Colin Friels charms as the hundred-year-old clown

By Lois Maskiell

Colin Friels deservingly received a standing ovation for his performance in Scaramouche Jones at Arts Centre Melbourne. In this one-man play, written by Justin Butcher, two mythical figures come together in the fibre of a single character: the gypsy and the clown. Since its Dublin premiere in 2001, the adventures of this one-hundred-year-old mime have indulged audiences around the globe to a romantic representation of an untrammelled wanderer.

Australian actor, Colin Friels, whose career has earned Helpmann, Logie and AFI awards, emerges from a tent clad in an oversized clown costume complete with a red nose. Priming his audience like a seasoned entertainer, we are told that over the next hour we will be treated to the tale of his century-long life.

Born on the auspicious eve of 1900 to a gypsy whore on the island of Trinidad, Scaramouche tells the audiences that his life has always been one of adventure. Following his mother’s death, is sold to a snake-charmer in Senegal, sails to Venice with an Italian prince and is briefly married to a Romany child bride before being put to work in a concentration camp in Croatia. It’s here he discovers his flair for buffoonery and Friels’ rendition of ‘The Mime of the Comic Execution’ is devastating. He imitates a holocaust victim being gunned down, their face being painted white, before they rise on the wings of a butterfly.

Alkinos Tsilimidos’ direction elegantly and faithfully stages Butcher’s text by steering clear of zany clichés. The design adds an irresistible glow, featuring Richard Roberts’ set of thick ropes which are strung across fresh grass, Tristan Meredith’s gentle circus tunes and Matt Scott’s lighting that captures dusk turning to the dead of night.

Colin Friels as Scaramouche Jones gives us the impression of having experienced all of the wild and painful moments in this clown’s century-long life. Through his charm, tenderness and inexhaustible presence, Friels makes a mythical figure believable. Transitioning between a variety of accents and characters with ease, Friels never loses grip of the audience’s attention and makes us, possibly, long for a life as long.

Scaramouche Jones is being performed 15 – 25 August at Fairfax Studio, Arts Centre Melbourne. Tickets can be purchased online and by calling the box office on 1300 182 183.

Photograph: Lachlan Bryan

Monologue shares the experiences of Iraqi refugees

By Lois Maskiell 

Elegy shares the harrowing experiences of Iraqi men whose lives are in danger because of their sexuality. Written by Douglas Rintoul, this monologue draws on interviews, literature and reports by human rights organisations to present a collection of fast-paced events that depict frightening violations against human rights.

After its first performance in the UK in 2011, Elegy premiered in Australia in 2016 under the direction of John Kachoyan (Bell Shakespeare, Red Stitch Actors’ Theatre) in a Lab Keplie production. Now, as part of Monash University’s MLIVE program, Kachoyan restages this one-man show, in this instance with actor Gareth Reeves (Pete’s Dragon, Underbelly).

It begins in a classroom where a young man’s left hand, which is likened to devilish habits, is tied behind his chair by a school teacher. The setting is Iraq, a politically unstable country that has been tormented by ongoing conflict since the United States ousted the Sunni dictator, Saddam Hussein. Continuous sectarian warfare has ensued between competing Shiite and Sunni militia, whose ideologies have justified violent anti-LGBTQI+ sentiments within the country. In a one-hour performance, Elegy shows the result of this violence by broadcasting the experiences of Iraqi refugees facing this devastating environment.

Reeves’ earnest and sober delivery narrates a range of situations that jump from Iraq to Syria and to Calais in France with energy and clarity. Predominantly told through an unnamed third person “him” these events speak of love, war, murder and dreams of a new life in Europe. “He calculates the risk of traveling from one end of the city,” Reeves says. “He knows a woman – her cousin killed at the entrance of her house. Killed for loving a woman.”

Elegy is an honest, dark and affecting performance that tackles the challenging task of representing the experiences of those belonging to another culture, of another country, with respect.

Elegy was performed 16 August at the Alexander Theatre, Monash University, Clayton.
See here for more information about the 2018 MLIVE program.

Futures probed in immersive live art experience

By Lois Maskiell

Participatory performance company, one step at a time like this, venture into the intangible world of the future in their latest production, Carnival of Futures. Developed in collaboration with two futurists, this interactive experience is a rumination on time, probability and what lies ahead.

Through a series of one-on-one micro-performances, the show presents an alternate world complete with its own inherent logic that’s as complex and bewildering as reality. The collection of performances is brilliantly chosen; the audience is given a crash course in the field of futurism, guided through mediations on time and encouraged to review our relationship to society and the environment.

Consisting of five performers, five-micro performances, five participants and a waiting room, what seems like a simple design results in a transfixing and absorbing production. After receiving a wearable ticket, the participants file into an eerily lit room filled with arm chairs and books. Over the next 120 minutes, the performers summon the participants, guiding them to their next appointment. This continues until each participant has experienced all of the five encounters.

In an appointment with the Oracle (Bridgette Engeler), who’s an enchanting take on a Delphic seer, we are invited to ask a question. Engeler, a specialist in strategic foresight, muses over the state of our future world, considering population growth, climate change and shifting borders. Coffee with the Mutant Futurist (Jose Ramos) is an informative affair involving a brief history of futurism, a game of chess, and a discussion about which social issues we find most pressing.

The final three encounters, lead by artists Julian Rickert, Clair Korobacz and Sharon Thompson, are equally hypnotising and engaging. These range from listening to an audio extract of The Dry by Hannah Donnelly, to arranging objects in a sand garden and to walking through a metaphorical curtain of time.

At the vanguard of immersive theatre, one step at a time like this, round up a network of ideas that question the role of individual agency and collective responsibility in shaping futures. Carnival of Futures is a playfully clever and mind-altering experience that invites the audience to anticipate, predict, and imagine tomorrow.

Carnival of Futures is being performed 8 – 19 August at Arts House, North Melbourne. Tickets can be purchased online and by calling the box office on 03 9322 3720.

Featuring Suzanne Kersten, Clair Korobacz, Julian Rickert, Bridgette Engeler, Jose Ramos, Sharon Thompson and Katerina Kokkinos-Kennedy. Lighting design by John Ford, set design by Eloise Kent and photograph by Bryony Jackson.

Feel good gender-blind production of much loved classic

 By Narelle Wood

The 3 Musketeers has everything it needs – swashbuckling, ill-fated love affairs and a plot to overthrow the throne – for an enthralling couple of hours of rollicking around the stage.

Porthos, vivaciously portrayed by Scott Jackson, first introduces us to the young D’Artagnan (Lore Burns) and then continues to offer exposition as the young wannabe Musketeer exploits unfold. For those unfamiliar with the story, the Queen (Victoria Haslam) is in love, not with the King (also played by Jackson), but with the Duke of Buckingham (Angelique Malcolm). The Cardinal sensing an opportunity for royal mutiny sets his minions, Rochefort (Lucy Norton) and Milady (Craig Cremin), to intervene and expose the Queen’s love affair. The Musketeers, informed of the Queen’s troubles, through D’Artagnan via the Queen’s seamstress Constance (James Malcher), pledge to protect the Queen and bring down the Cardinal. Misadventure, intrigue and lots of drinking and fighting ensues.

Natasha Broadstock’s adaptation stays relatively true to the original, highlighting the comradery of the Musketeers and the turmoil of Royal court at the hands of the sinister Cardinal, even with the Cardinal never actually appearing in the play. One of the key differences in this production is the gender-blind casting of the roles, and while it would be easy to dismiss this as a ‘production in drag’, nothing is further from the truth. Cremin’s Milady is truly menacing as much as it is manipulative and Malcher is adorable as Constance giving absolute credence to Broadstock’s rationale that “gender is a facet of character, and that playing a gender is part of playing a role”. Broadstock’s direction seemed to find many opportunities for some comedy, whether it be a karaoke-style musical number or the realities of drinking too much – which the Musketeers seem to do a lot of. These moments meant that the play was more about the relationships between Porthos, Athos (Broadstock), Aramis (Malcolm) and D’Artagnan and less about the potential tragedy lurking in the background.

It is really hard to say what my favourite thing about the play was. Jackson’s portrayal of Porthos was charming as much as it was egocentric, and Burns as D’Artagnan was equal parts naivety and bravado, epitomising the eager wannabe Musketeer. It was such a strong cast that it must be said that Broadstock definitely achieved her aim in casting the best person for each part, even with Broadstock stepping in at the last moment as Athos, to replace an ill Joti Gore. The costumes (Romy Sweetnam) were amazing and the venue, Bluestone Church Arts Space, was the perfect setting for a play set in 17^th century France. The only thing was that it was occasionally hard to hear some of the dialogue over the footsteps on floorboards and the clinking of swords, but this was seldom an issue.

I find it a little disconcerting that I found myself smiling and laughing the whole way through this production, given the tragic storyline of betrayal and murder. I never thought I would say that seeing a tragedy was a feel-good night out, but The 3 Musketeers is exactly that, and this production has only increased my love for this classic tale.

The 3 Musketeers is being performed at Bluestone Church Arts Space, Footscray until 11 August. Tickets can be purchased online.

Photographs: Michael Foxington

So, this is the way the world ends, not with a bang… or does it?

By Leeor Adar

Lars Von Trier’s cinematic masterpiece, Melancholia, is conceptually breathtaking and frightening all at once. What begins as wedding party blues turns into the most intimate and bizarrely universal existential crisis. Oh yes, it’s Chekhovian, but as it releases itself, Melancholia leaps away from its inertia and challenges its spectator and characters into asking the big, dark and pulverising questions about life as we know it.

It’s totally arresting cinematically, and a monumental challenge for anyone attempting to adapt it for stage. But this is what Malthouse Theatre maverick Matthew Lutton is drawn to, and what he has taken on with astonishing success. Declan Greene’s writing is an excellent match here for Lutton, and the language takes flight with such rich, fullness that I can smell the manure, woods, and scent that the bride Justine (Eryn Jean Norvill) smells in her heightened state.

The opening of Melancholia immediately reflects the Romantic elements of Von Trier’s world with the floor chandelier, manor-grand carpeting and stunning costuming of glittering light and pearl shades. The ceiling, with its large circular opening, is like a planetarium that dispenses pink confetti to dust the scene with its ominous beauty. Set and costume designer Marg Horwell delivers with immaculate detail, and her work gives an ethereal glow to the whole piece. Paul Jackson’s lighting design triggers the most sensual and terrifying feelings within the audience, as it acutely reflects the hours of time ticking towards doom. These elements are aided by J. David Franzke’s sound design that shakes us to our core from the middle to the crashing end. It takes a powerhouse of a team to bring together this overwhelmingly good production, and the designers delivered threefold.

Act One begins with a wedding party that is so delayed, it turns the bride’s neurotic perfectionist of a sister, Claire (Leeanna Walsman), into a mad manikin. It is a riotously comedic start, and the actors have the opportunity to stretch their talents, namely the mother played by the stellar Maude Davey. The audience, like the characters (sans Justine), are lulled into the lavish evening before the beauty of it all begins to decay in Act Two. The mother’s humour turns into a drunken rampage, Justine steps out of her pearlescent, yet muddied bridal gown as if to remove her mask, and Claire’s husband (Steve Mouzakis) hits peak menace.

Melancholia, without lending itself to the cause, beautifully depicts the shadow of depression and mental illness upon a family. Norvill’s Justine is perfection, reflecting fragility and exerting her numbing power with such grace that I am transfixed by her performance. Walsman, whose stern yet loving resolve is no match for the finality of what is to come, supports Norvill wonderfully. Nature itself caves in upon the sisters as Melancholia, the planet, brilliantly shows itself in the sky with its threatening size and magnetic pull. The pull of the planet seems to elevate Justine out of her hiding place, and I get the impression that it has a similar effect on all of the characters. Everyone reveals their real faces, including Claire’s husband whose cowardice and cruelty emerges breathtakingly, literally.

It’s a hard play to stomach, as you leave the theatre feeling as though you’ve exerted all your power to the planet, Melancholia. The actors, especially Norvill and Walsman, give so much of themselves to the performance that you can just feel the harrowing nature of its undertaking. I found myself unable to tear away my gaze, because the production is simply so beautiful in all of its elements and I found the exertion a worthy exercise. I was particularly triggered by some of the feelings uttered by the characters, as its existential questions sink within the spectator so spectacularly.

You may have been living under a crushing behemoth planet if you had not heard of Von Trier’s work, but I wager you to give Greene’s theatrical adaptation a whirl at the Malthouse Theatre this season. Ground breaking and bold has been Lutton’s mark thus far on the Malthouse, but he absolutely hits his highest notes in his direction of Melancholia.

Melancholia will be performed at the Merlyn Theatre, Malthouse until 12 August. Tickets can be purchased online and by calling the box office on 03 9685 5111.

Photographs: Pia Johnson

Deception and truth probed in metaphysical detective story 

By Lois Maskiell 

In French-Canadian maven of dramatic art Robert Lepage’s metaphysical detective story, truth is interrogated in a seductive narrative. A waiter, a criminologist and an actress are linked by a past murder and in a series of non-chronological events, and their connections to the victim are slowly teased out.

Prolific Australian director, Tanya Gerstle, leads this elegant production of Polygraph which is based on Lepage and Marie Brassard’s internationally staged play as well as the ’96 film of the same title. Re-worked and re-told, Gerstle’s version is intriguing and elusive in its heightened drama and brutal physicality.

Lepage’s playful fusion of unrelated phenomena is made clear from the outset when criminologist, David’s (Grant Cartwright), monologue about blood circulating in the body merges with the words of political science student and waiter, Francois (Lachlan Woods). Francois’ own dialogue is focuses on the Berlin Wall and the flow of traffic between the East and West Germany.

Emily Thomas and Grant Cartwright. Photo by Pier Carthew

Grant Cartwright and Lachlan Woods. Photo by Pier Carthew

Emily Thomas plays the spontaneous Lucie Champage, a friend and neighbour of the disturbed Francois, whose troubled psyche is suggested in his compulsive fits of cleaning and snorting cocaine. Lucie’s chance encounter with criminologist David develops into an unlikely relationship; her lack of restraint contrasts with his analytical mentality. It’s soon revealed that Lucy has been cast for a movie based on true events and will play murder victim, Marie-Claire, who was a close friend of Francois.

This twist is based on a real-life murder case in Quebec City in which a local actress was raped and killed, and those who knew her (including Lepage) were subjected to polygraph tests. When Francois confesses that he was a prime suspect, he tells of his experience undergoing lie detection. It’s the results of the test – or never knowing them – that have caused his psychological demise.

A powerful scene featuring Lucie in an audition positions the audience voyeuristically as the casting agents. We watch the actress lay bare her emotions at command and Thomas’ metamorphosis from a joyful state to one of terror is astounding. These moments that question the deception and truth of emotions peel back the layers of Lepage’s nonlinear story, where everything is questionable, and nothing can be taken as it first seems.

Set in Quebec City during the ’80s, the actors skillfully juggle a range of accents and languages, including American-English, French and German. While not distinctly French-Canadian, their polished accents succeed in creating an atmosphere of a foreign city and add to the production’s illusory nature.

This superb cast of three perform the hyperrational criminologist, the instinctive actress and troubled waiter with force. Their entangled lives unfold in a disjointed narrative, which is bound not only by their sexual relationships, but also by a murder. Situations emerge like dreams and gaps in the story leave room for the audience to render their own interpretation.

OpticNerve has created a brilliant and elusive murder mystery that leaves you searching for a resolution, or perhaps content without one.

Polygraph is being performed 17 – 29 July at Theatre Works, St Kilda. Tickets can be purchased online and by calling the box office on 03 9534 3388.

Photographs: Pier Carthew

The latest play by Pulitzer Prize winning writer Annie Baker celebrates storytelling, procrastination, and the eternal struggle of writer’s block.

By Owen James

Storytelling is at the heart of theatre itself, and crafting the perfect story is a rare and revered act. In The Antipodes, a roundtable of creatives are employed to create stories for an unnamed organisation on an unclear mission that feels mysteriously greater than them.

As weeks and even months pass, these creatives agonise over finding the right idea – a spark that will resonate with audiences like no other. It’s the struggle that has plagued every writer since the beginning of time, and I’m sure we’ve all wondered before – will we ever reach a point when all the ideas have run out? I know I have, and it’s the mounting stress of this idea in The Antipodes that pushes these characters to their boiling point.

It’s a fascinating journey to watch them undergo, and even though the majority of the text is a relaxed spitballing of ideas and stories, the concepts that are raised are universal and often beautiful – even within the most bizarre or extreme monologues. It’s a meditative and reflective room to be in, and the choice of traverse staging is genius – the audience watches the audience, and we become intrinsically aware of how ancient yet unchanged this ritual of storytelling is.

It’s impossible to single out a single one of these performers, as every one of them so truthfully contributes to this celebration of storytelling. They bounce off each other’s energy consistently and make us bawl with laughter – there is clearly a lot of respect between these actors.

The Antipodes is mesmerising and cathartic, and will resonate with any creative fascinated by the genesis of stories and the legacy of art. It comes highly recommended – I found it frankly captivating. Any fans of films like Holy Motors, Melancholia, or The Method will also feel right at home.

The Antipodes is being performed at Red Stitch Actors’ Theatre 10 July – 12 August. Tickets can be purchased online and by calling the box office on 03 9533 8083.

Featuring Ngaire Dawn Fair, Casey Filips, Darcy Kent, Ben Prendergast, Harvey Zielinski, Jim Daly, George Lingard, Dushan Philips and Edwina Samuels. Set & Costume by Design Chloe Greaves, Sound Design & Composition by Dan Nixon, Lighting Design by Clare Springett & Bronwyn Pringle, Design Assistant Alexander Rothnie, Dialect Coach Jean Goodwin, Stage Manager Jackie Mates and Assistant Stage Manager Terri Steer.

Photographs: Jodie Hutchinson

Another side, another story

By Owen James

‘A Public Reading of an Unproduced Screenplay About the Death of Walt Disney’ presents a fictional script penned by Walt himself as a reflection on obsession, self-sabotage, and his own death.

This piece written by US playwright Lucas Hnath and presented by Melbourne’s MKA Theatre of New Writing is absorbing and intriguing. By taking one of the most prolific creative figures in history and questioning and even defacing his memory through a fictionalised and sensationalised characterisation, it leads us to contemplate the purity of some of our own most treasured childhood memories. But just how warped is this portrait of Walt? It’s common enough knowledge that his demeanour didn’t match the friendly family face he exerted publicly, and that his obsessive, antagonistic, and even racist darker sides often inflamed his personal and business lives. The script by Hnath explores this representation of Walt – whether fictional or accurate – and the weight it placed on his family and business decisions in his life.

Tobias Manderson-Gavin plays Walt with an unforgiving intensity that ensures the energy of this show never dips – which is essential, as for the majority of the show it is very visually stagnant, with four actors sitting in chairs reading from their screenplays. He is so present and truthful in every moment, that his unpredictability makes every scene uniquely exciting. Manderson-Gavin is the puppet master of this play just as Walt was of his company, and the control he has over the energy in the room is palpable.

The supporting cast features Kerith Manderson-Gavin as Roy Miller, Lenore Manderson as Diane Miller and Patrick Galvin as Ron – but none of them quite match Tobias’ energy. This seems like a very conscious decision though, as with Tobias launching himself at the night’s atmosphere with absolutely zero reservations, matched energy from the supporting cast would be overkill.

‘The Death of Walt Disney’ has deep, captivating monologues scattered throughout, and it’s these moments that I find most engrossing. The bizarrely absurd world that directors Tobias Manderson-Galvin and Cara Dinley have created is sometimes highly erratic, but it’s this lunacy that keeps it alive. It’s unclear which moments in the show are improvised and how much is genuinely pre-planned or premeditated, but again it is this excitement that makes the wild ride oddly mesmerising.

Find yourself caught up in the world of ‘The Death of Walt Disney’ at The MC Showroom in Prahran, to decide for yourself how falsified or tarnished this account of Walt is – or perhaps how terrifyingly realistic it may be.

‘The Death of Walt Disney’ was performed 11 – 14 July at the MC Showroom as part of Provocaré Winter Festival 2018.

Photographs: Supplied

From West Footscray to West End, Coral Browne’s remarkable story is adapted to stage

By Owen James

The true life story of assertive and determined actress, Coral Browne, is lovingly told in this delightful tour de force, as we watch her recall her journey from West Footscray to the West End, and beyond.

Never heard of Coral Browne? Before this show, neither had I. But this joyful and witty piece of theatre will open your eyes to the incredible life of a bawdy, ambitious Australian actress who found great success across the oceans in England and America. After some brief local success on Australian shores in her teens, she moved to the UK with only fifty pounds, charm and talent. Her career spanned decades and included many mainstage productions and Hollywood films, all while maintaining a busy and eventful personal life – including her marriage to famous horror film actor Vincent Price.

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

She’s certainly deserving of this tribute and indomitable performer, Genevieve Mooy, is utterly exemplary as Browne. Mooy’s Browne is a fierce but elegant woman, unbridled by her era or colleagues – a true force to be reckoned with. Mooy jumps between Browne and other influential characters seamlessly and segues through decades with mounting charm and sass. Mooy is the perfect actress for this role, hitting every comedic beat with laughter-inducing perfection and she ensures that despite Browne’s intrinsic ferocity, she never loses her stoic yet charming composure.

The script and direction by Maureen Sherlock effortlessly combine and maintain a beautiful flow throughout the show. The story races along at breakneck speed just as any good one-hander should, and Sherlock’s portrait of Coral Browne is clearly written with great love and admiration.

I really, really loved this show – it is delightfully charming and hilarious in a manner that is at once uniquely British and Australian – just as I suspect Miss Browne would have been. It’s an exhilarating tale of Australian ambition and success, and gives us a laugh a minute. Miriam Margolyes was spot on with her recommendation: “A must see!”

Coral Browne: This F***ing Lady! runs at Fortyfivedownstairs until 22 July. Tickets can be purchased online and by calling the box office on 03 9662 9966.

Photo credit: Rob George

TAHA – the life and work of a Palestinian poet

By Lois Maskiell

The life and work of poet, Taha Muhammad Ali, receives remarkable attention in Amer Hlehel’s play TAHA. Written in Arabic in 2014, the play has since been translated into English and has toured the United Kingdom at a range of venues including the Young Vic before this Australian premiere.

Presented by Arts Centre Melbourne as part of the Big World, Up Close program, this performance brings a uniquely Middle Eastern perspective to the stage. Though more specifically, it brings the perspective of a Palestinian poet who, born 1931 in the Galilee village of Saffuriyya, saw his town disappear during the 1948 Arab-Israeli War.

Writer-performer Amer Hlehel has constructed a powerful piece based on Taha’s poetry and the biography My Happiness Bears No Relation to Happiness by Adina Hoffman. Hlehel’s lyrical monologue traces Taha’s childhood to adolescence in Saffuriyya, while humorously and tenderly depicting village life. We relive his early passion for reading, his first love, and the moment the Israeli army struck Saffuriyya forcing the village to flee north.

When Taha and his family leave a refugee camp in Lebanon, they relocate to Nazareth where the poet runs a souvenir shop for more than fifty years. His store, a meeting place for artists, still exists today though is now managed by his sons. Self-instructed English speaker and writer, Taha’s individuality is also revealed in the fact that his first book was published when he was fifty two years old. Hlehel’s rendition of the poem Revenge at an Arabic poetry festival in London is a beautiful moment that showcases the recognition Taha began to receive within his life.

Hlehel’s command of both English and Arabic colours his performance and is a magnetic force that draws the audience closer to the culture of the story’s origin. Translator-director, Amir Nizar Subai, accentuates Hlehel’s storytelling with an almost bare stage, save for a bench and suitcase. Subai’s stripped-back, clear direction allows Hlehel to engage his spectators with this engrossing saga.

Between stories of life in the village, Lebanon and Nazareth, an absorbing atmosphere of suffering and loss melds with hope and humour. Momentous life events and comic anecdotes are interrupted by moving poetry. Depending on which language Hlehel choses to speak, Arabic or English translations are displayed in surtitles on the wall.

In a stirring celebration of life and loss, Hlehel leaves political debate in the production’s peripheries. The play, like Taha’s poetry, avoids making direct arguments about Palestine or Israel as nations, but instead forms a stirring account of an individual’s life in a particular time and place.

Taha’s birth town is one of four hundred and eighteen Palestinian villages that Israeli forces destroyed in the 1948 conflict. And, as the play comes to a close, memories of the village as evoked through Hlehel’s accounts vanish with it. The stage is left with nothing but a chair and a briefcase, along with the reminder of the ongoing struggle of Palestinians.

TAHA runs 10 – 14 July at State Theatre, Arts Centre Melbourne as part of Big World, Up Close. Tickets can be purchased online and by calling the box office on 1300 182 183.