Category: Theatre

Theatre

GJ Productions Presents Twelfth Night

An evening of intrigue, love triangles and bawdy humour

By Owen James

It is a true joy to watch Shakespeare performed in Australian accents in an outdoor amphitheatre by lakeside. As the sun slowly sets and the stage lights take over, words and music fill the night (as do the unavoidable mosquitos), and one cannot help but feel magic in the air.

Photograph: Matthew Howat

I will admit that Twelfth Night is easily my favourite Shakespearian comedy and I was pleased this production drew plenty of giggles from the crowd. When the hesitant yet excitable Viola (Chloe Towan) disguises herself as a man, confusion and hilarity ensue for both the princely Duke Orsino (Vincent Kos) and the commanding Olivia (Grace Maddern), as well as their staff and family.

Director Jack Wilkinson has crafted a production that maintains all the traditional Shakespearian elements we expect: intrigue, love triangles, bawdy humour and cross-dressing, while also including contemporary jokes and accents to help a modern audience relate to the material. This works well where included, but is scattered inconsistently throughout. Further inclusion of contemporary references may have helped provide clarity for audience members unfamiliar with the text.

It is amongst the more heightened caricatures of Sir Toby Belch (Joel Norman-Hade) and Sir Andrew Aguecheek (Jacob Mills) that the biggest and best laughs are found. Playing alongside these tricksters are Maria (Madeline Pratt), Fabian (Laura Majzoub), Malvolio (Timothy Ian McMullin) and the audacious Feste (Sean Sully), who as a team clearly enjoy their time performing together, and their enthusiasm reverberates with both cast and audience.

Comrades Sebastian (Jack Hawkins) and Antonio (Jake Matricardi) form the rest of this cast of eleven, contributing effectively to the pace and energy that everyone maintained with full gusto for this two and a half hour performance. However, for such a text-heavy show there were moments where some actors did not seem to understand the full intention behind their dialogue, nor craft believable or memorable characters. The outstanding highlight was undoubtedly actor, Jacob Mills as Sir Andrew Aguecheek, whose delivery and improvisation were exquisite.

Lighting and sound is simple and effective, and masks (Tessa Wallis) and costumes are noticeably colourful and assist in our understanding of this convoluted plot (as does a character map found in the program).

GJ Productions should be applauded for producing family-friendly Shakespeare in Australian accents, and it is wonderful to see a space like the Fairfield Amphitheatre being used on a warm, Melbourne night. So, bring your chairs and picnic baskets along to Twelfth Night, running until January 28th.

Dates: 19 – 28 January
Venue: Fairfield Amphitheatre
Times: 8:00pm
Prices: $9 – $30
Bookings: https://www.gjproductions.net/home
Image by: Matthew Howat

Theatre

Master Class at South Bank Theatre

Amanda Muggleton as Maria Callas takes centre-stage

By Lois Maskiell

The hallowed soprano singer, Maria Callas, known for her penetrating and dark voice is brought to life by Amanda Muggleton in the latest production of Master Class.

Hailed as La Divina, Callas spent much of her life touring internationally and performed at venues such as La Scala and the Metropolitan Opera. In 1971, four years before her death, Callas lead a series of masterclasses at the Juliard School in New York and it’s here that Terrence McNally has located his play.

Directed by Adam Spreadbury-Maher of the Kings Head Theatre, this production that tributes La Divina reveals how great art can immortalise an individual’s life.

SAC THEATRE MASTERCLASS 1 credit Kate Ferguson

When Muggleton struts centre-stage, she reminds us that she has no need for a microphone. Her voluminous voice fills the Lawler Theatre and she’s immediately convincing and engaging. Lecturing her audience on what it means to perform, it appears we’re not simply theatre-goers but students of the masterclass itself.

Three unseasoned yet determined students planted in the audience soon volunteer to sing, accompanied by Manny (Dobbs Frank). The skittish Sophie De Palma (Kala Gare) attempts the aria Ah! non credea mirarti from La Sonnambula, though hardly gets past the first note. The next victim, Sharon Graham (Jessica Boyd) attempts Verdi’s Lady Macbeth, followed by the confident, Anthony Candolino (Rocco Speranza) singing Tosca’s Recondita armonia. Callas grilles each student for not understanding their characters’ emotions which they should be vehemently inhabiting.

All the great characters whom Callas brought to life – Tosca, Lady Macbeth, Medea and Amina – seem to be mirrored in her own experiences. While she shares her past through a series of anecdotes and flashbacks, we’re reminded of her turbulent relationships with her mother, sister, husband Meneghini and lover, Aristotle Onassis.

Callas is presented as a true artist – full of extremes and with a vivacious personality. Encouraging her students to have both “style” and “mut” (German for courage), Muggleton absolutely embraces McNally’s vision of Callas as the ultimate prima donna.

Dates:  5 January – 3 February

Venue: Southbank Theatre, The Lawler

Times: 3:00pm, 6:30pm, 8:30pm

Prices: $85 – $96

Bookings: http://www.mtc.com.au/plays-and-tickets/other-companies/masterclass/

Photo credit: Kate Ferguson

Theatre

Get Curious Over Arts Centre’s Biggest Associated Program to Date

Arts Centre’s Creative Learning Producer, Joshua Cowie on the Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time Associated Program

By Lois Maskiell

Arts Centre Melbourne will host its most extensive associated program to complement award-winning production, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time and its Australian premiere season. Theatre Press caught up with Creative Learning Producer, Joshua Cowie to find out about this curious program and the range of workshops and talks it encompasses, which will allow the public to get involved in this ground-breaking performance.

The Curious Incident of the Night-TimeUK Tour
The Curious Incident of the Night-Time UK Tour

Based on the novel by Mark Haddon and adapted to stage by Simon Stephens, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time is the winner of five Tony Awards and seven Oliver Awards. The play tells the story of Christopher Boone, a teenage boy with an astonishing mind. Christopher is outstanding at mathematics though ill-equipped to decipher everyday life. When he discovers the neighbour’s dog, Wellington has been speared by a garden fork, he embarks on a journey to uncover the truth. Using his mathematical abilities to solve the mystery of Wellington’s death, he uncovers much more than he had first anticipated.

Over the course of almost twenty years within Arts Centre’s Learning Team, Joshua Cowie has never organised such an expanded associated program. “Arts Centre has a large Arts Learning team committed to engaging and enriching the lives of Victorians in and through the performing arts” explained Joshua. “When a world class show like Curious Incident plays in Melbourne it gives us great opportunity to do this in a way commercial theatre cannot” he added.

The selection of emerging creatives workshops on offer are aimed at artists in the early stages of their careers and provide them with the occasion to work alongside industry professionals. These workshops, which have been immensely popular include Prime Composition with Curious Incident composer, Adrian Sutton. “We’re doing a two-day workshop with young composers in Melbourne, just sixteen of them” said Joshua in an interview with SYN Media. “We’re going to both talk about composing for the stage in general and using mathematics as an impetuous to create new art” he continued.

The Playwrights Incubator has Arts Centre, “bringing the actual playwright over from London, Simon Stephens” noted Joshua, “so, he’s coming to do a three-day workshop with emerging under-thirties playwrights.” The Drama Workshop, lead by The National Theatre’s Resident Director has also been exceptionally popular and for those interested in movement, acclaimed physical theatre company, Frantic Assembly (UK) will lead the high-energy workshop, Movement Unconvered.

When asked which workshop excited him most, Joshua replied after a pause: “The Design Academy”. This program “will see a small group of emerging creatives embark on a four-day workshop to reimagine the design of Curious Incident” he noted. “Participants will work with Industry Professionals to produce new artwork inspired by the show in three design areas: sets, sound and video.” Not only will they have the opportunity to create new work in response to the show, they’ll have their work installed in the Playhouse foyer during the Curious Incident season. “To give emerging creatives the opportunity to not just work with established artists, but to be able to show their work to the public at ACM is really exciting” commented Joshua.

Preshow talks and post-show forums are a fantastic way for the general public to learn about the show directly from its cast and creatives. In a range of sessions including the General Insight Talks, Adaptation Insight and Page to Stage talk with Simon Stephens more can be discovered about the production, how it was adapted to the stage and shaped into the acclaimed production it’s become.

The Relaxed Performance makes the production accessible to those who migh not usually attend theatre. It includes, “a whole dedicated main-stage performance of the show where the house lights are left on at fifty percent (and) the auditorium doors are open” explained Joshua in an interview with SYN Media.

This all-encompassing Associated Program that complements the Australian premiere of The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time has something to pique everybody’s interest. Its realisation is not only thanks to ACM’s great relationship with the UK’s National Theatre and Melbourne Theatre Company, but is also a result of the spectacular nature of the show. As Joshua remarked:  “Curious Incident has such great themes to explore – difference, perspective, and incredible staging that will wow Melbourne audiences.”

For tickets and more information:
https://www.artscentremelbourne.com.au/festival-and-series/curious-incident-associated-program

Photo credit:
Brinkhoff/Mögenburg

To listen to Joshua Cowie’s interview on SYN Media:
http://syn.org.au/interview-joshua-cowie/

 

 

 

Review, Theatre, Whats On

Melbourne Shakespeare Company Presents MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING

Blithe, beguiling and fantastically fun

By Leeor Adar

Delivering yet another flamboyant jewel to the Shakespearean scene this summer, Melbourne Shakespeare Company (MSC) returns with Much Ado About Nothing.

Much Ado About Nothing

MSC manages to hook its audiences with its flair for performing some of the great comedies of Bill Shakespeare in a way that is totally enjoyable and easily accessible by audiences of today. So much of the work comes together due to its excellent direction from Jennifer Sarah Dean and her talented crew and ensemble cast.

The start of summer in Melbourne delivered some intense rainfall, and set in the beautiful rose garden of the St Kilda Botanic Gardens, the cast of Much Ado played on. We were thankfully housed under a marquee, but the cast’s professionalism through the occasional lashings of rain was commendable. With white frocks and florals a-plenty, the production was clearly set for warm days and balmy evenings. The use of the rose garden was artful for this production, and the creative use of space in the usual MSC style, was exceptional.

Much Ado is one of the more popular Shakespearean comedies, where the arrows and slings between leads Beatrice and Benedick, make for some enjoyable viewing. If you can get past the cruelty of Claudio’s treatment of Hero, it makes for a charmingly feather-light play.

Leading as Beatrice, Annabelle Tudor embodied the character’s classic snarky attitude and emotional range with humorous flair and passion. Tudor makes an excellent Beatrice, and her understanding of physical comedy (like much of the cast) is quality. As Beatrice’s counterpart Benedick, Fabio Motta gives a charming and delightfully warm performance, which is unusual for the Benedicks of productions past who often resort to snideness and arrogance to portray the character. The pair are supported by a fantastic cast, who perform in lively synchronicity with one another. Madeleine Mason made for a sweet Hero, the cool hippy vibe of the Friar played by Hunter Perske added another dimension to this enjoyable production, and everyone equally jumped in for solid performances and fun. May Jasper and Jonathan Peck were a satisfyingly slapstick pair as Dogberry and Verges, and Khisraw Jones-Shukoor was the definition of disco-sleaze as Don Pedro.

The musical element of this MSC performance was not the strongest, even where it definitely added to the comedy. Musical director Ben Adams, who directed an astonishingly fun and talented a cappella group in The Comedy of Errors in March this year, couldn’t quite get the performers to hit that mark this time with the evident exceptions of the delightful Nicola Bowman (Margaret) and Motta. The enthusiasm was there, but the quality of the musical talent did not match the excellent quality of the acting on this occasion.

A real highlight is Rhiannon Irving’s imaginative costume design, which once again adds a great deal to the delight of the performance. The choice of elegant white was utterly appropriate for the outdoor setting in summer, special mention must be made of the fascinating fascinators fashioned from CD’s, cassette tapes, and heat-affected records, and the consideration that went into Don Pedro’s flashing headgear was noted and greatly appreciated.

Despite the rain I really enjoyed myself, and have no doubt MSC’s future productions will continue to deliver.

You can catch MSC’s Much Ado About Nothing in the beautiful rose garden every weekend of December leading up to Christmas, 2pm and 7pm. For tickets visit: https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/much-ado-about-nothing-by-melbourne-shakespeare-company-tickets-39610284427

Image by Burke Photography

Review, Theatre, Whats On

Poppy Seed Festival Presents BREAD CRUMBS

Witty, self-aware, and with a definite Grimm streak…

By Lois Maskiell

A fresh take on an old tale, Bread Crumbs is a funny, yet cruel portrayal of relationships in modern life. Specially selected for this year’s Poppy Seed Festival, this one-hour show that questions the gendered tropes common to fairy tales is self-devised by a team of recent graduates of the Victorian College of the Arts.

Bread Crumbs.jpg

Ruby Johnston and Benjamin Nichol, along with a talented production team including set and costume designer Joseph Noonan, sound composer Sidney Millar and lighting designer Rachel Lee, have created this highly-stylised performance that traces the journey of brother and sister Hansel and Gretel in a magical landscape loosely set in Australian surburbia.

In the first scene, the lullaby-like music coupled with picture-book costumes of gaudy colour establishes an innocent tone that sharply contrasts the coarse language of Gretel (Johnston), the girl guide whose use of Australian vernacular hits a mature-audiences-only rating in exceptional style. It’s this stark contrast, between the genre of fairy tale and fantastically black humour that keeps this production fresh and quirky to the final scene.

When Gretel escapes her childhood home by running away with Hansel (Nicole), their only means of returning is the deliberately-left bread crumbs that she knows he will eat. This plot to never return home proves successful. Searching for a prince charming, she wanders in the woods, leading her highly-strung brother on an adventure that leads to a dark reality.

When Gretel enters into a relationship with Prince Charming (Nicole), he’s not quite the man she had in mind. The acting and narrative takes a turn towards realism, and an abusive relationship ensues. It’s here that the performance makes its strongest comment on the darker sides of young ‘love’: domestic violence in the suburbs.

Australian cultural references including quips about hard rubbish, vegemite on crumpets and dreams of a man who drinks Corona instead of Melbourne Bitter inject a load of mature humour into this generally playful fable to keep adult audiences engaged.

The acting is highly physical and vocally rich, creating a hyper-real world bursting with energy. Johnston’s driving performance as the bossy, big sister is outstanding and strong, powering the narrative along. Benjamin transitions with ease from the anxious younger brother to the hipster Prince Charming who uses love as an excuse for violence and abuse.

So what’s the moral of story? Perhaps that for a woman in today’s world to truly be free, she must become the narrator of her own life.

Bread Crumbs runs from the 21st of November until the 2nd of December at The Stables, Meat Market in North Melbourne.

http://www.poppyseedfestival.com/events-products/show-3-tickets

Performances, Review, Theatre

Tangled Web Theatre Presents BETRAYAL

Pinter’s work at its finest

By Ross Larkin

Harold Pinter is a somewhat acquired taste. The Nobel Prize-winning British playwright’s work was distinctive in its knack for simplicity and complexity all at once. Betrayal is possibly Pinter’s most interesting example of his preoccupation with the fragility and emotional inconsistency of the human condition and the relationships implicated by it.

Betrayal.jpg

Betrayal examines a chronologically reversed seven-year period in the affair-laden lives of married couple Emma and Robert and their close friend (and Emma’s lover), Jerry. Deception and infidelity are second nature and compulsive to the trio to the extent where the characters themselves lose track and create their own undoing.

Tangled Web Theatre’s production, directed by Bruce Cochrane, succeeds in capturing the mood of the piece: one of subtle tension, heavy pauses and intricate exchanges. Presented sparsely and deliberately, the atmosphere and direction would have made Pinter himself proud.

However, it’s the performers who really shine here. Supported by Michael Fenemore’s solid portrayal in the difficult role of Robert, Eleni Miller, who plays the unapologetic and somewhat sociopathic Emma, is suave yet guarded with a calculated and emotional repression that is natural, absorbing and devastating. Her understated performance is hypnotic and exactly the right measure of Pinteresque.

Tim Constantine as the deceptive Jerry is exceptional, capturing the charm and truthfulness of the character without ever succumbing to any obvious or intentional malice or trickery, but rather, allowing the text to allure and reveal while maintaining Jerry’s authenticity and self-perceived ingenuousness.

The pair are mesmerising from the get-go with a believable and palpable dynamic, rich in nuance and wonder, managing to woo the audience to care and empathise, despite their deceitful, self-absorbed ways.

Betrayal in all its uncomfortable loitering and tension may not be for every taste, but for those who like their theatre raw, brooding and close to the bone, it’s just the ticket. Playing now at the Northcote Town Hall until November 19th nightly at 8pm with 2pm weekend matinees. Booking at www.northcotetownhall.com.au or (03) 9481-9500.

 

Review, Theatre, Whats On

Malthouse Presents THE TESTAMENT OF MARY

Listening for a voice

By Bradley Storer

In the darkened corner of a modern apartment, a woman in blue is curled up weeping and clenching her fists. A stark blackout, and the same woman stands expressionless and walks into the kitchen to chop vegetables. With this bleak contrast of mourning and domesticity, The Testament of Mary begins to unfold the hidden story of the mother of God.

Testament of Mary.jpg

Colm Toibin’s script, adapted from his own novel of the same name, is certainly evocative, and the passages describing Mary following the trail of Jesus’ march to crucifixion, her vigil and eventual terrified flight from Golgotha are as heart-breaking as they are harrowing. While the aim of the play seems to be to break down our historical and religious pre-conceptions of Mary, in Testament she never emerges as enough of a fully-formed character to do this. In sections describing her situation years after the crucifixion, flashes of a full-blooded Mary emerges – in a poignant description of a chair left eternally empty waiting for its occupant to return, or in her bafflement in dealing with the outlandish declarations of her son’s former followers, we can see her humanity appearing. Once the play moves on to re-telling Jesus’ rise and subsequent downfall, however, Mary becomes a reactionary character with no agency to affect her own fate. She is simply shuffled around according to the actions and desires of other (mostly male) characters, whether it be her mysterious cousin Marcus or Jesus himself, but what Mary herself desires is very rarely evident.

Pamela Rabe works incredibly hard to form a character out of these materials, and the fact that Testament works at all as a dramatic piece can be credited entirely to her as a brilliant actor. The unrelenting darkness and bleakness of Toibin’s writing begins to feel almost monotone as the play goes on, which unfortunately the direction of Anne-Louise Sarks seems unable to combat. The contemporary apartment set by Marg Horwell and Paul Jackson – while maybe intended to divorce the story of its distant historical context – alas adds nothing to the overall meaning. Steve Toulmin’s compositions and sound design, while sometimes overused, add subtle poignancy and gravitas to several key moments.

The Testament of Mary is described as having the goal of ‘to examine how myths are made, and to question who has the power to tell them’ but never offers up a strong enough voice of its own or an alternative to accepted mythology. The key divergence from biblical text, that Jesus was not the son of God, doesn’t feel like enough of a dramatic twist to build the entire plot upon. For a play about the historical silencing of women and the narrative exclusion of the feminine viewpoint, The Testament of Mary feels oddly voiceless.

Dates: 3 – 26th November

Venue: Merlyn Theatre, The Malthouse, 113 Sturt St, Southbank VIC

Times: Tuesday 6:30pm, Wednesday – Saturday 7:30pm, Matinee Saturday 3pm, Sunday 5:30pm.

Prices: $35 – $69

Bookings: www.malthousetheatre.com.au , boxoffice@malthousetheatre.com.au , Ph: 03 9685 5111

Image by Zan Wimberley

Performances, Review, Theatre

La Mama Presents THE CHAIRS

Intelligent and effective production of Ionesco’s classic play

By Leeor Adar

Eugène Ionesco was a notable writer in the French avant-garde and absurdist theatre, and a theatre-maker that found art in considering the futility of man. Like many of his contemporaries, Ionesco was the product of a world of wars and ideas. The Chairs is one of Ionesco’s earliest major works, and perhaps the play that depicts humanity’s futility and absurdity at its finest.

THE-CHAIRS-photo-Jeff-Busby.jpg

The premise follows an old man and woman, currently isolated from the rest of society, preparing to entertain a hoard of guests for the old man’s message to the world. The sea surrounds the bored pair as they plod through their lives, reliving the excitement of stories already told and vistas already explored. The old woman serves as the vessel from which the man relays his moments of glory (or the moments of glory he could have had), while the old man unsteadily looks upon the world from his ladder, eyeing the boats that pass them in the distance – a promise of life elsewhere. The claustrophobia in Ionesco’s language is palpable – the pauses that linger and the poignant sense that these two characters live within one another and no where else.

Award-winning writer and artistic director Jenny Kemp directs this La Mama production, bringing to secluded life the void of the old man (Robert Meldrum) and the old woman (Jillian Murray). The performance space of the La Mama theatre enhances the stifling intimacy of the writing and characters, and the adroit lighting design (Rachel Burke) and sound design (Russell Goldsmith) heighten this intense experience further.

The quality of the acting is excellent here: Meldrum and Murray inject so much energy into this production, and we utterly believe their characters’ profound desperation and manic highs and lows. The language of Ionesco is handled with real care and attention to detail; Kemp’s vision is clear and we as an audience feel crowded in by the invisible audience the play brings onto stage, culminating in the greatest chair pile-up I expect La Mama has ever seen.

This production is quite exhausting for the audience, but this was necessary given the content of the play. What starts as hopeful energy becomes devoured by the exasperation of the characters trying to bring their message to life and be seen and valued in their world. The arrival of the Emperor – another invisible force – brings the turning point upon which lives of the old couple have reached completion. There are comic moments in this journey, and there are universal truths about our existence worth contemplating during the course of the play.

Kemp’s The Chairs is impressively successful in mastering what it wants on stage, but whether every audience can patiently journey with the characters of Ionesco’s play is another proverbial ladder to climb altogether.

The Chairs played at La Mama Theatre from 5-15 October, 2017. Visit http://lamama.com.au/ for information about upcoming productions.

Image by Jeff Busby

Festivals, Review, Theatre

Melbourne Festival 2017: ALL THE SEX I’VE EVER HAD

Momentous and moving theatre

By Myron My

Not many people think about sixty-five-year-olds having an active sex life. Even Hollywood films rarely have characters of that age talking about sex, and when it does happen, it’s usually emphasised for comedic value. However, in All The Sex I’ve Ever Had, Mammalian Diving Reflex and director Darren O’Donnell bring six people over the age of 65 together and have them share their memories from their birth right up until the present day – to a roomful of strangers.

allthesexieverhad.png

All The Sex I’ve Ever Had has toured around the world and what makes this a unique experience is that it is always performed by locals to that area, so each season is going to be completely different as the stories shared are based on the performers’ own life. The structure is simple enough with the six cast – Beatrix, Brenda, Lionel, Noel, Philip and Suzie – sitting behind a table, and as our 20 year-old MC and sound designer Moses Carr announces each year through a microphone, they share with us important moments of their lives. The fact that we are able to get a real picture of who these people are through a few sentences for each year is a testament to the collaborative efforts between the creative team and the performers in threading six narratives together that are engaging and meaningful to the audience.

To speak of the adventures and tribulations shared would be to break the pledge of not gossiping about what’s discussed that we take before the show begins. However, this is more than just titillating stories of sexual escapades, and while sex – and all its manifestations – plays a big part in each of these people’s lives, All The Sex I’ve Ever Heard is an opportunity for those over 65 to be heard – really heard – and for their sex lives and sexuality to be as respected as younger generations’ are.

As the cast relayed all their stories, it reminded me of many of my own stories and my encounters with sex, love and everything in between. While I was born decades later, some of what is shared is actually very similar to the experiences that many still face today, including dark and profound issues such as rape, assault, sexuality, drug addiction and death. At various time throughout the evening, as one of the cast would share an anecdote such as their first open relationship, they would then throw the question out to the audience with the creative team behind the show questioning these people on their own experiences. In doing so, the idea of audience member and performer became blurred with some very honest responses, creating an intimate community of respect within the theatre.

After traversing over 80 years of highs and lows of these people’s lives, we exit to the foyer where each cast member has personal items on display that provide us with an even deeper understanding of who they are, and create a stronger bond with us. It’s a fitting way to end a beautiful evening of human connection that crosses genders, sexualities and age.

All the Sex I’ve Ever Had ran until October 15 as part of the 2017 Melbourne Festival at Arts Centre Melbourne, 100 St Kilda Road, Melbourne.

Upcoming Mammaliam Diving Reflex projects: http://mammalian.ca/

Review, Theatre, Whats On

Prince Moo Productions Presents CALENDAR GIRLS

Joyous, liberating, and fabulous fun

By Jessica Cornish

Calendar Girls, presented by Prince Moo Productions, is an empowering, uplifting tale that celebrates life and ageing, and finds humour and compassion in times of sadness and grief.

Calendar Girls.jpg

Known to most from the famous film, the transition of a well-loved story from screen to stage can sometimes be a bit hit-and-miss. However, Calendar Girls makes the transition flawlessly under the direction of Peter J. Snee, and with screen-writer Tim Firth having converted his own script for the play. Warm, witty and moving – the stage show stands so strongly upon its own worth that I didn’t even find myself mentally comparing moments of the play to the film.

The story is based on true events, when eleven Yorkshire women aged between 45-65 who dared to pose nude to create an alternative Women’s Institute (WI) charity calendar in an effort to raise money for cancer research after the death of one of the WI member’s husband’s, John Baker.

This entertaining production has a strong female cast who literally bare all in their portrayal of the gutsy and cheeky characters who challenged perceptions of women over the age of 45, and of the women’s institute, permanently.  Leading ladies Jenny Seedsman and Abi Richardson played Chris the vivacious and pushy friend to the lovable and gentle soul Annie respectively, and the duo gave a wonderful performance in portraying the emotional rollercoaster ride of the characters’ friendship. Furthermore, they were well-supported by talented and impressive local actresses including Tottie Goldsmith, Lulu McClatchy, Kate Gorman and Francesca Waters forming the delightfully infamous Yorkshire WI gang.

The entire play is centred around the local village church hall, and while single-set decisions like this can sometimes make shows seem stagnant, the intimacy and familiarity fit well for this performance. The props and scenery by John Kerr were therefore minimal but appropriate, while the lighting design by Jason Bovaird adroitly indicated to the audience the changing of the days and provided valuable points of time and reference in the absence of scenery changes.

Unfortunately there were problematic audio issues the night I attended, but I have faith that these have been quickly ironed out as the season has progressed. My only other niggling point of the evening was the concluding scene featuring the sunflowers, which I found reminiscent of a high-school pantomime with a clunky set-change right at the end, and which I felt didn’t match the entertaining heights of the rest of the production.

That said, the story of Calendar Girls is metaphorically rich, emotive and inspiring, and this production is a wonderful and engaging stage adaptation that can be enjoyed by all ages.

Athenaeum Theatre

27 September to 7th of October 2017

7:30pm start and an extra 2:30 matinee on Saturday

Tickets range from $69-$100

Bookings via ticketek.com.au or the Athenaeum Theatre Box Office