Events, Performances, Review, Theatre, Whats On

REVIEW: Backyard Theatre Presents UNCONDITIONED HEART

Jack and Jill reunited

By Darcy Whitsed

As most theatre-goers in Melbourne know, or should know, the La Mama Theatre is both a hub for creative independent works as well as an extremely intimate space. This was the setting for Backyard Theatre’s new show Unconditioned Heart that opened this week.

The show starred four actors: Vanessa Chapple (Woman), Lily Fish (Jill), Rob Gaetano (Jack), Paul Roberts (Man) and a puppeteer Dan Goronszy, and was focused around the return of Jack to his sister Jill after being overseas for several years.

Unconditioned Heart

Unconditioned Heart utilized a lot of different theatrical elements to tell its story, combining movement, shadow puppetry, scenes of dialogue between Jack and Jill ranging from realistic to non-naturalistic and story-telling monologues from both lead characters. Most of these elements blended very well together, however there were times (such as during the shadow puppet sequence) when there was simply too much happening, especially the abstract movement. On the tiny La Mama stage it became almost distracting, and hard to focus on all of the action. That being said, Lily Fish’s exquisite monologue combined with the exceptional shadow puppetry (the stage was cleverly hidden in the solitary set element of a cupboard) provided the audience with a gorgeous moment that in my opinion stole the show.

Lily Fish was definitely the stand-out performance. Her character Jill had such a sense of sadness, desperation and vulnerability in her interactions with the other characters, none of which was explicitly explored in the story but it was incredible to see the nuances of emotions and thought that had gone into her performance. The other ensemble members were also very strong with a lot being demanded of them in terms of the different performance elements that were used to convey the story, such as movement and non-verbal communication.

The technical elements of Unconditioned Heart were very well considered for the venue and style of the production. La Mama is very small so everything is extremely visible and raw to the audience members and this fact was definitely not ignored in the design of the show. The lighting and sound effects were simple but well-used and the scenes flowed together efficiently and were marked effectively with lighting changes.

The costuming was also simple, representing the different characters’ personalities, but seemed a little too random and it would have been satisfying to see a more unified decision or element within the ensemble.

Overall, Unconditioned Heart is a short, sharp, thought-provoking piece of theatre. It ambitiously combines a wide range of performance elements that for the most part work well, but at times seem to not synchronize perfectly. It is carried by strong actors and gorgeous shadow puppetry.

Where: La Mama Theatre, Carlton

When: May 22nd – June 2nd 2013

Time: Wed – Fri 6.30pm, Sat – Sun 8.30pm

Tickets: Full $25, Conc $15

Bookings: (03) 9347 6142 or online

Comedy, Events, Review, Theatre, Whats On

REVIEW: One Man, Two Guvnors with MTC

Comedy chaos from a slapstick script

By Ross Larkin

If you’re a lover of farce or pantomime – you are, no doubt, in for a treat with One Man, Two Guvnors.

Owain Arthur (Francis Henshall) in One Man, Two Guvnors at the Theatre Royal Haymarket. Photo credit Johan Persson

Based on Goldoni’s 1746 work, The Servant of Two Masters, Richard Bean’s version smacks of slapstick, and then some. Played out with such frantic urgency from the get go, it’s necessary at times to sit back and take a breather from the hysteria.

Owain Arthur plays Francis, a rolypoly Welshman caught in a cat-and-mouse-frenzy between a woman disguised as her dead gangster brother (Rosie Wyatt) and a small-time crook (Leon Williams), along with additional obstacles (namely the crook’s daughter played by Kellie Shirley, and the gangster’s fiancé performed by Edward Bennett).

The energy and commitment of the actors is constant and remarkable. Arthur, in particular, is frankly genius in such a farcical role. Boisterous physical comedy, spontaneous jokes and audience interaction come naturally to the accomplished actor, as does his ability to improvise when things steer off course.

The supporting cast do well to compliment Arthur, considering how seemingly easy it might be to fall into the shadow of such a showman, and at times, offer a few unique laughs themselves.

One’s overall enjoyment of this production, however, largely depends on one’s appreciation for the acquired genre of farce.

Even if completely lost in the madness, the theatrical language and manic, farcical physicality can often instruct an audience when to laugh, regardless of true comical value.

Clowns and caricatures may delight some as they pick on unsuspecting patrons in the first row, or ask the audience for answers. “Could this be happening? What to do? What to do?” is an example of the degree to which One Man, Two Guvnors trips into pantomime territory.

However, traditional theatre goers may be bored to tears with the protagonist asking the audience for a sandwich repeatedly, or the hillbilly musical interludes, which, although polished and noteworthy, overstay their welcome.

Sadly, Bean’s script is low on witty dialogue, and relies very heavily on physical comedy and engaging performances, which, thankfully, have both been recruited in this British National Theatre tour.

Be warned, though, if melodramatic malarkey and audience participation are not your cup of tea: in spite of their success in those areas, there is little else left to offer.

One Man, Two Guvnors by Richard Bean is playing now at Melbourne’s Arts Centre Playhouse until June 22, 2013. Tickets available at http://www.mtc.com.au or by calling the Box Office on 03 8688 0800.

Events, Festivals, Performances, Review, Theatre, Whats On

REVIEW: The Daniel Schlusser Ensemble’s MENAGERIE

A daring exploration of the essence of a life

By Christine Moffat

Menagerie is a composite of many ideas, combining the real and imagined life and companions of playwright Tennessee Williams. This is experimental theatre, bordering on performance art, something that the Daniel Schlusser Ensemble has become known for. A circus of characters in and around a small, seedy shack create a cacophony of noise and movement. It’s a risky combination: when it worked, it created sublime theatrical experiences. When it didn’t, the result was prettily arranged tableaux better suited to photography.

Menagerie

There is no arc or emotional journey within this show. This type of experimental work is aiming for more than a good story: it is seeking the essence of an event, or in this case, a life. Through a controlled mayhem, director Daniel Schlusser weaves six incredibly capable actors into a tragically beautiful tapestry. Throughout the piece, the cast became a dysfunctional family. Each performance seemed to exploit the personal strengths of each actor. Josh Price (Williams) and Zahra Newman (Ozzie) both delivered powerful, potentially dominating performances. Price was particularly interesting as the many dishevelled versions of Williams. These larger roles were tempered and complimented by the subtle work of Kevin Hofbauer (Frank) and Edwina Wren (Rose). Jane Badler (Edwina) and Karen Sibbing were erratic, tragic and hilarious, and owned the audience more than once.

The set, designed by Dale Ferguson, was almost a character in itself. It consisted of the claustrophobic hut, surrounded by an assortment of rough amenities that suggested both squalor, and the enmeshed, suffocating family that plagued the real Williams. Although not emotionally affecting in the way a traditional theatre piece would be, Menagerie achieves a sense of truth about Williams’ internal world that you instinctively believe. The ensemble appear to have taken what is known about Williams the artist and worked backwards to present a valid hypothesis of how that complex man was created. This achievement indicates the method in their mayhem.

Menagerie (part of NEON Festival of Independent Theatre)
Venue: MTC Southbank Theatre, The Lawler
Dates: 18 to 26 May 2013
Show times: Tues – Sat 8pm, Sun 5pm (duration 90mins + interval)
Tickets: $25
Bookings: 03 8688 0800 or www.mtc.com/neon

Comedy, Performances, Review, Theatre, Whats On

REVIEW: True Love Travels on a Gravel Road

Exciting new theatre is right on track

By Christine Moffat

True Love Travels On A Gravel Road is billed as a comedy-drama, but this interesting new work leans more towards a modernised tragic-farce romance.  This is by no means a bad thing.The play was entertaining, funny and surprisingly moving.

True Love Travels - Photos by Sophie Dewhirst and Glenn van Oosterom

The key to this work succeeding (and it does) is the skilful collaboration of writer Jane Miller and director Beng Oh.  With the assistance of a very capable cast, they have created a world where the characters can exist and be real.  These characters rely heavily on classical theatre archetypes and as a result are all slightly larger than life, leading to many comic moments.  Interestingly though, they are also well-drawn human beings, especially demonstrated through the use of everyday dialogue which on the whole made them very relatable. The set (by Christina Logan-Bell) is a stylised, neutral-coloured corrugated iron shed, allowing the location to be anywhere at any time.  This clever device results in some great plot reveals that could have been pre-empted if the set had given too much away.

The stand-out performances on opening night were by Elizabeth McColl (Glenda), David Kambouris (Richard) and Glenn van Oosterom (Jake).  All of these actors pushed the scope of their performances to the outer edge of realism, but their risk paid off with three of the most affecting characters in both the comic and dramatic moments.  That being said, all performances were strong.  The entire ensemble filled the piece with energy and emotion, and the audience responded positively to every character.

Unfortunately this reviewer feels that by inserting an interval at a critical point in the action the sense of tension was lost, and it took time to regain that atmosphere once the show recommenced.  The play is roughly standard length (90 minutes), and modern audiences are well accustomed to sitting through an entire performance without interval.  The production is compelling enough to risk removing the interval to keep its pace, for overall, True Love Travels on a Gravel Road is inventive and fresh, and a great blend of comedy and pathos.

Venue: fortyfive downstairs, 45 Flinders Lane, Melbourne

Season dates: 17 May to 2 June 2013

Show times: Tues – Sat 8pm, Sun 5pm

Tickets: $37 Full, $30 Conc, $33 Group 6+

Bookings:      03 9662 9966

                        www.fortyfivedownstairs.com

Comedy, Events, Musical Theatre, Review, Whats On

REVIEW: Legally Blonde – The Musical

Omigod, you guys – Lucy Durack is the new pink!

By Kim Edwards

Appropriately playing at The Princess Theatre (that has enjoyed a facelift in pink lighting for the occasion), Legally Blonde – The Musical has opened in Melbourne. Based on the 2001 Reese Witherspoon romantic comedy, Elle Woods, a beautiful blonde sorority girl from Malibu, is dumped by her boyfriend and decides following him into Harvard law is the only solution for winning him back. It’s fluffy, frivolous, decidedly fuchsia – and wonderfully good fun.

LEGALLY BLONDE key image (c) Brian Geach

Lucy Durack as Elle is simply effervescent: that beautiful lucid voice and irrepressible vivaciousness on stage is coupled with astute comic timing and delicate character nuances. The effect? Irresistible! Rob Mills does a sound job as Elle’s smarmy ex, Warner, and his song ‘Serious’ is a musical highlight. Cameron Daddo is svelte and smooth as predatory Professor Callahan, while Helen Dallimore comes into her own by the second act when she lets loose as Elle’s new best friend Paulette, and Mike Snell is uproariously funny in his cameo as sexy delivery man Kyle. However, it is David Harris who wins the most hearts as scruffy love interest Emmett Forrest: his disarming naturalism forms an appealing contrast to the high theatricality of the rest of the cast.

For this is definite musical comedy, from the cheer-leading dance moves and cute Barbie doll sets to the scene-stealing antics of Bruiser the purse puppy and Rufus the bulldog. Most of the changes made to get the movie onto the stage are admirable, with new topical jokes and witty lyrics: the opening number ‘Omigod You Guys’ and the cheeky ‘Is He Gay or European?’ are both hilarious and endearing. Less successful is the rather awful title song, the problematic implications of the infamous ‘bend and snap’ technique, and the rather silly plot developments in Act Two, whereby we are left wondering what Elle has actually accomplished for her career and her gender if the legal system and ‘real world’ outside of Delta Nu proves to be as ridiculous and sexist as sorority life.

However, these minor quibbles ultimately do not detract from the merits of this particular Australian production. Legally Blonde – The Musical is pretty in pink, joyously energising, and sparklingly funny. The costumes aren’t always as visually exciting as one might hope, but there is plenty of colour and spectacle, elegant and fluid scene changes, excellent character work from the rest of the cast – and Lucy Durack. Come prepared to fall a little bit in love with this show – and a lot in love with its leading lady.

Legally Blonde is now playing at The Princess Theatre in Melbourne. Tickets are available online through Ticketmaster or ph: 1300 111 011.

Comedy, Events, Performances, Review, Whats On

REVIEW: Michael Burke and CUBEHEAD

A show that thinks outside the square

By Myron My

In Cubehead, Michael Burke creates two characters, each with their own existential crisis. One is the eponymous extra-terrestrial Cubehead, and the second is… well, Michael Burke.

Cubehead

Burke fuses the stories of two very different beings as they search for something more to life than what’s just around them. The respective narratives were strong but the transitions between Cubehead and Burke’s tales were a little awkward.

Initially the device was quite humorous, but continually having a recording advising the audience when to open and close their eyes to allow Burke to prepare for the next scene forced us to come out of the experience and reminded us that we are watching a show.

The pre-recorded narration also posed an issue with pace and flow in Cubehead. At times, Burke would be standing on stage, waiting for the narration to be completed before continuing on with the show. Even though he would sometimes be waiting in character, it was very difficult as an audience member to remain engaged with the performance in this way.

However, there are some genuinely funny moments scattered throughout, and a good level of creativity (seeing what Burke can do with some old Nokias was a highlight).

Naturally, Burke seemed very relaxed and more comfortable when he was himself, especially when reminiscing about the ten-day silent ‘retreat’ he went on. The people he met there and things he experienced had us all intrigued and could easily have been a show on its own.

Cubehead is not a performance where the laughs are fast and loud: Burke is not jumping around being wildly animated and attention-seeking. He has a quiet persona on stage and it is ultimately his subtle and intelligent humour that wins the audience over. This is a gentle comedy show that will have you thinking (and surprised four times). Oh – and bring a Furby…

Venue: The Butterfly Club, 256 Collins St (entry via Carson Place)

Season: Until 19 May | 9:00pm, Sun 8:00pm

Tickets: $23 Full | $20 Conc

Bookings: www.thebutterflyclub.com

Circus, Events, Review, Theatre, Whats On

REVIEW: Fear & Love & Clowns at THE MALTHOUSE

You think you know clowning…?

By Myron My

Fear & Love & Clowns is the first production from Fear & Love, a group of five soon-to-be graduate actors from the Victorian College of the Arts. Using clowning at its most fundamental level, we follow the story of four clowns who find themselves embroiled in a villainous plot.

There is a nice blend of slapstick and pantomine in this show: the characters bumble and stumble and fall, and sometimes the humour does get a little crass. However, there is great heart to the story which is told mainly through mime. The five actors – Alistair Frearson, Chelsea Zeller, Emil Freund, Tristsan Barr and Michael Gosden – successfully develop the narrative through animated and dynamic movement, gestures and facial expressions.

fear-love-clowns

Furthermore, the performers display a high level of character physicality and give great individuality to their roles. Personally, I found Frearson to be quite exceptional in his clowning persona, as was Freund as the ‘straight’ clown. Frearson was also particularly strong as the villain of the piece, and really did create some genuinely tense moments with his evil doings.

Fear&Love&Clowns has solid direction, and a great production team behind it with Jackson Trickett on lighting and Bart Welch on sound with the latter’s vocal effects adding much to the show. On a performance level, whilst the energy generally remained high,  it did waver occasionally with a few flat moments here and there. The cast and crew have done their best to keep the action short and pumping, but perhaps these moments still need addressing.

Fear & Love have attempted to engage their audience not only as observers but as participants in openly reacting to what we seeing – which is not hard when we’re offered themes such as sex, revenge and murder. Yes, this is still just clowning at heart, but it is a very different type of clown show – especially with an ending that would make Stephen King’s IT proud…

Venue: Tower Theatre, The Malthouse, 113 Sturt St, Southbank.

Season: Until 18 May | 7:00pm

Tickets: $28

Bookings: http://www.malthousetheatre.com.au or 9685 5111

Musical Theatre, Performances, Review, Whats On

REVIEW: Amity Dry in MOTHER, WIFE AND THE COMPLICATED LIFE

Reality TV star turns music theatre mum

By Jessica Cornish

Swapping her reno boots for stage shoes, Amity Dry the 2013 Block All Stars winner has written and produced her premiere musical comedy, Mother, Wife and The Complicated Life, exploring the not-so-glamorous side of motherhood and marriage.

Following the lives of four female friends, we learn how each woman is struggling to juggle her own situation. Kate (played by Amity) finds herself pregnant to a man she has only been with six months, and feels that motherhood is consistently beyond her.

Mother Wife and the Complicated Life

Meanwhile, Lily (Rosanne Hosking) is believed to have the perfect marriage but business finds her relationship crumbling, Jessie (Rachel McCall) is the young newlywed bridezilla who is determined to maintain her sex life and not become a boring grumpy mother, and finally Bec (Nikki Aitken, who stole the show) provides comic relief as she gets on with all the everyday, thankless tasks that a mother just does.

Disappointingly, the production side of the show struggled at this venue. Several audio cues were missed, leaving cast talking without amplification, and the lighting was poorly focused, creating patchy dark spots across the stage. Some of the staging was odd whereupon on numerous occasions the cast were performing with their back to the audience: it would have been nice to see their faces rather than their back sides.

However, don’t get me wrong! The crowd really loved this show: the audience were consistently laughing and cheering through the performance, so I don’t think they were affected by the technical issues.

The songs were cheeky and blunt, but then serious when needed with some beautiful four-part harmonies. All the performers were excellent singers, and with the majority of them coming from strong musical-theatre backgrounds, their individual performances were faultless.

Mother,Wife and The Complicated Life will be performed tonight at 8pm at Karralyka Theatre in Ringwood East, before heading up to Sydney and Adelaide.

 

SYDNEY: Everest Theatre

Date: 23 May- 1 June, Wed – Fri 8pm, Sat 2pm & 8pm

Tickets: $59.50, Conc $55.50, VIP $89.50

Bookings: 02 9351 7940

 

ADELAIDE: Star Theatre

Date: 7 June, 8pm

Tickets: $49.50, Conc $44.50

Bookings: http://www.motherwifemusical.com/events/Default.aspx?EventGroupID=1

Events, Review, Theatre, Whats On

REVIEW: One for the Ugly Girls at LA MAMA

Things get ugly

By Myron My

In One for the Ugly Girls by Tahli Corin, Alistair (Syd Brisbane) is an artist searching for a lookalike of his late wife so that he can bring her back to life on canvas.

One For The Ugly Girls

Jade (Lori Bell) responds to his request online and although she is not the ideal image of beauty and not exactly what Alistair has envisaged, he agrees to paint her – until a second Jade (Hannah Norris) arrives and things get a little complicated.

Most of the themes that One for the Ugly Girls deals with are skimmed through and not much closure or complexity is given to the characters. The intense themes of loss, holding on to the past and longing to be loved are all present but they are just glossed over.

Furthermore, there is a lot of raw emotion in the play and sadly, it is to its detriment. The scenes of excessive shouting and yelling seem unnecessary and moments of anger towards others appear without real motive or reason.

Unfortunately Brisbane fails to get the audience to empathise with Alistair as we never really get to know what he is thinking and who he really is. There are a few times when the choices he makes seem to be completely out of character. Furthermore, the motivations of the two Jades for doing what they have done are never explained and you are left with quite a few questions by the end.

In saying that, I would have liked to see more of the two Jades’ relationship. Even though this was predominantly a story revolving around Alistair, there was so much going on between the two girls that it warranted some form of exploration, and suggested a history to be expanded upon.  However, both Bell and Norris put in very strong performances and play their characters quite convincingly given the material they’ve got.

Overall, I felt stronger direction was needed by first-time director Adriana Bonaccurso for a play such as this, to allow the story to evolve in a more organic way. One for the Ugly Girls had the potential to be something special but lost its way in the process.

Venue: La Mama Theatre, 205 Faraday Street Carlton

Season: Until 19 May | Wed, Fri 8:30pm. Thurs, Sat-Sun 6:30pm

Tickets: $25 Full | $15 Conc

Bookings: http://lamama.com.au or 9347 6948

Events, Review, Theatre, Whats On

REVIEW: The Good Person of Szechuan by BERTOLT BRECHT

Brecht play is for goodness’ sake

By Myron My

The Good Person of Szechuan, directed by Laurence Strangio is a theatrical parable by Bertolt Brecht being performed at La Mama. The play has the typical conventions of Brecht: the audience interaction, the direct speaking to the viewers, symbolic props and the opportunity for the unique use of the stage – and if you have been to La Mama before you will be amazed to see how it has been transformed.

The-Good-Person-Of-Sichuan-web

The play, as with many of Brecht’s works, has a profound social statement to make, this time about what is good, how do we become good and more importantly who decides who is good. Furthermore, it looks at various addictions such as tobacco, heroin and selfishness. Despite the frenetic nature of the play and at times, its absurdist humour and fantastical nature, the themes explored are done so with care and honesty.

The cast (Marc Lawrence, James Deeth, Carmelina Di Guglielmo, Zoe Ellerton-Ashley, Terry Yeboah and HaiHa Le) portray a total of 25 characters which adds to the intensity of Brecht’s work. Most likely due to my attending on a preview night, there were some characters that feel more authentic and fleshed-out than others but the passion from the actors is constant so I was only too willing to overlook this. I was impressed with Di Guglielmo’s portrayals of both God 2 and Mrs Shin, and with Yeboah’s characterisation of Yang Sun especially.

HaiHa Le has the difficult task of depicting Shen Te the prostitute and Shui Ta the cousin, and does particularly well in portraying the innocence and goodness of the former.

There are so many thought-provoking scenes in this play and with a running time of almost two and a half hours, an intermission would have been a nice break. This was apparent especially towards the end where the pace slows down a bit and the exhaustion of what has transpired begins to make itself felt on the audience.

The preview night performance of The Good Person of Szechuan was thoroughly enjoyable and provoked much discussion with the issues it covered and its solid ensemble casting.

Venue: La Mama Courthouse, 349 Drummond St, Carlton

Season: Until 26 May | Wed 6:30pm, Thu-Sat 8:30pm, Sun 6:30pm, Wed 1:00pm (except May 8) and Thurs 11am.

Tickets: $25 Full | $15 Conc

Bookings: http://lamama.com.au or 9347 6948