Friday Five: Theatre reviews

1. Bombshells - Echo Theatre, The Q: A great night out at the theatre is presented by six women delivering monologues that encompass the highs and lows of their lives. Director Jordan Best has them remain on stage throughout, whether they are having their moment in the spotlight or not, and the interactions between them as they segue between scenes are as sharp as the main content. There is no question that Joanna Murray-Smith writes incisive pieces for women, and these explorations of what it means to be a woman of any age in this strange, competitive world of ours are equally sharp and sparkling. Lainie Hart plays the ageing cabaret singer who can't quite move on from the end of her career; Ella Buckley is the blushing bride-to-be who isn't sure this is what she wants after all; Amy Kowalczuk portrays the exhausted young mother, desperate for reassurance that she's doing something right; Sally Taylor is hilarious as the precocious teenager with a talent routine that falls woefully short; Kate Harris bites back her anguish as she tries to hold her life together while delivering a TED talk on cacti; and Alice Ferguson brings the house down with some old lady wish fulfilment fantasy. At ninety minutes with no interval, this play delivers a lot of laughter and a range of emotions. I just wish that togetherness was one of them.  
2. Mary Stuart - Chaika Theatre, ACT Hub: There is some interesting staging with a crucifix formation, and a bold interpretation of the dance/ meeting scene as the two queens, Mary Queen of Scots and Elizabeth I meet in an encounter that never actually happened. Steph Roberts is strong in the titular role, playing the likeable aspects of the character with humour and sensitivity. Karen Vickery also displays strength as Elizabeth I, but comes over as bold rather than regal, and the fear and vulnerability inherent in the role are also lacking. The dynamic relationship she shares with Leicester is given a manipulative and conniving presence by Jarrad West, playful and/ or pragmatic as required. Of the supporting cast, Cameron Thomas stands out as Paulet with great dramatic energy, exquisitely embodying the conflicting emotions between the personal and political. Kathleen Kershaw's set design provides obvious points of strength, hierarchy and balance, and the execution block/ stone is a provocative dichotomy. More light and shade from Disa Swifte's lighting design would have better highlighted the fear and paranoia. Contemporary costumes (Kathleen Kershaw again) are a bold stylistic choice, which works better in concept than performance (whereas the masquerade outfits are striking, some costumes hamper movement). Overall, some curious actor choices result in one-sided presentation, and, despite the very strong leads, there is a lack of intensity, and the stakes don't appear to be played high enough.

3. The Lord of the Flies - Canberra Repertory Society, Theatre 3: There is a theatre adage that states if you put on plays featuring lots of young people, you will get large audiences, as all the parents, friends and family are strongly encouraged to see it. This may be the case, but it does generally mean the production will be full of youngsters of greatly varying acting abilities. This production is action-packed, but lacking in shade or nuance; it hits a high intensity early that it struggles to sustain. While there are some excellent creative design and production elements (the set by Michael Sparks evokes atmosphere and location differentiation, and the lighting by Chris Ellyard conjures mood with shifts in tone and a sense of dread), but there are issues with the actors - too much shouting loses clarity and the young directors (Caitlin Baker and Lachlan Houen) have no understanding of class distinctions. The schoolkids cut adrift on an island, having to organise themselves to collectively survive is a metaphor for life, and this concept seems to be beyond some of the cast. Robert Kjellgren is disturbingly calm and direct in his convincing portrayal of the psychopath, Roger and Ty MaKenzie as Jack has great energy, indulging in totalitarian bully tactics to disguise deep insecurities. The gender blind casting is essential to both modernise the play and accommodate the auditionees, but the necessary machismo is missing from some actors, who come across as whiny and irritating rather than empathetic. 
4. Some Like It Marilyn - Lexi Sekuless Productions, The Mill Theatre: The Mill Theatre presents plays with previews attached. The preview may be paused while technical elements are adjusted, and at the end the audience feedback is ploughed back into the next night's performance as it is tweaked and enhanced. There is very little to perfect in this production in which Lexi Sekuless embodies one of the most iconic figures of the twentieth century in a sort of cabaret, highlighting moments from her career ranging from singing to interviews, to photo-shoots and letters. Helen McFarlane as Jane Russell pairs with Sekuless in impressive duets, while other characters (managers; beaux; fellow actors; media; stalkers) are played by Tim Sekuless and Mark Lee. Music (Leisa Keen) is wonderfully harmonious - the night I saw it backing tracks were employed, but I think they will be ditched for the true performances - and the choreography (Annette Sharpe) is eminently suited to each performer. The set by Sam Thomas is simple but effective, including a grille to recreate the iconic skirt lift scene from The Seven Year Itch, and the costumes are a delight, as Tania Jobson has designed everything from the pink satin sheath gown in which Marilyn sings Diamonds are a Girl's Best Friend, to the sexy bed sheet in which she was famously interviewed. The show portrays Marilyn as fun, charming, glamorous and smart; not just a 'dumb blonde', she was the first woman (since silent film star, Mary Pickford), to found her own production company, Marilyn Monroe Productions, in 1955. Who wouldn't like it Marilyn?
5. August Osage Country - Free-Rain Theatre Company, ACT Hub: I also saw Free-Rain's production 2014 production, but the power of this one is that it swiftly eradicated that one from my mind. It may be inevitable with this play but it feels a little 'stagey' and disjointed - the scenes where everyone is talking at once are the best, as the audience can make up their own mind where to look. Some things are staged in less prominent areas, and it would be itneresting to know where the director feels the focus of this play is. Violet, the matriarch of the dysfunctional family, is a vehicle for a strong actor and Karen Vickery fits that definition with aplomb. It's hard not to feel sorry for someone living with cancer, but she made me do it. The supporting cast all excel in their roles either as family members, in-laws or additional characters, and fortunately the Native American role is for once played by a Native American (Andrea Garcia who holds an impressive stillness at the centre of the cyclone). Director Cate Clelland demonstrates great focus on character, and the shifts between scenes work well. She plays the humour  where possible (the audience on the night I saw it were in stitches) but some of the darker moments (the creepy Steve; the powerplay between mother and daughter; the brutality of Charles) are toned down. The set and costumes are effective, but some of the props (such as the notebook of poems and the bouncing plates) are distracting. One comment on the lighting (Craig Muller) - we can see all the bits we are meant to when we are meant to see them, which is no mean feat considering the width of the stage. However, sometimes the audience is lit more than the stage - this may be due to limited equipment or placement options, but it is very distracting.

Friday Five: Best films of 2013

Being as the award ceremonies are all the beginning of the year and some of the films nominated aren't even released in this country yet, it's tricky to have seen them all and my own judgement by the time the gongs are given. Being as I often disagree anyway, this shouldn't have too much bearing on my list of favourite films. 

Also, for the purposes of this list, I'm not including the excellent National Theatre Live series, in which I get to see superb productions of plays beamed to a cinema from the stage. Perhaps I'll do that in another post, but for now it's worth noting that The Audience, written by Peter Morgan, directed by Stephen Daldry, and starring Helen Mirren as The Queen in private meetings with each of England’s prime ministers from Churchill to Cameron was a privilege to watch. Furthermore, the National Theatre Live production of Othello was absolutely outstanding: the best production of this play I have ever seen, and I've seen a fair few.

It's very hard to choose just five out of the score of films released last year that I've seen, but I have whittled it down to this list, in alphabetical order as it's impossible to pick a favourite.

5 Favourite 2013 Films:

1. August: Osage County – A Brilliantly brutal depiction of a dysfunctional family further unravelling with disease and deception, trapped against a backdrop of endless horizons. Superb acting (especially from Meryl Streep and Julia Roberts) and brilliant dialogue (screenplay by Tracy Letts) make this adaptation of the stage play (also Tracy Letts) a frontrunner for Oscars.
2. Behind the Candelabra – Yes, it really is as good as everyone says it is. Michael Douglas and Matt Damon are excellent. The flamboyance and excess are neatly captured with gentle ridicule but evident empathy, and confirm Liberace’s own conviction that ‘too much of a good thing is wonderful’.
3. Blue Jasmine – Ten minutes in when I realised it was based around A Streetcar Named Desire, I knew exactly what was going to happen. The fact that it did, didn't make it any less compelling. Cate Blanchett is as wonderful as ever and this is the least annoying that I've ever seen Sally Hawkins. Woody Allen’s films are always better when he isn’t in them.
4. Gravity – The first 3D film I've seen in the cinema since Jaws 3-D in 1983. It was done so well I was totally transporting (ducking as the flying space debris seemed to whizz out from the screen at me) and the weight of all the action was entirely carried by the two fantastic actors, Sandra Bullock and George Clooney. Director Alfonso Cuarón’s Oscar nomination is thoroughly well-deserved.
5. The Spirit of ’45 – A fabulous documentary, written and directed by Ken Loach, about the spirit of unity which buoyed Britain during the war years and how we are crying out for that same socialism to create a vision of a fairer, united society today – inspiring and necessary.