Friday Five: Top Theatre Picks of 2018

P.J. Williams as Poprishchin in Diary of a Madman

I saw 23 works of theatre this year across four cities. I saw a lot of comedy too, but I'm not including that in my reviews (apart from the one that was performed at the Comedy Festival and is, therefore, a cross-over). Obviously, we all know that a review is one person's opinion so my favourites may well be different from others' - that doesn't mean that anyone is right or wrong; just that we are different. For the record, my top five productions this year are (in alphabetical order):

1. Diary of a Madman (produced by The Street at Street 2) - With an excellent set, technical design (Imogen Keen), controlled direction (Caroline Stacey) and superb acting (P.J. Williams and Lily Constantine), this brilliant piece of theatre is both claustrophobic and expansive. The two actors occupy the entire space and their own minuscule territory, while the issues raised are both intimate and universal. Nikolai Gogol's bleak commentary on the madness within bureaucracy is sharply tuned by David Holman's stage adaptation. As an exploration of the way we mentally process mundanity and turn the monotonous into the momentous, this is scintillating drama. It deserves to be seen and discussed at length.
2. Exclusion (produced by David Atfield at The Street Theatre) - Imagine Closer meets Macbeth drenched in politics and The Pet Shop Boys, and you'll be somewhere near an appreciation of this play. It's a privilege to see new, local work of this calibre on stage. Well-written and sharply executed (David Atfield is the writer and director), it focuses on the big issues of honesty, ambition, integrity, sexuality, self-awareness and motivation; whether in the personal or public sphere, being true to oneself is often the hardest thing to face. And if these sound like weighty issues, don't worry; the cast carries them with passion and empathy. With searingly honest performances from Craig Alexander, Tracy Bourne, Ethan Gibson, Fiona Victoria Hopkins and Michael Sparks, we are in safe hands.
3. Proof (produced by FREEFALL Productions at The Q, Queanbeyan) - Ylaria Rogers excels as Catherine, exhibiting all the vulnerability of a young woman with a brilliant mathematical mind whose father, Robert, has just died after she has cared for him in his latter years. Julia Christensen portrays the other daughter, Claire, as the one who got away, returning now to sell the family home and try and force Catherine to move on, even if she doesn't want to. Alexander Brown as one of Robert's students deftly walks the line between social awkwardness and competitive manipulation, and Gerard Carroll as Robert puts in a controlled and controlling performance. Bluntly addressing the nature of genius, academia, sexism, sibling rivalry, grief and insanity, this production manages to be amazing, moving, and overwhelming: I loved it.
4. Shit-Faced Shakespeare: Romeo & Juliet (produced by A-List Entertainment, UK at The Street Theatre) - This was presented as part of the Canberra Comedy Festival, so it was always going to be a riot or a write-off. Fortunately, it is very much in the former camp. The troupe consists of six classically-trained actors who perform the Shakespearean play, one of whom is plied with alcohol before the show - it is a different actor each night who interrupts the performance of the others by missing lines, skipping ahead, changing the plot, tripping over and basically behaving as an inebriated person does. On stage. One cast member acts the stage manager/ MC to manage the risk, and has to ensure that the actor does no harm to himself or anyone else. It could be completely irresponsible, but it is instead clever and very funny i'faith. These guys know their shit as inspired improvisation leads to excellent entertainment. 'So raise your glass and have a drink/ Cos it's much better shitfaced, don't you think?'
5. Wild (produced by Melbourne Theatre Company at The Southbank Theatre, Melbourne) - Described as a psychological thriller for the digital age, this is a brilliant piece of theatre. Mike Bartlett's dark and comic twist on the Edward Snowden story literally turns the world upside down. A whistle-blower, Andrew (Nicholas Denton) hides out in a hotel room, terrified of the consequences of his actions, while believing in his convictions. He is teased and taunted by a characters known only as Woman (Anna Lise Phillips) and Man (Toby Schmitz) until he is no longer sure of the truth and the nature of reality. The acting and direction (Dean Bryant) are totally solid, while the set is artfully deconstructed as the blinds are drawn and walls removed in more than just metaphorical ways. It is creatively stunning and a mind-blowing exercise in bringing the truth to light.

Anna Lise Phillips as Woman in Wild

Honourable mentions for:

• The Aspirations of Daisie Morrow (produced by Brink Productions at The Playhouse, Canberra Theatre Centre) - Four actors (Paul Blackwell, Lucy Lehman, Genevieve Picot and James Smith) play a number of characters and narrate events in this adaptation of a Patrick White story. The physical shifts and slight changes of costume, props and vocals, make it beautiful, moving and touching in its simplicity. With an innovative setting, fantastic design elements, consummate acting and a gorgeous musical accompaniment, this is a spectacularly engaging production.
• Henry V (produced by Oregon Shakespeare Festival at Thomas Theatre, Oregon, USA) - in which director Rosa Joshi incorporates innovative costume and set design to keep the pace moving briskly and precisely. The lead performance from Daniel Jose Molina is supremely confident (verging on psychotic) and the American accent and modern delivery ruins the rhythm but it sharpens the humour and militancy.
• Venus in Fur (produced by The Street at The Street Theatre) - I've read the book; bought the single; now I've seen the play. Perhaps I should get the T-shirt: mink or sable? Faux, obviously. The post-modern play by David Ives explores the sexual politics of the original novel by Leopold von Sacher-Masoch as a director, Thomas Novachek (Craig Alexander), has adapted it to the stage. As he attempts to cast the part of Wanda von Dunajew, he auditions a young actress, Vanda (Joanna Richards), in a disturbingly contemporary power play. His dominance is questioned by the performance of Vanda who subverts his expectations by presenting a variety of versions of the play within a play within a play. It's challenging and immediate, and director Caroline Stacey is always in control of the audience and the text. 

Daniel Jose Molina as the titular role in Henry V at The Oregon Shakespeare Festival