Knee Deep

Knee Deep

Casus

Judith Wright Centre of Contemporary Art

2nd – 9th June 2012

Reviewed by Michelle Bull

Earlier this year I saw a little taster performance of Casus’s Knee Deep at an Adelaide Fringe Festival event and since that moment I have been waiting impatiently for it to come home to Brisbane so I might see the whole show. Well the moment came last night and it was everything I’d hoped it would be.

Comprising of performers from Circa, Polytoxic and The Flying Fruit-Fly Circus; Casus is Jessie Scott, Natano Fa’anana, Emma Serjeant and Lachlan McAulay. Together these dynamic young performers create the embodiment of contemporary circus performance as they combine their outstanding individual talents with a strong sense of ensemble and a childlike sense of play.

Complemented by live projection, onstage cameras and a killer musical score, the performers communicated each movement with sensitivity, tenderness and raw skill, making for a captivating performance that explored and challenged the capabilities of the human body.

Off the back of seeing productions that relied heavily on words and sound to communicate, Knee Deep was a slap in the face as to how much can be said through physical language, as the exploration and discovery of each performers strengths and limitations had the audience gasping and applauding simultaneously.

Communicating ideas of freedom, release, relationships, trust, grace, power, strength and comedy, in Knee Deep circus tricks became more than an execution of technical skill, they seemed to take on a voice of their own, as the performers played with tempo, energy and colour to create shapes and lines evoking pin-dropping silences and emotional responses from the audience.

Using silks and trapeze to create lines and shapes that could only be described as dangerously elegant, the fluidity and softness of each performer showed no sign of strain or the inherent strength required, instead they exuded a gracefulness and ease that was astounding. The minimalistic set and tastefully basic yet effective use of lighting was the perfect accompaniment this, adding mood to the responsive and stripped back nature of the production. Lighting was also used as an active element of the performance as Casus incorporated its effects to add dimension and depth to the artistic visual; suspended shapes highlighted as their shadow stretched far beyond the physical.

The use of eggs as a reoccurring theme throughout the production added emphasis and an element of danger, as well as acting as inspiration for a chuckle or two when Serjeant appears with a hammer!

Small slivers of narrative helped to create context, but were secondary to the exceptional onstage relationships between the performers, whose seamless transitions, strong physical communication and combined explorations were a lesson in stagecraft no matter what your discipline.

I urge everyone to go and see this show. Travelling far beyond mere strength and entertaining tricks, Casus’ Knee Deep is contemporary circus art at it’s finest.

Book your tickets because the buzz surrounding this show is sure to mean a sellout season!

Opera Australia’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream

A Midsummer Night’s Dream

Opera Australia

QPAC Lyric Theatre

1st – 9th June 2012

Reviewed by Michelle Bull

Enticed by the faint smell of incense creeping under the doors of the Lyric theatre, you could be forgiven for thinking you were about to see a touring Bollywood production and not an opera by Opera Australia. But as the next few hours unfolded, there was no mistaking this production for anything else but Baz Luhrmann’s take on Britten’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream, set in 1923 India.

For those of you unfamiliar with Shakespeare’s enchanting tale, it goes something like this…The Queen of the Fairies, Tytania, is a tad smitten with her charge, a young Indian boy, so much so that King Oberon gets a little upset and consequently the two have a bit of a spat. King Oberon sends his servant Puck to fetch a potion that with one-drop causes love at first sight, Oberon intends to use this on Tytania. Meanwhile there’s a love quadrangle going on with mortals Helena, Hermia, Lysander and Demetrius, and the impish Oberon decides to test out his potion on them, causing quite the kafuffle. Also in the forest that night (it’s a busy wood this one), are the rustics (workmen), who are there to rehearse a play intended for the wedding of the Duke of Athens Theseus and his Queen Hippolyta. They also get muddled up with the potion and so it all gets quite messy. There are three weddings, a dramatic death scene and then day breaks and all is well…phew! Quite a lot of narrative to digest in three acts, but the wonders of a decadent set and some glorious singing defiantly aid digestion.

Dressed in vibrant colour and speckled with glimmers of firelight and flowers the stage (Catherine Martin, Bill Marron) is the picture of a magical fairy woodland. I was completely immersed even before the opera had begun. Incense, and a soundscape of birds and forest sounds were the perfect finishing touches to a set that housed a water pool, suspended bridges draped in vines, flowers and the superb sounds of the Queensland Symphony Orchestra!

One by one we were introduced to the characters, from Fairy Kings and Queens, love struck mortals and dancing nymphs and faries. The costuming and makeup of all was impeccable, and reminiscent of Hindu Gods and Goddesses, tying into the choreography that throughout was also inspired by bollywood-esque gesture and lines (John O’Connell).

Overall, the entire cast was strong both in voice and characterisation. Tobias Cole as King Oberon was utterly hypnotic. His wonderfully balanced and resonant counter-tenor, added to the statuesque elegance he brought to the role. I was entranced and unnerved all at once; the perfect Fairy King.

Portraying the same unnerving smile as complement was Tyler Coppin as the impish Puck. Bringing a childlike physicality and sense of play to the role he delivered with strong comic timing and a wonderful melodic shaping to his treatment of the text.

His Queen, Lorena Gore as Fairy Queen Tytania was also an absolute joy to watch. With a ringing brightness and light agility to her pretty coloratura she encapsulated all a Fairy Queen should, gliding across the stage with a flirty cheekiness that made her instantly loveable.

The Lovers – Hermia, Helena, Lysander and Demetrius – all gave solid performances both individually and as an ensemble. James Egglestone as Lysander was sweet and sung with a wonderful sense of poise and connectedness despite the rigorous physical demands of the role. Luke Gabbedy as Demetrius also commanded a strong presence onstage both physically and vocally, managing effortlessly a balance of strength and tenderness to his large lyric baritone.

I particularly enjoyed Jade Ede as Helena. Awkwardly philosophical and hopelessly love struck, her beautiful soprano cascaded effortlessly through from top to bottom, providing a magnificent contrast to the rough and ready physicality of her character.

Sian Pendry as Hermia provided a chocolaty legitimate mezzo sound to her role. Her feisty attack on Helena was hilarious and showed Pendry’s wonderful dedication to character in its intensity; the duet between the two, a comic and musical highlight that showed the skill of the performers as they leapt and lurched across the stage while maintaining control of the vocal line.

The six rustics were next to win our hearts and raised a cheer each time they entered. Like a cross between bumbling workman and Dad’s Army, they brought a wonderful comic element to the show. Each with their own character within the group provided a solid ensemble. Bottom, (a weaver) played by Conal Coad, was hilarious and with an authoritative bass baritone who exploited the comic moments for all they were worth. His love scenes (as an Ass) with Tytania were very amusing and left not much to the imagination. I heard a few tut tuts from the audience at the suggestiveness of some of these scenes but it was all in good fun!

Graeme MacFarlene played Flute, a bellows mender (and Thisbe in the Rustics play). Showing adaptability and great characterisation within his voice, his strong tenor was matched by his skill as a wonderful comic actor.

Quince (Richard Anderson), Snug (Richard Alexander), Stout (John Longmuir) and Starveling (Andrew Moran) were each individually very funny in their roles. The Rustics overall ensemble sound was beautifully balanced and musical, and they quick became audience favorites.

The final act gave us the wonderfully strong Bass voice of Jud Arthur as Theseus and contralto Tania Ferris as Hippolyta. Despite occupying a small amount of stage time, I really enjoyed both their performances; Arthur’s Bass sound filled the entire Lyric theatre effortlessly, and Ferris’s contralto was controlled and rich and oozed regality.

The cast are supported throughout by an enchanting chorus of fairies, spirits and dancing nymphs, mischievous and wide eyed with a beautiful ensemble sound. The Act 3 finale Now Until the Break of Day was a highlight, showcasing the ethereal sound of the children’s chorus.

There is so much to love about this current production by Opera Australia, that I feel I need a review twice as long to include it all. There is a glamour to this production that is utterly charming. The fairy tale does not ignore Britten’s darker underlying themes lurking in the shadows and skillfully lures its audience in through an intelligent approach to the intricacies of the score and staging.

This creates a magical fairytale with just the right amount of grit to give it an unnerving other worldly air. The cast are superb and with a set that transports you to a fairy dreamland from the minute you enter the space, the three acts whizz by so fast that you wish you could keep dreaming.

Elizabeth, almost by chance a woman

Elizabeth, almost by chance a woman

Queensland Theatre Company & QPAC

Brisbane Powerhouse

26^th May – 24^th June 2012

How strange, to pit the fragility and reality of a fascinating woman against a comedic mashup that distracts and detracts from the fragility and reality of the woman!

Nobel Prize winning playwright, Dario Fo, has done just that with Elizabeth, almost by chance a woman and Director, Wesley Enoch, has had a field day with it. Freely adapted and translated by Luke Deverish and Louise Fox (who were commissioned by Malthouse Theatre for their production at the Merlyn in 2010), this version is updated and localised to an even greater degree by the most vocal and forward thinking Artistic Director our state theatre company has seen. A champion for local audiences as much as for local artists, Enoch has glued together so many different elements in staging this outrageous production that there is surely something for everyone.

Bawdy comedy and ludicrous antics fill the guts of what would otherwise be a pale, skinny corpse of a drama. I’m not a Fo fan, however, I marvel at the cunning way so many political entrails are unmercifully tossed at us throughout his plays.  (And I do love a bit of commedia dell’arte, some good old slapstick and bold, brash, silly comedy from time to time!).

Despite comedic influences ranging from farce to pantomime to commedia to slapstick (Scott Witt, as Clowning/Slapstick Consultant, has a hand in this and Enoch’s Bonzani troupe experience is obvious), the work avoids getting stuck in any one form for long. It remains unboxed, resisting packaging or prettying up. (It IS pretty, though, thanks to Simone Romaniuk’s sumptuous design; the lavish costumes and simple set are magnificent). It is what it is and we either love it or hate it. I didn’t love it but I didn’t hate it either. My first thought was that the show begs a stricter hand…one to pull it back a little. A fabulous and fun rehearsal strategy, we often let the actors take things as far as they are willing to go. It’s sometimes a challenge to put a stop to it and ask that they back off a little. Indeed, you may well ask, “WHY?” when what is happening on stage is clearly working for the vast majority of the audience. I suspect that the question more often asked in the rehearsal studio was, “WHY NOT?” When you see this show you might be convinced that the lewdness and bawdy humour is at precisely the right level, if not slightly underdone! For me, it is too many things at once and often just too, too, too OTT. But look, it’s mostly hilarious and I laughed a LOT.

The updated political gags are quick, witty and localised, thanks to the free reign given any company with the rights for this show; Fo wouldn’t have it any other way. His political theatre is continuously evolving, challenging and inspiring public thought and action. These local references will have you chortling (or wondering what everybody else finds so amusing, depending on your knowledge and understanding of current affairs of state). Well, we do love a “CAN DO” moment at the moment, don’t we?!

Updating a theatrical work is a bit like creating your own promotional images, inspired by the originals, in order to publicise your show, or the liberty taken by anybody ever, when re-writing I’ve Got a Little List for The Mikado. It’s absolutely intended and indeed, it’s necessary, to keep the content fresh, accurate and relevant. In his Director’s Note, Enoch explains, “Dario Fo believes in engaging in the world and allows the artists involved to improvise and modify the scripts to reflect their socio-political environments.”

Enoch has assembled intelligent actors who love to play. There is a real sense of it and along with the obvious camaraderie; this sense of play will keep the show fresh as a daisy up to and including closing night. I often wonder what a show will be like by the end of its run and if I had the time, this is certainly a show I’d like to see again. It feels like it’s ever changing and almost as if it’s not quite ready for us but, hell, we’ll let you see it anyway. And that’s okay. That’s part of the fun, as if we’d been let into the rehearsal space for a glimpse of how a great story gets put together.

Eugene Gilfedder plays William Shakespeare, who is plotting to kill the queen (and stealing episodes from her life for use in his own plays) and also the fantastic character of Grosslady, which he pwns. PWNS. He is absolutely hysterical in his women’s garb, with his high-heeled gait and that’s before he even utters a word of witty Tranny Speak/Drag Slang, which will have you either in tears of laughter or wide-eyed and quietly, concernedly murmuring to the person next to you, “Whaaaaat the…? What did he say?”

Jason Klarwein plays Elizabeth’s Chief of Police, Egerton, who really does plot to kill Elizabeth, as she desperately, obsessively waits for her lover, the Earl of Essex to arrive. The Virgin Queen? We don’t think so (Dash Kruck’s bare bum soon puts that theory to rest!). Egerton’s news bulletins especially, are brilliant. So slickly delivered on opening night were they that each time Klarwein asked the company whether or not they wanted to hear the report all over again, I wanted to shout in opposition to them, “YES!” His multiple costume changes are baffling though and you just might get a joke that I missed.

The production benefits enormously, as productions do in this town, by having Musical Director, John Rodgers involved. His animated accompaniment is as if we’re sitting in a silent movie theatre, with the movie brought to life before us. Dash Kruck (Thomas, the often ignored and abused Fool) can sing so he does. Although it makes little sense to me to have the songs in the show at all (in the original Malthouse Theatre production they were perhaps better contextualised, rewritten as Elizabethan madrigals), Kruck delivers them well – a little too well for the character – and gives us a reminder of what to expect next from him (no, not necessarily more nudity), as he heads to Sydney soon for a highly anticipated production of the hit Broadway musical, Next to Normal, at the Capital Theatre. I would also like to have heard Kruck’s rendition, from beyond the grave, of The Neverending Story theme song.

But that’s just me.

After only six days of rehearsing with the company in the role of Martha, Sarah Kennedy does her best and it is just enough. She can’t possibly compete with Klarwein and Gilfedder, who have clearly been given a license to party like it’s 1999. At times their relentless antics, like a Battle Round on The Voice, draw attention away from the fragility of the woman whose story it is. Martha brings the focus back to her poor, paranoid mistress each and every time with perfect grace and good humour.

Carol Burns is an absolute treasure and as the aging queen, suffering from paranoia and sleeplessness in the last days of her life, and with the boys club of Gilfedder, Klarwein and Kruck on stage, she holds her own, bounding around the room with her skirts held high and riding atop a giant wooden rocking horse, which Klarwein later sees from a slightly, err, lower perspective (it’s one of the funniest moments in the play). Hers is a highly physical role but Burns impresses most in her final moments, as the frail, brain-addled, heartbroken woman who was Queen. Romaniuk’s imposing quilted white walls and David Walters’ stark white lighting give us the sense that this is indeed – finally – the peaceful end to a mad life. With all the action having happened in Elizabeth’s head, we easily feel empathy for her; a woman who would really probably have preferred, more often than not, to be just a woman, without the royal obligations. This is the magic of Fo’s form, finally revealing once and for all, the humanity of his subject, regardless of class, creed or colour. I found Burns’ performance incredibly moving and I was disappointed that Fo felt the need to bring back his Will Shakespeare character, like Puck in A Midsummer Night’s Dream or the Prince in Romeo and Juliet, to close the show. Depicting an ailing, confused queen, her behaviour and emotions moving erratically between polar ends of the spectrum for the duration of the play, Burns delivers what might be the performance of her lifetime and I feel like she should have the final light.

Irrespective of its bad language (remember, this show came with a warning!), and its lewdness, this show is not so shocking or offensive that you can’t take your mum or your sister to see it. I took mine (my sister, that is; my mum is gallivanting around Europe). In fact, I think you could safely take your grandmother too!

Elizabeth, almost by chance a woman is zany, bawdy comedy at its most playful and you’ll either love it or hate it but you must see it to know which it is! Enjoy!

The Magic Flute

The Magic Flute

QPAC Lyric Theatre

26th May – 8th June

Reviewed by Michelle Bull

Normally when I ask my guitarist fiancé to accompany me along to the opera, I am met with a resounding silence, followed by a groan that sounds like the death of a small mammal. It’s not that he’s uncultured; in fact he spends more time practicing his art than I do..…It’s just that when it comes to opera, most of it bores him senseless, and frankly quite often I feel the same.

So imagine my (delighted) disbelief when he politely insisted on coming along to the opening of Opera Australia’s The Magic Flute on Saturday night! Enticed by the fantastical spectacle of a slick advertising campaign, he donned his finest and together we joined the throng of faux furs and pearls cramming into the theatre for what was sure to be a spectacle of operatic proportions.

Showing at QPAC’s Lyric Theatre, this latest production directed by Matthew Barclay (original production by Julie Taymor) is a fantastical take on Mozart’s much loved opera. Creating a surrealist world through larger than life puppetry, costuming and sets, The Magic Flute is a colorful and magnificent fantasy that brings out the wondrous wide-eyed kid inside.

Sung in English and with a plot centered around mans search for love and his struggle to attain wisdom and virtue, The Magic Flute is to be enjoyed by those looking for some light entertainment to spice up their Saturday night as well as opera aficionados wanting to dig their teeth into themes of Masonic Ritual, good vs. evil, enlightenment, Egyptian symbolism and the mysterious rule of three embedded into the music and libretto.

There is some stunning singing by the cast. Stephen Smith as Prince Tamino gives a solid performance, his light tenor soaring rather effortlessly with a great sense of musicality. Equally as strong is Taryn Fiebig as Pamina. Her signature aria ‘I feel it, it is vanished’ (Ach, ich fühl’s) is sung with a beautiful sense of height and shimmering vocal colour, although personally I found the English translation not as complementary to the musical line as the original text in German.

Andrew Jones as Papageno is the epitamy of a cheeky, boyish bird catcher. Vocally rich and with a commanding stage presence, the physicality he brings to the role makes for an energy driven and holistic performance that wins the hearts of all.

I did feel however his character was affected by some characteristics of the translated libretto. Although the use of natural Australian accents throughout the production seemed at first a little too ‘familiar’ for the dreamlike world created onstage, it didn’t bug me as much as the colloquialisms sprinkled in for good measure. References to ‘Ice-magic’ and the odd ‘Mate’, I found distracting. Part of the appeal of this production for me was the escape into the illusions and while bringing in cultural relevance; I felt these adaptations were a tad superfluous.

There are however many inspired moments in the production. The Queen of the Night (Milica Ilic) is mesmerising and embodies a commanding presence onstage. The staging and execution of her aria ‘Hell’s vengeance boils in my heart (Der Hölle Rache kocht in meinem Herzen) was a standout, sung with a wonderful sense of control and poise that did not detract from the freedom and agility of the sound.

Milica Ilic as Queen of the Night and Taryn Fiebig as Pamina. Image by Justin Nicholas.

I also particularly enjoyed Kanen Breen in the role of Monostatos whose embodiment of character both in voice and physicality reminded me of Commedia’s Pulcinella. Singing with a wonderfully legitimate weight and buoyancy to the voice Breen remained present vocally throughout some energetic staging, balancing a great character performance with legitimate singing. Breen’s energised performance was by far one of the standouts in this production for me.

Kiandra Howarth as the sweet-faced Papagena gives a short but vocally secure and well-rounded performance, sharing a wonderful playful chemistry with her Papageno.

Operatunity Oz winner David Parkin brings an authoritative rumbling Bass to the character of Sarastro that although impressive in timbre was at times overpowered by the orchestra in the bottom of his range, a fate also affecting the trio of First, Second and Third Ladies (Elisa Wilson, Victoria Lambourn & Tania Ferris) whose wonderfully balanced ensemble sound carried strongly but who lost some individual lines and dialogue under the swell of the orchestra. This was also the case with the three ‘Spirits’ (Jude Korab, Louis Backstrom & Campbell Hall), although the delicacy of their blended sound brought a fitting ethereal quality to their characters.

The Opera Australia chorus is a constant thrill and in this production is equally matched by puppeteers and dancers that provide a rich visual spectacle to the characters individual journeys. Queensland Symphony are also in fine form, supporting the artists with a mostly great sensitivity. Mozart’s score provides a wonderful tapestry of sound that allows Conductor, Anthony Legge, to drive the action onstage scooping the audience up in the arms of the familiar score.

So what was the verdict? Overall, Opera Australia’s The Magic Flute is a lovely production. Perfectly accessible and with something to ignite a sense of wonder inside the hearts of everyone wherever their operatic inclinations lie, I would encourage even those of you who don’t ‘like opera’ to give it a try…if an operatically-reluctant musician went home whistling Papageno’s aria and demanding a ticket to the next production that comes to town, it’s a pretty good recommendation.

Andrew Jones as Papageno. Image by Justin Nicholas.

Something Perfectly Innocent

Ed’s note: Apologies for the late post! I have just emerged from a six year old’s birthday week, which included compulsory school attendance, afternoon teas, family dinners, horse riding, cake baking, the annual Eurovision semi-final living room dance party and the return of three of the six year old’s cousins from their extensive tour with Cirque du Soleil! Then I slept for 2 days. Hence, we only now have the final Anywhere Theatre Festival post from Miss Meredith. Thank you, Meredith! x

Something Perfectly Innocent

Marcus Lilley

10th – 14th May 2012

Delivered via Twitter

Reviewed by Meredith McLean

Earlier this May I sat down to my laptop readying myself for my regular fix of Twitter updates, tumblr posts and Facebook newsfeeds. What can I say? I’m more than comfortable doing this daily, more often than not when I should be doing something more productive. However, I had something up my sleeve this time when my always well-meaning Mum made her weekly concerned phone call telling me to, “Study more. Sleep more. Eat healthy and for God sakes, Meredith, get off the computer!” Like any good daughter I omitted certain stories and instead insisted this week I needed to be on the computer for another reviewing gig.

  (Sorry, Fran – Ed.)

Something Perfectly Innocent. A play that takes place solely on Twitter.  I was really excited to check in each day and read what Claude Nixon; the fabled traveler was getting up to in Brisbane. I was ready for dazzling photos and video clips of subways and alleyways, laneways and skyways, elevators and escalators, friends and adventures; all of it being fed to me through Nixon’s Twitter account. Unfortunately reality fell short of expectations.

The plot is original enough to satisfy but the idea isn’t a new one. Theatre hybrids have been popping up all over the world. From Punchdrunk production’s videogame-theatre concoction in London to Sandra Carluccio’s This Is Kansas City, a play that leads individuals around via text message and phone calls right here in Brisbane. The great thing about this neo-theatre is the possibilities are endless. The concept is future driven. Directors not only have to look to the future and what it may one day contain but also bring the future to their own stage. The Internet posing as a stage is a strange concept that makes me giddy.

In this case I just wasn’t sold. Something Perfectly Innocent consisted of our character, Claude Nixon, a traveler new to Brisbane being embroiled in am inner-city murder mystery. But there were no innovative stunners. Black and white photos, occasional questions to the small 27 Twitter followers for where to find a free newspaper and tweets popping up every hour or so was all it had to offer us. I was looking for interactive videos, topic starters spurning retweets and obscure links leading me on wild chases. There was none of that. It was a very basic multimedia story. Introduction. Complication. Resolution. Curtain Call. That’s all.

I suppose I’m most surprised because Marcus Lilley, British creator behind the concept, seemed so much more promising. In an interview with group Creative Drinks, Lilley confessed he had imagined a different platform with more content for the show but for unspecified reasons ended up basing the play on Twitter. It is not by accident that his interest in film noir is reflected in Something Perfectly Innocent but it wasn’t emphasised as much as what it could have been.

The downfall of Something Perfectly Innocent is not the play itself but that it didn’t reach its full potential. What it didn’t become is more disappointing than what it was. The challenge we set ourselves when taking on multimedia projects is to make it something extraordinary. Twitter, Facebook, the lot of it has become the norm. It’s now nothing of consequence in day-to-day life. By providing theatrical entertainment in these mediums something has to rise above the mundane. Something unique that the audience wishes could be tangible is what creators must strive for. Sadly, Something Perfectly Innocent just wasn’t it. Regardless, I look forward to seeing more interactive theatre and multimedia dramatics. This experience hasn’t deterred me yet. Hopefully I’ll be able to see more of Marcus Lilley’s work. I have faith he can prove to me that this is not his best.

Naturally 7

Naturally 7

QPAC Concert Hall

22nd May 2012

Reviewed by Michelle Bull

1992. I was ten years old. Singing in choirs, into hairbrushes and holding mini concerts in our garage for anyone who would come and watch for the high price of 50 cents a ticket. Obsessed with Boys II Men’s hit song End of the Road, I would sing along with each harmony, often adding my own into the mix…an odd little thing in tacky 90’s jumpers, scrunchie in my ponytail and rolled-down ankle socks…getting my first appreciation of vocal harmony…

On Tuesday I relived the above memory as I ventured to QPAC to experience Naturally 7 as they descended upon Brisbane as part of their VOCALPLAY tour. Hailing from New York, this acapella, beat boxing, gospel, Motown, hip-hop vocal group perform a unique style aptly known as Vocal Play. Offering so much more than your average harmony group, Naturally 7 took the jam-packed Concert Hall on a journey through funky originals, mashed-up pop favorites and moving acoustic medleys using nothing but their velvety toned voices to cause the entire Concert Hall to dance in the aisles.

Before Naturally 7 took to the stage, warming the crowd was Brisbane’s own beat boxing champion Tom Thum. Taking the audience on a round the world trip with his charismatic vocal pyrotechnics, this 20-something Brissie-boy is no ordinary beat boxer. Awe-inspiring and funny to boot, I first discovered Tom at the Adelaide Fringe Festival, and have been a huge fan ever since. Tom’s ability to vocally reproduce every instrument in the orchestra as well as those not yet invented…is only matched by his endless repertoire of vocal percussion…throw in a loop pedal and a dash of cheeky boyish charm and Tom gives our homegrown talent serious cred!

Then as Tom left the stage to a cheering crowd, it was time for Naturally 7.

One by one the members of the band took to the stage layering tones, beats and bass and building to an all-encompassing sound so legit I could feel it in the pit of my stomach.

Uninitiated to the musical -world of Naturally 7, I wasn’t familiar with their original music (Keep the Customer Satisfied, Life Goes On) but killer arrangements and sensitive musicality made this irrelevant. Scooping up the uninitiated with familiar pop rock mash ups (Burt Bacharach’s What the World Needs Now, Mr. Mister’s Broken Wings, Phil Collins’ Feel It In the Air Tonight) sung and orchestrated with freakishly impeccable tuning and musicality made me a instant fan of this lively group.

Arrangements by musical director Roger Thomas utilised harmonic and rhythmic devices from classical, jazz, world and even early music; culminating in a place where hip-hop met harmony through songs that served as perfect vehicles for the groups extensive vocal orchestra. Their world class beat boxing skills stood side by side with their vocal reproductions of sounds that stretched from double bass, electric guitar and clarinet to harmonica, scratching and percussion. The overall effect was absolutely unbelievable and a true demonstration of what human voices are capable of.

With natural camaraderie and solid sense of ensemble, Naturally 7 balance heart-felt emotion with playfulness, rounding it all off with obligatory boy-band-esque choreography that only their cheeky stage personas let them get away with. It seems ridiculous to highlight any one voice amongst seven incredible sets of cords but I found myself unexplainably excited when Bass singer ‘Hops’ Hutton stepped forward for a solo (there’s just something about Basses…what can I say!). That being said, each singer brought something unique to the group, which was evident in each performer’s solo moments that found me finding a new favourite singer with every song.

Personal highlights were the moments where all the production was stripped away, showcasing the seven legitimate voices as they filled the acoustic that is the Concert Hall wall to wall. A Simon and Garfunkel medley was completely soul stirring as was the encore performance of Amazing Grace.

Naturally 7 are what great singing is all about. While I am not as much of a fan of R&B and hip-hop as I once was back in my jumper wearing, scrunchie styling days, I AM a fan of good musicians, great vocalists and kick-ass performers and Naturally 7 are all of the above. With a talent that surpasses simply great singing, the musical bar is raised…now how on earth do I “reverse dry-kick” while sustaining a high C? Hmmm….

The Miser

The Miser

Growl Theatre

Windsor State School Hall

18th – 26th May 2012

Reviewed by Michelle Bull

Last Saturday night, I headed out to see Growl Theatre’s latest production ‘The Miser’ by French playwright Moliere.

With greed being a central theme, it was a rather apt choice of entertainment for the night as I had just swiped the last of my fiancé’s chocolate on my way out the door… a frequent (and rather impolite) habit of mine!

Entering the space and settling myself with a glass of wine, I was immediately drawn to a character I could only assume to be La Flèche (Luke Farrow) wandering across the stage, casually sweeping under the audiences feet and mingling silently with the audience. This immediate intimacy was a welcoming beginning to the play, and one, which I was not expecting given the open aesthetic of the space.

Known widely as a comedy of manners, ‘The Miser’ is typical of Moliere’s character-driven writing. Typically it focuses on the exploitation of a specific attribute, often journeying to the point of the ridiculous to make the point. The Miser focus’s largely on the greed of the protagonist Harpagon, a rich, ill tempered Miser, who values money and wealth more than the welfare of his own children, Elise (Rosanna Brennan) and Clèante (Matthew Seddon). Love is also a reoccurring motive as the children both yearn to run away with their respective lovers, Valère (James Meggitt) and Marianne (Ellen Carseldine). Enter a comical archetypal supporting cast; a stolen casket of gold, and watch the drama unfold.

Staged in Windsor State School Hall, Growl Theatre made the most of a space that, while functional, lacked theatrical atmosphere. The play itself was set in Harpagon’s living room, the stage simply dressed with a focus on functionality. Despite this it managed to evoke a sense of the play’s personality with quirky touches like a stack of books propping up a table leg.

Minimalistic sets always appeal to me, and in this case the choice was obviously fitting to the frugality of the central character, but it also gave the actors the opportunity to make the space come alive without the distraction of an overly- stuffed stage.

I particularly enjoyed the use of the space off stage as an entrance and exit point. I would have loved for some more of the dialogue to have happened from these points to really immerse the audience, as the few times this was done were by far the most engaging moments in the play. Frequently breaking the fourth wall with direct dialogue to the audience is a charming characteristic of this work and one that I felt could have been used to greater effect with some different staging choices.

The cast of The Miser presents this story with a great deal of enthusiasm and dedication to the archetypes that underpin each character. While on the whole the characterization was rather one dimensional, however each performer had a certain charm or skill they bought to the role.

Jason Sharland in the role of Harpagon is tireless in his approach, and performs the role with consistent energy and a clear understanding of the characters motivation. Sharland incorporates a physicality to the role that is reflective of Harpagon’s age and vigor, however I would have liked less of an affect on his vocalization of the role, which at times got in the way of a clear delivery of the text and the credibility of a weighted tone.

Rosanna Brennan in the role of Elise and James Meggitt as her love interest Valère both gave wonderfully natural and well measured performances. Showing a respect for the natural rhythm and shape of the text they are clear in their characterization of the roles although at times Brennan’s lack of vocal projection meant some text became lost. As Valère, Meggitt gave a well-considered performance of the text but tended to rush his delivery. As love interests they had a wonderfully believable chemistry onstage and showed a keen awareness of ensemble.

Matthew Seddon as Clèante exuded a boyish charm in his role and an energy that matched those playing opposite. His portrayal of the character was most effective when it was also embodied physically (another strong offstage moment), as at these points in the play it had a natural rhythm and pace that at other times seemed artificial.

Clèante’s love interest Marianne, played by Ellen Carseldine was a standout for me in this production.  With an insightful treatment of the text, this young performer showed a wonderful depth to her characterization, balancing the parameters of the archetype with a sincere interpretation of character.

The other standout performer for me in this production was Luke Farrow in the role of La Flèche. A wonderfully natural performer, he performed with a casual elegance that added weight to his scenes. With an innate sense of comic timing and natural physicality onstage he was utterly believable in a role that he clearly has established ownership over.

Lee St Clair as Anselme, Master Simon and Brindavoine also gave a strong performance, his commanding stage presence aided by some striking costume design (Anne Grant). Likewise Rhiannon Said in the role of matchmaker Frosine, brought an liveliness and enthusiasm to the role that was matched by a clear and strong vocal delivery.

Simon Corvane as Master Jacques and Jude Marko in the roles of La Merluche and the Police Officer also brought comic relief and a sense of joyfulness to their roles, playing the archetypes with a sense of abandon that although perhaps in need of some refinement were a constant source of energy throughout the show.

The Miser is the second offering from new organisation Growl Theatre. An ambitious undertaking, director Nicole Tate succeeds in delivering a play of good dramatic pace and momentum with a cast that give it their all. I look forward to seeing this new organisation continue to grow and evolve.

Biddies

Biddies

CDP Production

QUT Gardens Point Theatre

18^th – 19^th May 2012

Reviewed by Meredith McLean

Friday often comes and goes by me with a comedy of errors. I like to think I’m part of the Age of Awkward. I threw my back out at the gym while trying to look energetic. As night came around I threw on a scarf and hunched over towards the bus. In the city I banged my leg on a bench. Why was that bench even there in the first place? Clearly it is in the way of my path. As I got closer to QUT’s Gardens Point Theatre the chill bit into me and I wrapped my scarf like a shawl. Waddling up the steps with my sore back and hobbled leg I looked like I was part of the show, another in the cast of Biddies.

Biddies lights up to five little old ladies enjoying a good old “stitch and bitch” in their old classroom. Unforeseen circumstances leave them locked in their coop with nothing but their wits to guide them. The most important thing to remember is they are anything but old. There are songs to be sung, dances to be danced and even gossip sessions that have passed decades. Each biddie reveals their triumphs and flaws of the past. The constant theme of “Men: can’t live with them. Can’t live without them,” is something each woman in the audience can’t help but laugh at.

Just because these ladies are still blasé and youthful in their age does not mean the kids can come along too. I started to self-consciously giggle to myself at some of the crude wisecracks coming from these ladies mouths. It wasn’t long before all of the audience cracked up too, casting aside any guilt in something so rude. It’s anything but a serious affair.  But somehow the jokes reminded me these old ladies have stories we can all relate to. Very cheekily calling out ,“Said the actress to the bishop,” at the drop of a suggestive comment. It sent a shiver down my spine, how similar it was to something I might say to friends. The modern adaption being something along the lines of “That’s what she said!” Though I’m a lady, I would never, ever say such a thing…”

Of all the cast two wildly youthful biddies caught my attention. Donna Lee is no stranger to theatre. Every rude comment, every break into song completed with tap dance and spinning parasols; her role as Connie was behind it. She preempted the laughter for me. On the other end of the character scale was Agnes played by Maggie Blinco. She’s a television icon of four generations in her own right. Watching her take on the role of independent spinster Agnes instilled all the wisdom of a powerful woman every young girl dreams of. She needs no man to save her and with just a dash of Sambuca in her coffee she can quip the words of Shakespeare or Wordsworth. She’s the kind of sassy old woman I wouldn’t mind being when I’ve seen decades of change before my eyes.

Admittedly, Biddies was not particularly my cup of tea. I’m not even a tea drinker. I think that’s the problem. I was craving a flat white from Merlos and I got a cup of Earl Grey.  The play indulges a certain frame of humour, very marginalised with not too many surprises. Not to say the play is uneventful. There are certainly some great surprises in the show.

Ultimately these limitations of genre were no chip on my shoulder. I spent the night laughing, as did everyone else in the theatre. It’s one of those light-hearted pieces of writing that leave you feeling strange. Words like pleasant, or splendid and other adjectives I don’t usually utter come to life. Because that’s what this is: a splendid evening with some anything-but-old Biddies.

 

The Alleyway Project

 

The Alleyway Project

Cradle Productions & The Alleyway Collective

Winn Lane

14th -15th May 2012

Reviewed by Michelle Bull

FULL. ON. SHOW.

Theatre that pushes boundaries…

“Are you sure this is it?” asked my concerned fiancé, dropping me off in front of a grimy looking laneway in the bowels of the Valley…”

“Yep!” I grinned as I eyed a chalkboard sign crudely pointing down Winn Lane, where a mishmash of people wandered wide-eyed into the darkness…

Kissing him goodbye, I joined those heading to see The Alleyway Project, a new work presented by Cradle Productions & The Alleyway Collective and directed by Kat Henry for the Anywhere Theatre Festival 2012. With stories of love, loss and chaos from Brisbane playwrights Dan Evans, Eloise Maree, Dan Maloney and Maxine Mellor, The Alleyway Project was set to breathe new life into little ol’ Winn Lane; turning it into an eclectic performance space full of possibility.

Upon arrival I was welcomed into the atmospheric little space by costumed alley-cats encouraging me to help myself to the hanging casks of goon suspended from the rafters and pull up a milk crate and cushion for my comfort. Half a cup of Sav Blanc and a few ‘cat-mask-wearing’ happy-snaps later, a commotion started up behind me and the show began.

Entering from the street came a disheveled barefoot reveler; frantic and slightly unhinged, he ambled through the audience befriending some and using the bemused expression of others to play out his hysteria. Searching for his missing loafers and recounting a hectic tale of his boy’s night out we soon learnt that despite his plucky exterior, something was fatally amiss. Stripping down to reveal a bloodstained shirt and gradually unraveling to a sobbing heap before us, the audience was left silent and captivated by the spectacle.

The intimacy of an actor in the same space as their audience is often as problematic as it is effective. Despite a few visual restrictions, in this case, it is used to great effect. The familiarity created between audience and actor fostered much needed empathy for the highly charged emotional journey to follow and although extreme, made it more easily digestible through an authentic and honest performance by the actor.

The next performer made a quiet yet strong entrance. With a wonderful feel for language, this tale of unrequited love and gritty lust was both beautiful and grotesque. I enjoyed the audience connection created particularly by the first actor, whose settled performance also showed respect for the rhythm and shape of words as a vehicle for sincerity. I felt this was not executed as well by the object of his affections, Ren, who whilst presenting a wonderfully courageous performance, was outweighed in this respect by her counterpart.  That being said, she brought a wonderful physicality to the role and showed a commitment to character that made for a believable and truthful performance. It was in this scene however, that visually much was lost, as a rather large number of audience members were unable to see the focused performance space and were therefore disconnected from the story.

As the lights went down on this story of young love, we were ushered onto the staircase and told to pack in tight. Like kids at a school assembly, we perched shoulder to shoulder, as fittingly, a chattering pack of schoolgirls came into view. With bra straps showing and all the bravado of youth, this scene held nothing from the imagination as vulgarity spewed from their pink-chapsticked lips in the form of bullying, racism, sexual escapades and even abuse. While this scene had quite a few lighter moments in its characterisation, in reflection it was probably the most affecting.  There was a gravity that was not overlooked as it hinted at abuse and the ability of pop culture to become a tool for its distribution. All three actors gave strong performances that made no apologies for the sensitivity of the subject matter. I particularly enjoyed the Queen Bee and her interpretation of what was a challenging role. Although at times I found the interpretation a little one-dimensional, her commitment to character and onstage energy was captivating to watch. All in all, the three embodied these overtly sexual school-aged characters in a way that left me stunned and wondering if this was a true representation of the sexualisation of high schools today?

The final part of our Alleyway journey came in the form of a scene that I fear may be more common than not in the Valley on a Saturday night. Emerging from the shadows a vomit-soaked couple, interrupted in their moment of passion schlepped slowly into the space. What followed was an amusing conversation about ‘hooking up’, labels, drugs, promises and eczema, providing light-hearted relief to what had been a heavy journey so far. The actors in this scene had a great chemistry that made their interchanges hilariously raw and dreadfully believable. Embodying the stereotypes to a tee, they navigated their way through chunks of vomit and cheesy pickup lines to a place where common ground was found and the nature of a drunken hook up exposed. While often light-hearted, I felt this scene made interesting comment on the casual nature of relationships and sexual encounters within the club scene, presenting without judgment, the gritty underbelly of this side of social culture. It was a fitting and somewhat gross end to what was an exhausting yet enjoyable journey.

Overall, The Alleyway Project is a lot to chew on. The themes presented are shockingly real and hard to swallow in an intimate setting. This however, is also a huge strength of the show and one that I hope audiences do not shy away from. The actors are to be commended for rising to this challenge, as are the writers and director for their courageous choices. The Alleyway Project engagement with the space was also on the whole, highly successful, enlivening the quiet laneway in a manner that enhanced the poignancy of the themes inherent in the material, whilst embodying the true spirit of the Anywhere Theatre Festival.

 

 

A Hoax

A Hoax

La Boite & Griffin Theatre company

The Roundhouse 

5th – 26^th May 2012

In a pristine white setting (Designer Renee Mulder), against a photographer’s backdrop used in conjunction with images projected onto 2 screens (Music, Sound & AV Designer Steve Toulmin) to create “hotel room”, we meet four mismatched characters, each with their own issues and their own perfectly acceptable selfish agendas. One is a literary agent and one is her PA. One is a writer. No one has heard of him because he’s a middle class, white skinned social worker. One is an Aboriginal girl. No one has heard of her because she’s a lower class, black skinned Indigenous chick. They are all desperately unhappy in their ridiculous situations (ie normal life) and seek success and happiness via that dodgy vehicle, fame. And why not? Everyone’s a star! Aren’t they?

Now, don’t go blaming Andy Warhol! He was talking about 15 minutes. 15 MINUTES, PEOPLE!

(Thank you, that’s all we need today).

If you must create this future for yourself, here is what you’ll need:

• A bit of ambition (it doesn’t take much, just enough to make you brave enough to take the first steps towards your new, incredible life as a famous person)
• A supportive somebody (it doesn’t matter who it is as long as they promise to stick to the script)
• A tough skin (never mind those cynics, they’re delusional themselves. Don’t they see what the public sees?)
• Access to the media (and a YouTube account, a Twitter account and a Facebook page that are all regularly updated by your brazen manager, agent or their PA. See below)
• A brazen manager or agent and their marginalised-in-whatever-way PA (none of them have to believe in you they just have to make others believe in you. They’re probably jealous of you anyway and will skim as much as they can off the top so you’d better be famous AND crazy wealthy)
• A story to make ‘em weep (or cringe in horror. n.b. it doesn’t need to be true it just needs to be SOLD)

So, you see? Achieving fame and notoriety is easy! Everyone’s a winner! So we are led to believe. This modern restoration comedy smashes that perception and then, strangely, disturbingly, reinforces it.

The star of the show is the brilliant premise and it’s a doozy! Inspired by some of the great contemporary literary hoaxes (the misery memoir or fake autobiography), A Hoax proves that Rick Viede was not a one hit wonder with his Premier’s Literary Award winner in 2010, Whore but an up and coming ROCK STAR. I can perfectly envisage his career catapulting, at the same rapid pace and in the same general upward direction, as the fictitious character Currah’s does during the course of the play. Let’s hope there’s no mistaking his identity though!

Remember Barry Levinson’s 1997 film, Wag the Dog, about the creation of a war hero? A Hollywood producer and a spin-doctor dream up a fictitious war to distract the American public from a presidential sex scandal. It works! It’s marketing! It’s ALL marketing. Of course, on the other end of every successful hoax, there’s human nature. In any context, we all want to believe.

I love the play – with some reservations because any variation on Stockholm syndrome is unnerving and the notion of anyone taking delight in the horrendous abuse she’s suffered is completely unsettling – it’s refreshing, raw work of heightened realism, allowing a great deal of profanity and non-PC-ness (sexism, racism and issues surrounding homophobia are rife), which means it is bound to work equally as well, if not better, as a screenplay. Viede states in the program notes that he is happy with the political shocks in the play but at times the heightened delivery does him (and the play) a disservice by sanitising the shocking truth of our modern media-run world.

I found the world premiere a little clunky. We could feel the gears shifting, as if a Learner driver had gotten their hands on a shiny new Ferrari! Shame! A week into the run, I have no doubt that this will have been remedied. I feel that, in its baby state, the piece is overwritten and I expect the red pen will come out before A Hoax goes on in Sydney. Interestingly, in conversation during the interval, with Griffin’s Artistic Director, Sam Strong, he commented that it was good to see the work getting “a bit of a clean up” on the Brisbane stage. Director, Lee Lewis, has clearly allowed for some play time during the rehearsal process and now her actors need to settle in and play!

Overwritten, slightly self-indulgent scenes in Act 1, that languish over a singular point, sometimes feel drawn out and a little repetitive. Act 2, at a cracking pace, works better. The climatic scene works like a shock to the system and it visibly affected the audience on opening night. In an instant, uncanny silence replaced uneasy laughter. We know what is going to happen, we’re dreading the cruel inevitability (it’s set up extremely well) but even just the sense of it is enough for me, without having to sit through the entire humiliating scene. Truly squirm-worthy, perhaps that’s the point. Overload the senses, boost the shock factor, get the people talking and get the sales!

Shari Sebbens is a wonderful, real and really pretty shocking Currah. She’s the brash, loud-mouthed (foul-mouthed) stereotypical Indigenous kid, with a fabricated past and a bright future, as long as she can gain – and retain – control of it. Sally McKenzie is at her best, in her driest version of the stereotypical Sydney literary agent, Ronnie Lowe. There’s a plum role for Sally in David Williamson’s play, Emerald City. I know because I played opposite Robyn Nevin in the role in Noosa for a special event produced by the Corrilee Foundation and Noosa Longweekend. Interestingly, Glenn Hazeldine directed the Melbourne production of One Night in Emerald City at the Malthouse.

The arc of A Hoax gives Tyrell Parks the biggest journey and Eric Morris trained Charles Allen doesn’t let up or let us escape from his side for a moment. He gets under our skin as we bear witness to his meteoric rise from rags to rehab to riches. He who dares wins! There is some brilliant, crude comedy from Allen before he reveals Tyrell’s darker side. It’s Hazeldine however, as Dooley, who impresses most, quietly simmering and staying hidden in the shadows, supporting his “ward” as far as the public are concerned but sticking his white, middle class nose in where it’s not wanted, according to Tyrell and Lowe. In this role, Hazeldine demonstrates how to beautifully underplay the pivotal character.

It’s taken me almost a week to write this review (sorry), because I really loved it but didn’t really LOVE it, you know? But A Hoax is so real and at the same time, so OTT that others are bound to love it. If you don’t, let me know and we’ll discuss it over a drink. Viede has my utmost respect and A Hoax gets my vote for most surprising new work – there’s no doubt it’s a sure-fire hit – but it hasn’t got all my love…yet.