the clever designer who has produced this talking point of a set which turns the expanse of the Dunstan Playhouse's proscenium stage into a more intimate space: the drawing room with its quaintly minimalist furniture, surrounded by silvery, gossamer layers, and the country garden swathed in a wall of roses. Gavin Norris's lighting emphasises its bold aesthetic statements and while reigning large upon the eye, falls short of stealing the show.
As it should be, Oscar Wilde's script is the real star here, with some skilled assistance from the cast and with an impish eye from the director.
The play required no explanation for much of the audience. One of the challenging things about it is how well people know it and how many of its lines have such a place in popular reference that audience members are just hanging out to hear how they are delivered this time.
The action opens in a London drawing room where foppish Algernon and his visiting friend Earnest, gentlemen of class and manners, discuss the double lives they have created as escapes from the constraints of their parlour lives of gentility. One calls himself Earnest in the city and Jack in the country. The other weekends in the country for the sport of "Bunburying" whereupon he creates out-of-character adventures for himself.
These odd indulgences become both spurred and hampered by affairs of the heart.
Brookman has re-imagined some of the characters. Most pointedly and absolutely brilliantly, there is the new Gwendolyn who is not just coquettish but also dripping with innuendo and bursting with highly-corsetted lust. She has never been funnier than as portrayed here by Anna Steen who delivers the Wildean wit with wickedly well-placed emphases. "Little Cecily" who, at 18, is the product of a sheltered private education in the country, is less ingenuous in this interpretation of the play. Instead she is petulant, wilful, and knowing. Lovely young Lucy Fry hams her up with non-stop mugging and a death-defying totter in her very tight long frock.
Brookman's casting of Earnest is bold. In Yalin Ozucelik he brings an almost Groucho Marx element - dark, balding, moustachioed, an outsider in a black tail coat. Set beside the height and evidently Celtic genes of Nathan O'Keefe as Algernon, he adds another element of the ridiculous.
O'Keefe swaggers and flops, whines and connives in a perfectly-pitched over-the-top characterisation as Algie. He has Wilde down to a tee, or should one say cup of tea and plate of muffins. It is a glorious performance, an enunciational triumph.
And then there is Nancye Hayes. There's a round of applause as she enters the stage in the most eye-blastingly violent orange outfit topped by an extra-planetary eruption of ostrich feather haberdashery. Oh, it is a big and fussy frock. It would swallow a lesser actress. But Hayes, as Lady Bracknell, is all presence and composure, timing, and eloquence. She is lynchpin to the plot and conveyor of the greatest lines. She does it all with consummate expertise, the "handbag" line emerging not as an indignant exclamation but as a glorious gasp which visibly resonates through her torso. In the country scene she is not so much frocked as upholstered. The costumes are their own comic statements.
Caroline Mignone may be disadvantaged by her good looks as Miss Prism, but not by her acting. She emotes very sweetly and one rejoices for her relationship with the Reverend Chasuble. He is one of three characters played by the inimitable Rory Walker whose expressions and timing are responsible for some of the funniest moments of the production.
And an eminently amusing production it is. Brookman has delivered a proper comedy of manners, a Wilde with a wild streak. He has dared to add a smatter of shtick and some visual assaults to heighten some of the silliness. He has pushed it, but stopped short of offending Wilde purists.
And thus does The Dunstan Playhouse resound with titters, giggles, guffaws and belly laughs - and enthusiastic applause.
Samela Harris
When: 25 Jul to 16 Aug
Where: Dunstan Playhouse
Bookings: bass.net.au
Polygraph Collective. Holden Street Theatres. 19 Jul 2014
‘Man in a Bag’ is forensic and sharp as a scalpel as it lays bare before the audience, the truth of what happened to the dead man in the red sports bag found in the bath in his small rented flat; an intelligent and well-crafted first production by this new ensemble, Polygraph Collective.
In 2010, Gareth Williams, an M16 officer, was found decomposed in a red bag in his bath tub. The bag was padlocked on the outside and the keys inside under the body of Williams. How it happened? The could-be truth; the questionable truth; and the real truth; is the expose of this 55 minute production. Who was the man behind the M16 officer? Was it murder? Was it a set up by ʻothersʼ? Was there a mysterious woman involved? Was it all a horrible mistake by Williams who thought he was Harry Houdini? Playwright Emily Steel has collected the facts as reported in the UK press at the time and presented them as a sort of police investigation; running commentary; and post death revelation by the man in the bag. Lean and clean writing.
The 7 member acting ensemble consisting of Chrissie Page, Holly Myers, Charles Mayer, Sam Calleja, Sara Lange, Lochlin Maybury and Tiffany Lyndall-Knight, enter and exit in their turn, some playing cameo roles, some nearer the plot core, but all essential to laying out the body, so to speak, of the play.
There are strong individual performances leading to a solid theatrical experience for the audience. The co-directors, Tiffany Lyndall-Knight and Ben Roberts worked on ‘Man in a Bag’ during its first incarnation at the Adelaide College of the Arts. The staging is impeccable. The action is well paced and the plot development is clearly presented. If I were to carp on one small point, it would be that the almost UK provincial accent of the rental flat manager’s husband could have been brought into line with the other non-specific accents of the rest of the characters.
The set design by Olivia Zanchetta was effective; movable white screens; a red sports bag; a black chair. All locations were created by manipulating the screens. One small jarring element of the set was the rustling of the white screen material whenever the screens were being manipulated. A case of ‘silence would have been golden’.
The costumes by Olivia Freear were functional and unobtrusive. Sound design by Callan Fleming and Lighting design/ operation by Alexander Ramsay worked hand in glove with the set and the onstage action; choreographed precisely. For example: the bell of the lift as the door opened and closed; the pulsing lights and the almost tribal rhythm of the following scene’s soundscape; and the interaction between on stage voices and pre-recorded voices.
It would be remiss of this reviewer not to mention Gilbert Kemp Attrilʼs opening video component, Will Spartelʼs sound operation, and Sofia Caladoʼs intriguing production image. Henry Arrowsmith and Clara Solly-Slade in the production department completed the Polygraph Collective’s ‘Man in the Bag’ team for this fine intro to the company’s work.
The moral: Donʼt try the ‘Man in the Bag’ trick in your own lounge room… and always look under the surface of what you hear, see and read in the media.
Martin Christmas
When: 22 July to Aug 2
Where: Holden Street Theatres
Bookings: venuetix.com.au
Gilbert and Sullivan Society. The Arts Theatre. 19 Jul 2014
You'd better get in quickly. The "Sold Out" sign was out in Angas Street and opening night won't be the only night. That's one terrific production in The Arts Theatre.
And this is a rave review.
The G&S Society has a track record for classy shows but this one, stepping away from G&S and into Rogers & Hammerstein, may just have created a new benchmark.
From the opening moment, it is a voyage into excellence.
There are the nuns massed beneath the mighty stained glass windows performing a superb piece of a capella choral work. It is just ethereal. The orchestra slips seamlessly into action for Maria out there singing to the mountains. It's a large orchestra down there in the pit and sound designer Matthew Curtis has it pitched perfectly against the singers. The singers all are miked and the sound is well balanced - right up there with the big-budget professional shows.
The Sound of Music is an old favourite which means audience expectations are high. Everyone thinks of Julie Andrews in the lead. Claire McEvoy is not she. Her voice is not Andews-esque soprano. It has its own character and she makes of Maria Rainer a character more earthy and credible. From that first night when the children come to Maria's bed in the thunderstorm, McEvoy owns the role and wins the audience.
She is well supported by Kim Clark as the reserved Captain von Trapp and, as for the children; they are a little pack of pros, many of them former Theatre Bugs and choir singers. They each capture the requisite classic character and Kate Price as 16-year-old Liesl has a lovely voice and stage presence and is definitely a young performer to watch.
Expectations are high for the Mother Abbess, too, in this show. Marsha Seebohm has it all under control. She brings the house down with the power and beauty of her delivery of Climb Every Mountain. Richard Trevaskis is lots of fun as the family friend Max Detweiler and Bronwen Palmer establishes just the right hauteur as the wife-to-be, Elsa Shraeder. There are strong performances all around and wonderfully tight and cohesive direction of the massive cast from Trish Hart who also designed the sets.
If ever there was a case when the backstage skill and speed deserved credit, this show is it. The sets are many and complex, hoisting and trucking in all directions. They are splendid to look at and they hit all the cues. The same can be said for the impeccable costumes and the lightning costume changes.
The big choral numbers are luscious. The choreography is spot-on. The stage swarms with talent and commitment. There's attention to detail. The whole show is well-groomed and the overall song it sings is one of theatrical expertise and discipline.
Samela Harris
When: 20 Jul to 2 Aug
Where: Arts Theatre
Bookings: gandssa.com.au
19 July, Banquet Room @ Adelaide Festival Centre
As part of their 2014 season, Pocketfool have brought ‘All Gone’ to the Adelaide Festival Centre. A Melbourne-based company formed by actors Jennifer Andersen and Heidi Weatherald, Pocketfool work with various collaborators to write and perform theatre shows for under-10s.
Presented in Adelaide Festival Centre’s ‘Something for Saturday’ program, this gorgeous show addresses a no-doubt puzzling everyday occurrence for young children - things seem to come and go. Whether it be the food on your plate, the water in the tub or Grandma and Grandpa, things depart as mysteriously as they arrive.
‘All Gone’ is aimed at 2-4 year olds and completely hits the mark. Simple dialog and interaction between the two characters mimics the language of toddlers; the story is communicated through strong movement and one-to-two key word phrases, including the classics ‘more’, ‘bye’, ‘mine’, and of course, ‘all gone!’.
The modest but functional set (Ken Evans), colourful costumes (Amanda Fairbanks) and clever use of props make this visual and funny piece interactive as well. They incorporate a number of elements easily recognised by children - ribbons, socks, balls and musical instruments. The excitement and wonderment on the children’s faces as a giant red balloon was gently thrown over their heads, floating within reach of outstretched arms, was delightful and heart-warming.
Andersen and Weatherald have been working in the industry for over 20 years and clearly have an excellent understanding of how to engage young children. This might sound simple enough, but it’s a feat that is fully appreciated by parents and childcare workers. Factors such as concentration span, comprehension levels, humour and the need for interaction must all be carefully considered. These factors differ radically between age brackets, meaning successfully theatre shows must be tightly targeted.
Pocketfool can be very proud of this wonderful production, and be safe in the knowledge that they have won at least 1.5 new fans.
By Nicole Russo
Pilobolus. Her Majestyʼs Theatre. 9 July 2014
Sitting in row E, waiting for the sold-out theatre to fill and for the show to commence, I begin wondering whether the ‘Shadow Land’ hype was just publicity spin. A bare stage, two dresses and a pair of trousers, jacket and cap hang on wires, left, right and centre stage; innumerable small props hang neatly around the sides of the stage; a small shadow screen sits upstage. That is it as far as I can see. An ethereal sound track is coming out of the loud speakers.
Then, the house lights dim. A young performer in bra and panties enters, walks up to the plain white dress hanging centre stage; and touches it. Whammo! A shattering clap of thunder and explosion of white light (I swear the whole audience was startled). It is on for young and old and we are enthralled by the sheer pace, physical virtuosity and morphing between realities over the next ninety minutes until the final curtain call and house lights up.
From the glossy well produced program: “Night. A small house on a small street. A teenage girl prepares for bed. She longs for independence, but to her parents she is still a little girl. With nowhere for her thoughts to go but into her dreams, she falls asleep only to wake to something lurking behind her bedroom wall — her shadow. The wall of her room suddenly starts to spin, trapping her on the other side. Unable to escape, the girl sets off on a journey of discovery, going deeper and deeper into Shadow Land, looking for a way out.”
The audience is skilfully propelled into a behind the looking glass dream world where everything is possible. The performances contain elements of gymnastics, modern dance and circus and the moment to moment character and shadow manipulation of the young male and female dancer’s lies at the core of the theatrical experience. They manipulate the props, their own bodies, and the young girl through her dream world of discovery as, in her dream, she turns into dog girl; meets good and bad men and women; and falls in love with a centaur, all before waking in the morning and realising that she is becoming a young woman.
The speed of change between realities is unbelievable. At one moment the ensemble is dancing on an empty stage, and what strong and lithe bodies these fit young men and women have. Suddenly a huge suspended shadow projection screen is lowered and this reality changes to shadow land/ dream reality. All props, lights, screens, and shadow images are manipulated by the onstage performers.
And the shadow images? From the smallest leaf, crab, or rock to an elephant and the arm of God - mostly constructed fluidly by the performer’s bodies as they are morphed into whatever... seamlessly presenting image after image. The soundscape composed by David Poe, is loud but never oppressive. From house lights down to house lights up it ranges through ballads, country and western, gentle folk music, raunchy hard driving rock and rich abstract sounds that fill Her Majesty’s auditorium to the back wall.
Pilobolus, an American dance company formed by a group of Dartmouth College students (New Hampshire) in 1971 with a manifesto to develop collaborative projects to break down the barriers between production disciplines, has toured around the world with its productions. ‘Shadow Land’ is at the end of its current Australian and New Zealand tour.
This is an amazingly joyous piece of serious and provocative physical theatre that never flags in energy. There are unexpected moments that catch the audience unawares. The final picking out of Adelaide in ‘Shadow Land’ body shapes accompanied by Men at Workʼs classic anthem, ‘Land Down Under’ brings the house down.
Read the hype. See the show. It will change your perception of what can be done, live, on stage in front of you... bodies, silhouettes, soundscape. A truly elevating theatrical experience.
Martin Christmas
When: 9 to 13 July
Where: Her Majesty’s Theatre
Bookings: bass.net.au