Written and performed by Camilla Blunden. The Street Theatre. 24 May 2015
It’s not often that a play fails to inspire any feeling in me whatsoever, but there you have it – while the blurb for Camilla Blunden’s All This Living! sounded quite promising, sadly it was a non-event.
The one-woman show explores the experience of old age from a fictional lady’s perspective, and is the result of the playwright’s discussions with Canberra’s elders and her research into mythical archetypal stories of hags, crones et al.
Expecting a rather profound insight into an issue that is becoming more frequently discussed as Australia tackles the challenge of an ageing population, the audience is instead offered a rather incoherent and disjointed mish-mash of monologue and thought bubble narration.
With all of that, no doubt, fascinating content gleaned in preparation for writing the play, the 45-minute show leaves no time to delve into any kind of meaningful territory. What is supposed to be an investigation of the “third stage of life” turns out to be a paddle in the shallow end of the pool.
And while it is easy to accept the bizarre when you know there is method behind the madness, the furry onesie and scattered display of kitchen pots makes no more sense at the conclusion of the show than it does at the outset – and frankly, it is hard work to stay engaged.
Occasionally you catch a glimpse of what All This Living! could have become with more workshopping: a fantastically droll joke here, an impassioned rejection of stereotypes there, but overall it comes off as hastily undercooked. While we are promised a character plus her story and journey, nothing of substance ever really materialises.
This is not to say by any means that the gorgeous Blunden isn’t a talented performer, but rather that the issue is with the content. Her feisty stage presence itself is actually rather magnetic, and with a more developed script there’s no doubt she would have blown the show out of the water.
But, as it is All This Living! is unfortunately a case of lost potential.
Deborah Hawke
When: 20 to 31 May
Where: The Street Theatre
Bookings: thestreet.org.au
An Evening with Geoffrey Robertson. The Canberra Theatre Centre. 13 May 2015
Lawyers in their natural habitat are required to be effective performers in order to win a case, and so it is no surprise that so many of them make such a smooth transition to the world of entertainment. You don’t need to look very far to find successful examples of this phenomenon in Australia; the Chasers, Shaun Micallef and Jane Turner are just a handful of the country’s most revered celebrities that are former lawyers or law students – you’ll also note that they are all specifically comedians.
But there is one formidable Australian in particular that has managed to straddle both the law profession and the arts simultaneously in quite spectacular fashion: the brilliant and flamboyant Geoffrey Robertson QC.
A seasoned media personality, Robertson’s show Dreaming Too Loud is based on his autobiography of sorts, bearing the same name, which he wrote in 2013. At the beginning of the show I was actually starting to become a little concerned that it was simply going to be a lengthy reading of the book when he sat down and started to recite passages from some of the chapters he penned, however, this was mercifully not to be.
Rather, Dreaming Too Loud is more like a live version of what would be ‘The Very Best of Geoffrey Robertson’ album, featuring the superb kind of oration we have come to expect from this exceedingly accomplished man. Weaving in social commentary, Australian colonial history and demonstrative anecdotes, he crafts a colourful story in which he has played crucial roles in many significant world events.
As serious as Robertson’s work often is, he maintains one of the most robust and wicked senses of humour that you’re ever likely to come across. Coupled with his keen wit and acquired British accent, he really is quite the captivating showman – I don’t believe for a second there was one person in the sold-out Playhouse that didn’t feel privileged to bear witness to this remarkable, rabble rousing life that has been so dedicated to furthering the cause of human rights.
One critique one would make of Dreaming Too Loud is that, for a show that speaks so loudly for human rights, the prohibitive cost for a ticket made it a very exclusive occasion indeed. I would have expected a show with such an important and powerful humanitarian message be more accessible to those with lesser means. That said, the 2.5-hour event was packed to the brim with not only high quality content, but also unbridled energy from Robertson who went above and beyond in giving people their money’s worth.
Dreaming Too Loud is an endlessly fascinating insight into the world of this home-grown champion of the human race and the infamous characters he has represented along the way. It will truly be a night that you’ll treasure in the memory bank for a lifetime and is also an affirmation of the Australian legal profession’s apparent comedic prowess.
Deborah Hawke
When: Closed
Where: Canberra Theatre Centre
Bookings: Closed
By Michael Veitch. The Q. 28 Apr 2015
When I think of Michael Veitch, my mind automatically harks back to his days on TV’s satirical ‘Fast Forward’: a show I would watch religiously and then gleefully go and re-enact each skit to my family and friends. Flak is a foray into more serious territory for Veitch, drawing no comparison with Fast Forward except perhaps for the shadow of his trademark humour peppered in amongst his otherwise sober monologues.
Based on two books authored by Veitch, Flak is a one-man show in which he retells the real life anecdotes of a handful of men who served as pilots during World War Two. Portraying each man in character, complete with accents, mannerisms and attire, he shares their tales of survival in extremely unforgiving circumstances.
A self-professed military aircraft enthusiast, Veitch drifts in and out of these men’s worlds; stopping every now and again to provide context to their experiences and to give quite an educational presentation on the very best and absolute worst of war-time aircrafts.
While the show starts out quite sedately, it becomes more engaging with each passing minute. It’s actually not unlike sitting at the foot of your grandfather’s armchair and listening to his war stories for the first time – seeing a completely different side unfold in a person you thought you had pegged.
However, despite their fleeting moments of triumph or defeat, Flak is never grandiose about war and the men’s humanity remains front and centre. What’s most interesting about them is not only how they view the war in reflection, but also the compassion they felt for their fellow humans back when they were in the firing line.
Always the master impersonator, Veitch does a marvellous job of portraying these everyday heroes and reviving their stories for a new and seemingly appreciative audience. His goal is to simply ensure that they are remembered, and I believe in this respect he does each one of them real justice.
While Flak will certainly appeal to those who have a zest for air force history, you don’t need to be particularly interested in the topic to enjoy it – it has a rather broad appeal. The show is also neither pro nor anti-war; indeed, it’s a rather neutral perspective from the every man’s point of view. If you want to learn more about the war without all the hype, Michael Veitch’s Flak is a good place to start.
Deborah Hawke
When: 28 Apr to 2 May
Where: The Q Theatre
Bookings: theq.net.au
Kim Carpenter’s Theatre of Image. Canberra Theatre Centre. 23 Apr 2015
Scores of fellow Generation Xers would be familiar with the popular Japanese produced television series Monkey Magic – most especially the hilarious dubbing. However, some may not know that the television series was actually based on a classic Chinese book called Journey to the West, which was written by Wu Cheng’en in the 16th Century. Monkey…Journey to the West incorporates the campiness of the television show, while also sprinkling in modern references and paying a respectful, abridged homage to the original story.
For those who aren’t familiar, the tale centres on Monkey (Aljin Abella), who is an accomplished and ambitious creature who manages to attract the wrath of the Jade Emperor after sneakily making himself immortal while working in heaven and subsequently causing havoc as revenge for being given a lowly position in the hierarchy. Buddha weighs in to assist the Emperor and imprisons Monkey under a mountain for five hundred years as punishment. Monkey is then freed by a monk called Tripitaka (Aileen Huynh), who is instructed to bring Monkey with him as a disciple on his quest to collect three ancient scriptures from the Buddha in India.
On their journey they pick up two more disciples – Pigsy (Darren Gilshenan) and Sandy (Justin Smith), who are also banished from heaven and living out their punishments on Earth. The foursome’s escapade involves all manner of cannibalistic monsters and demons attempting to foil their plans, with Monkey proving to be the superior disciple in terms of protecting his new Master.
There is just so much to love about this artistic melting pot of a production: its indefatigable energy and wicked humour that adults get loud and clear but skims appropriately over the kids’ heads, the nimble acrobatics and martial arts from the supporting cast (Ivy Mak, Lia Reutens, Anthony Taufa, Troy Honeysett, Joshua Tieu, Jair Coronado and Jono Wong), its fantastical costumes, the technically brilliant set that bursts with colour, and the magnificent puppetry that at one point made the grown man next to me breathlessly whisper “…wow” like a mesmerised child who just had their imagination well and truly captured.
The main actors are an absolute joy to watch, really bringing the spirit of this cult favourite to vivid life amidst the whimsical and ever changing backdrop. It is fantastic to see a female actor cast as the sage Tripitaka, and Huynh crafted a really commanding and endearing character. Abella as the ‘Monkey King’ is spectacularly on the mark, creating an infinite sense of adventure and excitement without going over the top.
Gilshenan as Pigsy brings some prime Aussie bogan to the stage, with a plethora of colloquial clangers always at the ready. Smith as Sandy also provides brilliant comic relief with his hippy interpretation of the character – together they seem to resemble the characters Vivian and Neil from The Young Ones, gate-crashing their way through the story with their antics.
Another noteworthy mention goes out to the composer and live solo musician of the evening, Peter Kennard, who works his magic seamlessly just to the side of the stage and contributes greatly to the ambience of the evening.
Of course, Monkey…Journey to the West was in the best of hands, being co-directed by two Sydney theatre greats – John Bell (of Bell Shakespeare) and Kim Carpenter. It is clear that this production is a labour of love, pulling out all the stops to make the evening as enchanting as humanly possible.
One last important aspect of the show is its pluralism; not only is the cast multicultural, but the story itself represents a range of religious, spiritual and cultural perspectives that are actually quite deep in some parts – though this is delivered in a very accessible way.
Without trying to sound trite, this really is a show for the whole family to enjoy and I encourage people to bring the next generation along to discover the magic of Monkey for themselves.
Deborah Hawke
When: Closed
Where: Canberra Theatre Centre
Bookings: Closed
Bell Shakespeare. The Canberra Theatre Centre. 11 Apr 2015
As a woman, one of the things I like about Shakespeare is the way he wrote his female characters. His plays feature many memorable and incredibly wily, witty and strong women, and often in leading roles – pretty impressive considering the male dominated era they were written in. If you compare how women are portrayed in some of the programmes that spew from our various forms of media in the present day, it sometimes feels like society has taken a backwards step.
As You Like It is a superb example of these attributes in a female lead: Rosalind (Zahra Newman) is the daughter of Duke Senior (played aptly by Alan Dukes), who has been overthrown by his brother Duke Frederick (also played by Alan Dukes). While living with her uncle, Rosalind proceeds to fall madly in love (at first sight) with Orlando (Charlie Garber), the neglected youngest son of the deceased Sir Rowland – who also happened to be the nemesis of Duke Frederick.
Rosalind is promptly banished from the Court for treason, and along with her cousin Celia (Kelly Paterniti) and Court Jester, Touchstone (Gareth Davies) she flees into the forest, dressed as a man for safety, to find her father. Orlando is blamed for the girl’s disappearance and so also escapes to the forest with his servant Adam (Tony Taylor) in search of Rosalind – with his nasty brother Oliver (Dorje Swallow) in hot pursuit after being threatened with ruin by Duke Frederick. From there it is a whimsical journey of love triangles, folly and romance by stealth as Rosalind and Orlando seek to reunite.
What captivates me instantly as I walk into the Playhouse is the ambrosial set (by Michael Hankin), and I am overcome by a ceiling fashioned by hundreds of colourful bouquets that is so lovely I swear I can smell their fragrance (either that, or my neighbour is wearing a beautifully floral perfume). It’s an intoxicating feast for the senses and the play hasn’t even started yet.
The play itself is much more free spirited than the purposeful intensity I’ve come to expect from Bell Shakespeare. There is meandering both between and within scenes, with surreal musical interludes by Amiens (Abi Tucker) and a carefree vibe all round from the cast. Given that the play is an endurance-testing 2 hours and 40 minutes long, the pace actually induces a pleasant state of relaxation by allowing you to kick back and just enjoy as the spectacle unfolds.
Kate Aubrey-Dunn works wonders with the costumes, bringing the cast to vibrant life with her bright and flamboyant creations – with Shakespeare’s storylines being somewhat intricate, it makes it much easier to keep up when each character is so easily distinguishable.
Davies as the mischievous Touchstone and Tucker as both Amiens and Audrey are the most entertaining of the production, with Davies really going the extra distance with his acerbic comedic talents and a quirky Tucker utterly charming the audience with her smooth and alluring vocal performances.
Garber’s angst-ridden hangdog monologues feel exasperating at times – though he gives a solid performance overall. Newman is a powerful and charismatic lead with a really grounded quality, but perhaps overly smarmy as her male disguise. Paterniti is adorable as Celia and really lights up the stage, while the dashing Swallow as Oliver is convincing as the schmuck-cum-nice guy.
George Banders and Emily Eskell as Silvius and Phebe have some brilliant chemistry and are really engrossing as the feuding couple and Taylor as Adam and Corin is quite a dear. Dukes is another solid performer and Bell in the role of the ‘Melancholy Jacques’, well – he does all he can to infuse his immense talent into an essentially cynical and annoying character.
Surprisingly, the time flies by and before you know it the lights fade and it is back to reality. It’s not until the play is over that you realise what an endearing escape it has been and how much your senses have been captivated and immersed in this highly aesthetic artistic creation. Most importantly, As You Like It is thoroughly demonstrative of the wily, witty and strong female characters and respectful relationships that we need to see more of in a world that sometimes feels like it's moving in reverse.
Deborah Hawke
When: 7 to 18 April
Where: Canberra Theatre Centre
Bookings: bellshakespeare.com.au
Continues in Melbourne from 23 Apr to 10 May