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: Theatre Since Then

1. Seagull - Chaika Theatre, ACT Hub: A bright and witty adaptation by Karen Vickery with some fine performances, particularly from Natasha Vickery as Nina (a divine portrayal of a broken spirit without mawkish sentimentality), Joel Horwood as Kostya, and Amy Kowalczuk as Polina (calmy understated with a stillness and depth that is very moving). The outood to indoor setting works well and overall the production manages to be fresh and original while maintaining the humour and pathos, although there are slight distractions in some curious staging and costume choices, and some excess faffing with props. 
2. The Shoe-Horn Sonata - Lexi Sekuless Productions, Mill Theatre: This is an exquisite production of a challenging script. Two women, Bridie (Andrea Close) and Sheila (Zsuzsi Soboslay), meet again 50 years after they were released from a concentration camp where they were taken in the fall of Singapore. Close is a non-nonsense Aussie and Soboslay is a more subdued Brit, and they complement and contrast each other equally. They say you should never ask what someone in these circumstances has done to survive, and these women, who were forced to be the best of friends, have kept secrets from each other for half a century. Now they are exposed in a hotel bedroom and a television studio as their histories are probed and dissected. Lexi Sekuless' direction and setting aloow us to feel their emotions as we intrude upon their privacy. War robs humans of their dignity - the very least we owe the survivors is respect. This is essential viewing.
3. Gaslight - Gas Theatricals, Canberra Theatre Centre: The play that launched the term for someone (usually a man) persuading another (usually a woman) that they are going mad due to a series of seemingly insignificant but carefully planned incidents is often considered old-fashioned. Patrick Hamilton wrote it in 1938, and now Canadian playwrights Johanna Wright and Patty Jamieson have given it a sensitive remodelling, while maintaing its Edwardian essence. The story remains basically the same as an utter arse of a man, Jack (played with casual indifference by Toby Schmidt) toys with the mental health of his wife Bella (a superb study in character development by Geraldine Hakewill). In trying to discover hidden gems, he turns down the lights, hides her personal affects and removes paitings, all while administering laudanum and telling her she is frail and over-imaginative. ithout spoiling the plaot, it will suffice to say that the character of Inspector Ruff has been excised from the stage allowing Bella more agency over her discories and the thoroughly satisfying denoument.



Five Women Wearing the Same Dress - Everyman Theatre, ACT Hub: For a play that is supposedly about five women (bridesmaids at a wedding), it still manages to fail the Bechdel Test, and it introduces the concept of child sexual abuse as an 'amusing' 10-minute diversion. The setting in the round with a railing effectively screening the bedroom (as if the bridesmaids are in an MMA cage) leads to some poor blocking and limited interaction between characters. The same dress is obviously the bridesmaids' gown and, as is often the case when supposed to suit all, it looks equally horrendous on everyone - fantastically well designed by Fiona Leach.The level of acting is variable, with Kelly Roberts providing a focal point as Trisha, the strongest of the women in a poorly-written role.  Billed as a 'fun night out', it is dicordant at best.
The Actress - Canberra Repertory Society, Theatre 3: With a great vision for the set and staging, the production elements are strong but the limited range in acting and pace hampers this production. It is slow on cues with a lack of engagement between characters. Kate Harris as Nicole, the daughter, has clear diction and a warm presence that felt more natural than everyone involved in the dramatic sphere. Rob de Fries as Paul, her father and ex-husband of the main character, played his part on the same plane, which worked well for their relationship, and displayed unctous charm and amusing confidence without being creepy por aggressive, whihc is hard to do with that script. As the eponymous Lydia Martin, Liz St Clair-Long is obviously theatrical without any doftening or expression of character that encourages audience empathy. This is far from her best work and, if this really were the last performace from an actress, it would be disappointing.

Friday Five: Even More Theatre

These are the latest brief reviews of five theatre productions I have seen recently (ish).

Karen Vickery and Natasha Vickery in Collected Stories

1. Collected Stories, Chaika Theatre Company, ACT Hub - This is sensational theatre: a great production of a great play, with superb acting by Karen Vickery and Natasha Vickery, and direction by Luke Rogers. Famous writer and teacher Ruth Steiner (Karen Vickery) takes on aspiring author Lisa Morrison (Natasha Vickery) as a protégé, and their power dynamic shifts subtly throughout the play as the student learns all they can from their tutor, eventually surpassing them in certain ways. Written by Donald Margulies, the play questions who has the right to tell someone else's story and what emotional events can be manipulated for creative and commercial gain. Plays featuring women can be amazing when the protagonists get to talk about something other than having (or not having) babies. Who knew we could actually be imaginative and interesting… 
2. An Evening with Richard E Grant, The Playhouse, Canberra Theatre Centre - The man is charming and knows how to tell a good story. His life is rich with incident, from his childhood in former Swaziland - now Eswatini - (told in his diaries and Wah-Wah, the film he wrote and directed) to being picked to play Whitnail in his breakout role in Whitnail and I, to his relationships with famous celebrities and the death of his beloved wife, voice coach Joan Washington. He talks candidly and refreshingly about it all, saving his dearest love for Barbara Streisand and of course, Joan, whom he clearly loves and cherishes every day. He has a remarkable optimism, which is moving and infectious, and it is a delight to spend an hour or two in his upbeat company. 
3. Nick Cave & Warren Ellis Carnage Tour, Canberra Theatre -  I have not seen Nick Cave perform live before, so this was a real treat as I thought I knew what to anticipate, but this still exceeded all expectations. With banter that alluded to their years-long friendship, the pair moved through a repertoire  repertoire of slow, melancholic numbers, to upbeat anthems chanted with passion by the loving crowd.  Ellis showcased his incredible musical versatility, playing the violin, flute and keyboard all with remarkable aplomb and charisma. Lying on a stool with his legs in the air and punctuating the beats with the bow held aloft, his physicality with the violin is not to be surpassed. Nick Cave's voice is distinctive and soulful, and he smashes out those songs with passion and commitment. The gig was breathtaking, heartbreakingly beautiful, bewitching and spellbinding; two and a half hours of solid evangelistic genius.

4. The Torrents, Mill Theatre at Dairy Road - For their inaugural production, Mill Theatre deliver a sharp and affecting piece of social commentary. A young woman, J. (Jenny) G. Millthorpe (played with calm assurance by Lexi Sekuless, who also directs), in a late 19th-century small gold-mining town tries to get a job at a newspaper where only men are employed. She argues her merits and her value so well that she persuades the old blusterers (including Elaine Noon rising to the challenge of playing the gruff Scot Macdonald and Heidi Silberman as the spectacularly unctuous John Manson), the young braggarts (Kat Smally excelling as Ben Torrent) and eventually the owner (Rachel Howard with measured nuance as Rufus Torrent). Meanwhile there are schemes for agricultural irrigation which are opposed by the proponents of mining in an environmental battle that would have been powerfully prescient when Oriel Gray wrote the play in 1955. The examination of the roles of women in a male-dominated industry are highlighted as all the male roles are gender-swapped spotlighting the absurdity (and depressing persistence) of such outmoded ideas. Costumes and props are meticulously of their time, while the scene changes are set to exquisite musical arrangements of contemporary pop classics by prominent female artists - Material Girl by Madonna is a particularly fine choice. There is much to like and much to ponder in this play and it's a great start for what promises to be an exciting new company.
5. Sense and Sensibility, Canberra Repertory Society, Theatre 3 - The current vogue for Austen adaptations is to make them all light and frothy and faintly ridiculous. Director Cate Clelland's version of Kate Hamill's script does exactly that on a fabulous set (also designed by Clelland) which keeps the pace of the action, across multiple times and venues, racing along. The older Dashwwod sisters Elinor and Marianne are in the marriage market because their inheritance is sold out from under them by dint of them being female. The new possessor of their former house, Fanny Dashwood (played with bombastic glee by Kayla Cicerna) treats them with disdain, and they resort to stumbling about in the rain and spraining their ankles in an attempt to ensnare husbands to take them away from all this. If there are subtleties and nuances in the novel (and I am assured there are), they are excised from this madcap mayhem. The cast of gossips remain on stage throughout highlighting the lack of privacy and the fact that these would-be suitors and conquests have to conduct their intimate games (and courtship is definitely a spectator sport) in public with dignity, which is missing in action in this production. Elinor (Karina Hudson) is giddy and deliberately irritating rather the sense which is usually a counterpoint to Marianne's (Annabelle Segler) sensibility.  The Missus Steel (Kate Garrow as Lucy and Sienna Curnow as Anne) make the more appealing double act, as their more minor roles suit the cartoonish characterisation the script bestows upon them. The costumes, designed by Anna Senior are sumptuous and draw the eye almost to the detraction of the main event - for example, when Jack Shanahan stands in the background as a gossip and eavesdropper, the wearing of his fabulous military attire make it confusing as to whether he is still playing the cad John Willoughby, and if so, how this will affect the plot. The point is that it doesn't, because that seems to have been discarded in all the fun and frivolity.  

The gossips in Sense and Sensibility

Friday Five: Recent Theatre Excursions

These are brief reviews of the theatre productions I have seen recently:

1. King of Pigs - Red Line Productions and Critical Stages Touring, The Q, Queanbeyan: King of Pigs is an excellent and important show. We can’t ignore violence in the home. Physical violence; mental cruelty; coercive control. Talk about it; make it stop. We are all responsible. Seventy minutes of tightly-directed well produced storytelling with a strong ensemble and Kate Skinner as a commanding presence in the centre of the maelstrom.
2. Dags - Canberra Youth Theatre, Courtyard Studio: It's amazing to see how people who didn't live through the 80s love it a lot more than those of us who did. The energetic ensemble had great fun with the spirited design elements in this American teen-movie-style coming-of-age story at a high school. Choreography, props (not credited) and costumes (Aislinn King) were vibrant with upbeat pop tunes and hair ballads; Rubik cubes and rollerblades; dresses, playsuits and tops and shorts in bright geometric prints all proving to be highly enjoyable for cast and audience. The functional and movable set (Aislinn King) was in harmony with the Day-Glo colours and abstract, angular art of the period, allowing for flow of action across multiple scenes - bedroom; classroom; school bus - and interaction as the cast moved it into position with choreographed routines. Jade Breen as Gillian developed her character from an annoying brat unsure of her place in the world to a determined young woman with inner strength and individuality. Some of the ensemble work was engaging as the actors split into small groups and came back to a cohesive whole (ones to watch are Lily Welling; Breanna Kelly; Elliot Cleaves; William Best; Disa Swifte), while other aspects looked a little awkward and uncomfortable and were inaudible. Director Luke Rogers could have explored some of the darker themes in more depth (sexual pressure; eating disorders; self-harm) but he chose to play to his audience with refreshing humour and nothing to scare the horses.

3. The Boys - Alchemy Artistic, ACT HUB: This company has set a ludicrously high benchmark for its inaugural production. By placing this work dealing with toxic masculinity and gender violence in the round, director Amy Kowalczuk has embraced a stylish naturalism. Highlighting the pugilistic elements by evoking a boxing ring atmosphere, this is a very immersive experience as the audience are so close to the action. The power play between the genders and classes are embodied through physical movement (choreographed by Michelle Norris), inspired Brechtian alienation devices, and a versatile set that allows for various levels and height dynamics. As Brett, the man released from prison and returning to his family, Alex Hoskison portrays the barely pent up rage of a psychopath with chilling conviction. His brothers Glenn (Cole Hilder) and Stevie (Blue Hyslop) are powerless to choose their own path away from the blindingly narrow beam of his searchlight, while their respective girlfriends Michelle (Meaghan Stewart), Jackie (Indy Scarletti) and Nola (Caitlin Baker) fight for recognition and respect in their own individual ways. As the matriarch, Sandra (Liz St Clair Long), makes excuses for her 'boys' and gathers the 'girls' together, we see in the final silent scream what a losing battle this is. Amy Kowalczuk has produced this piece as the final component of her Master of Theatre and Performance (there is a Q&A and a survey as part of each performance). I would award her top marks. 
4. Hotel Sorrento - Canberra Repertory Society, Theatre 3: Kudos to director, Alexandra Pelvin, for taking Hannie Rayson's script with multiple scenes and settings and creating something harmonious. It's a great modern Australian work involving three sisters, one of whom, Meg (Rachel Howard) has written a Booker-Prize-nominated novel which, although fictional, may border on autobiography and expose some family stories. When she returns from London to Sorrento in Victoria with her English husband, Edwin (Peter Holland), the tensions simmer below the surface and threaten to drag them all down in their wake. Hilary (Victoria Tyrrell Dixon), the eldest, has stayed in the family home to care for their father, Wal (Saban Lloyd Berrell) and her son, Troy (Nick Dyball) while Pippa (Jess Waterhouse) is on a break from her high-powered New York career, displaying all the angst of the middle child simultaneously trying to fit in and stand out. An odd couple of friends, Marge (Elaine Noon) and Dick (Ryan Erlandsen) round out the characters - as written they exist to be the mouthpiece for ideas of gender and cultural politics, but they are acted with enough depth to be more than just the discussion puppets they might be. The creative set design (Michael Sparks) allows room for expression and interpretation of all the moments, and the delivery is kept subtle avoiding the temptation to fall into melodramatic soap opera, highlighting the wry asides rather than full-frontal confrontation. There are many potential stereotypes contained within this play but the admirable direction and acting make these characters seem like real people, and the dinner scene is remarkably convincing. As Tolstoy once wrote, "All happy families are alike; each unhappy family is unhappy in its own way."



Jess Waterhouse, Rachel Howard and Victoria Tyrrell Dixon as the three sisters in Hotel Sorrento 

5. Three Tall Women - Chaika Theatre Company, ACT HUB: One of the titular women is Karen Vickery, playing a ninety-two-year-old woman (A) who is close to death and reliving her life with senile and interrupted memories. Her audience is her carer, B (Lainie Hart), and a solicitor, C (Natasha Vickery), who attend to her physical and legal/ financial needs when she lets them. At the end of the first act she has a stroke, and then, as a figure lies in the bed throughout Act II, the three women play versions of her aged 26, 52 and 78, none of them wanting to turn into their future version but knowing that inevitably they must. So far; so Edward Albee, who delights in distancing his plays from his audience with overt absurdism. Due to the nature of the play it highlights the individual aspect of the actor and leaves little room for rapport. It is like watching a masterclass - "Look at me; I'm acting!" - and they do it very well with clarity and deliberation, but it feels dispassionate and insular. With the concluding lines, 'That's the happiest moment. When it's all done. When we stop. When we can stop.', I don't think this play even likes itself.