isthisyours? theatre presented by State Theatre and Kojo. Space Theatre. 11 Apr 2019
The gloves are off. Once upon a time, it took a brave male playwright to take the mickey out of toxic male culture. David Williamson’s play, The Club, was controversial the moment it hit the stage in the 70s when the term “toxic masculinity” was yet to be invented. It exposed and satirised the boozy, seedy, and manipulative underbelly of the Aussie-Rules football culture.
Now, in the days of women’s footy, women have taken over his play and given it a mighty, mad kick in the funny-bone.
Williamson has approved this all-female version directed by Tessa Leong under the isthisyours? and Insite Arts banners. He said women had suffered men behaving badly for so long that it was time they behaved badly over men behaving badly. And so it comes to pass that three heavenly actors have slapped moustaches on their faces, pigeon-pouted their chests, and turned his classic play 360 degrees and then some in a wild act of retributive whimsy.
This production of The Club is a parody of a satire. It is stylised, inventive, zany and yet hard-hitting. It is all strutting, chain-smoking bully boys in backroom power plays. In many ways, it bounces so far from the original play that it feels like a different work altogether. Perhaps it is because there are only three in the cast and they don’t so much as wear different hats as they leap under different wigs to portray multiple characters. It is a zany and diverting device, the wigs hanging from aloft and actors darting from one to another. As the play progresses, Leong takes this visual gag to extremes and it seems that anyone can leap to any character wig. Meanwhile, the hard wall of the set is replaced by a canvas facade and, with characters in stoned-out-of-their-minds inflated phallus costumes, the play becomes a circus. Therein, the gender impersonation itself is defused. Moustaches come off. Lipstick is applied. Moustaches come back. Somehow the plot survives and the production bounds to its grand reveal. It’s a fabulous climax.
The actors are a bliss of well-studied blokedom. They assume posture and traits of high comic exaggeration, scratching a crotch here, flexing a muscle there, picking up and sending up the myriad macho mannerisms. Nadia Rossi’s gait in her low-girthed pot-bellied fat suit is desperately funny and, oh so well observed. And how smugly she can bare her teeth. What a slimy bullyboy she makes. Meanwhile, Louisa Mignone is the vanity of masculinity, a preening 70s executive fashion-plate, or sleek as the star player and sometimes unnervingly convincing with it. Ellen Steel asserts a sense of physical intimidation, chest out, muscles taut, eyes wide and confrontational.
Don’t mess with this boy. And watch out. He may not be what he seems.
It is not so much that the play is the thing in this madcap androgynous production so much as it is feast and farce of funny acting and a celebration of this different era when, any minute, the gender roles may be turned again.
Samela Harris
When: 11 to 20 Apr
Where: Space Theatre
Bookings: bass.net.au
StateTheatre Company of SA. 4 Apr 2019
Clearly, from the plethora of solo shows in the Fringe, it seems we truly are in the era of the one-hander when actors are tested to the core to retain lines, sustain focus, and bring the stage alive, peopled by their own dramatic prowess.
In Renato Musolino’s case, it is not people but animals which must be evoked; lots and lots of them as so significantly conceived by George Orwell in the mighty political satire of the 1940s, Animal Farm.
If only things had changed. But no. Orwell’s dystopian animal utopia is as fresh as a steaming 2019 cow plop.
These many decades of world politics have produced only different shades of the same old ugly power-plays and corruption.
What was old is new again, or perhaps has just gone on and on.
For his last production before heading overseas for a new chapter in his career, State Theatre director Geordie Brookman adapted Orwell to the shape of a one-man presentation. It’s a neat cut and the show runs to about 80 minutes with the major characters well and truly intact.
Its staging design is strangely austere, just a raised truck supporting a row of slim lighting rods to symbolise the farm rules. Spots on posts flank the stage. Lighting plays a major role, coming in on the actor to transform him to what seems like a bodiless face suspended in the darkness or pulling out to show him whole, his shirt soaked in sweat as he plods relentlessly through farm labours, Musolino remains on the ramp of this set device. It is his magnified microcosm.
He uses his face and voice to realise the characters of the farm animals. His vocal agility is superb. He injects squeals and grunts into his dialogue, whinnies and growls; for each beast, an identifying voice, an expression or posture. Napoleon, king of the farm, the most equal on an ever-evolving hierarchy of more equal than others, is an oinking triumph of characterisation. Muslino leaps between beasts and one loathes the self-serving propagandist Squealer, loves the gruff cynicism of the wise old donkey Benjamin, and weeps for the valiant old horse Boxer, perhaps voiced a little old to begin with. Orwell was commenting on the politics of the 40s with satirical swipes at Stalin, Lenin, Trotsky, Molotov, and others. But today’s audiences see modern politicians in this Brookman adaptation. They can’t wait to chew it over in the foyer.
It turns out to be quite a good bang for a State director to go out with.
The show had a short run in Adelaide at The Space and was booked out from the beginning. This critic was invited to the Barossa Valley to see it performed in the beautiful Brenton Langbien Theatre at Tanunda where, in such a large proscenium theatre, some of its detail was lost beyond about Row H. It needs an intimate space. One understands it will tour and, with the skill and stamina of Renato Musolino, it will stir and thrill wherever it goes.
Samela Harris
When: Closed
Where: Space Theatre, and touring
Bookings: Closed
SA Playwrights Theatre. Holden Street Theatres. 4 Apr 2019
It was not the chance of tonsorial genetics but a Bordertown hairdresser who was responsible for the lush glamour of former Prime Minister Bob Hawke’s hair. This is the delicious conceit of Matt Hawkins’ new play, Bordertown.
Hawke was born in Bordertown, son of a Congregational minister. He left town as a lad and visited rarely, but nonetheless he was and is the town's most famous son. It was on one of those visits purports this play, that he popped in on Patricia's hairdressing salon giving her the chance to claim her own slice of fame as the creator of the Silver Budgie’s fabulous hair-do.
With Hawke’s photo on the salon wall and magazines full of celebrity gossip on racks, star-struck Patricia obsesses that her attractive daughter should be not be trapped in small town anonymity but should dance with the stars in Hollywood. So, against her will Felicity is packed off with a stash of antidepressants to stay with an “auntie” who has contacts with the studio makeup people. Sure enough, to her mother’s satisfaction, Flick soon flirts her way into the heart of a drug-taking B-grade comic actor and into the gossip columns of New Idea. Then, suddenly, she is dead and the actor is shunning his agent’s wise advice and sneaks off to Bordertown to attend her funeral. The playwright, who appears in the play as the agent, was inspired to this crazy plot line by the true story of Hollywood’s Jim Carrey making a similar small-town pilgrimage.
But, what happens next in sleepy little Bordertown is an absolutely wild ride. Suspend the disbelief. Come on down Stephen King.
Matt Hawkins is carving a fine reputation in this hardest of writing crafts. His Frank Forbes and the Yahoo Boy was quite a hit last year in the Bakehouse. This play is a weird caper with some memorable characters, some good streaks of humour and a nice sharp barb pierced into the world’s tedious obsession with celebrity.
Its striking Maurice Hamm set with its ubiquitous checkerboard lino floor and long glamour curtains is compatible with the play’s assorted scene changes. Playwright Hawkins directs the work with the smarts that one would hope of one who knows it from conception. He also does a passable job of the slimy English talent agent. But, pivotal to the integrity of the production is the performance of Kate O’Reilly as the hard-bitten Patricia. This performance is cleverly delivered as if to a client via the mirror. She is sour, sharp, assertive, deluded. It is a recognisable and arresting characterisation. Kim Fox is simpatico as dominated daughter Flick and there is a lovely scene of her pushing her luck with lover boy in the shadows of the Hollywood sign. Chris Asimos plays the movie star, Emilio Sanchez, and he is equipped with all the charm and chutzpah to make it entirely believable. It is a gorgeous star-quality performance. Lastly, the hometown man, the handy plot-link gopher, is Dennis the taxi driver and Brendan Cooney reliably delivers the goods, however confusing they might be.
Bordertown may not quite be "the great Australian play” but it is as relevant as it is zany. Well-honed in production, it is what they say in the classics: a very nice night’s entertainment.
Samela Harris
When: 4 to 13 Apr
Where: Holden Street Theatres
Bookings: holdenstreettheatres.com
Pelican Productions. Arts Theatre. 22 Mar 2019
Here they come again, a cast of thousands of young children being reared in the art of stagecraft by the sterling Pelican Productions team.
Jen Frith, Kylie Green and Bec Schembri have been running annual school-holiday theatre camps for 15 years, recently adding an extra one to cope with demand. Young South Australians are very keen on theatre and performance skills and, as is evidenced in every showcase Pelican production, they get them in spades. It’s a rich incubation space for the future arts industry.
This version of Disney’s The Little Mermaid comes very efficiently packaged indeed, minus interval.
It is set to a recorded score with a team of cast and backstage crew getting huge sets on and off flawlessly and romping along at a lightning pace.
The costumes are stunning. Never have there been more elaborate fishtails; massive glitzy entities which rise high in the air when the mermaids dance or bow and can give quite a shimmer as a swimming motion. The girls wear black tights so their legs, technically, are sort of invisible. Ariel, the mermaid heroine, must dart and dash about with this long tail protruding behind her, until, of course, she trades in her voice to lose her mermaid tail and become mortal in a deal with Ursula, the evil octopus queen of the deep.
Ursula is another piece of spectacular costuming. Her actress, Emma Pool, is elevated high in her cephalopod-inspired ball gown with writhing air-filled tentacles being juggled all around her by little aquatic servants, Mega tentacles on painted flats adorn the stage to complete the overarching sense of the sinister octopusian world. Pool gets to sing, most competently, some of the more demanding songs of the colourful Alan Menken score. It’s an evergreen Disney musical with much loved tunes, Under The Sea being the absolute favourite. In this production, it is performed within an absolutely delicious characterisation of Sebastian the crab by one Ariel Higgs.
Alternate casts for Pelican Production performances mean that one cannot see all the talent at once. Alex Hasler as the Prince is the only principal in all Little Mermaid performances. Ariel, the sweet-singing star of the show, is alternated between Zara Blight and Jelena Nicdao. In this performance, among the outstanding young talent is Neve Sargeant as Scuttle the seagull and Liam Holland as little King Triton.
The ensemble work is superb. Aged from 8 to 19, of all shapes and sizes, the ensemble of seagulls and dancers displays absolute discipline, each individual seeming to shine with joy, notably among them Jasper Darwent, Sierra Vannini and Aisha Skinner.
If there is one flaw to this short and sweet production, it is the sound. Pelican has very high production values and has always been very professional in its technical aspects but in this show it seems a bit too heavy on the amps. Even 8-year-olds in the audience were protesting the volume. Sound at shows is becoming quite an issue these days with so many mature performers complaining of accumulated hearing damage through their stage lives, so it is all the more vital that young talent be protected as prudently as possible.
Samela Harris
When: 22 to 24 Mar
Where: Arts Theatre
Bookings: trybooking.com
Adelaide Fringe. Burnside Community Centre. 16 Mar 2019
Graeme Denton, aka Marty McBubble, has serious bubble-making pedigree. Since 2017, he has been the proud holder of the Guinness World Record for the largest free floating soap bubble (indoors).
In The Scientific Bubble Show, he demonstrates his impressive skills with an array of large, beautiful, and gravity-defying examples. In setting up each of his "experiments", Denton takes every opportunity to share his encyclopaedic scientific knowledge in a fun and engaging way. In return, his audience of mini scientists are wide eyed and eager to test each hypothesis.
This show is a wonderful hour of educational entertainment. McBubble has great rapport with pre- and primary school age children, and keeps the show humming along at a good pace. The kids are excited, calling out answers and scrambling to be a part of the onstage experiments.
The hour is gone in a flash, and everyone is smarter for attending. Highly recommended.
Nicole Russo
When: Closed
Where: Burnside Community Centre
Bookings: Closed