By Ian Robinson. La Mama and Cicero’s Circle Theatre Company. The Street Theatre. 25 Mar 2015
While the debate around asylum seekers in Australia rages on for another year, many human beings remain trapped within this highly politicised space. The Process gives us a taste of what life is like for those living at the centre of this complex web.
Rajoo Mahalingham (Ezekiel Day) is an Oxford educated Sri Lankan Tamil who has arrived in Australia ‘illegally’ by boat, seeking asylum after enduring horrific experiences at the hands of his government.
Somewhat naively for a character written as so well-educated, he comes to Australia with milk and honey dreams of being welcomed with open arms and beginning a better life. However, Rajoo quickly learns that in reality he’s landed in hostile territory, with his desire to resettle in the country aggressively blocked at every turn.
His circumstances go from bad to worse when he is on one hand found by his lawyer (Jessica Muschamp) to be a genuine refugee, but also a security risk – meaning he is now stuck in an intractable legal limbo.
What we then witness is a spirited and hopeful man become systematically broken by the chronic uncertainty and inhumanity of a policy designed to deter people from reaching Australia’s shores.
While the public would now sadly be familiar with accounts such as these, the impact of this play was found in Rajoo’s story unfolding alongside a provocatively blunt translation of the Government’s refugee narrative.
Via the Ministers of the day (both played by veteran Australian actor Sean Scully), media spin is replaced by a satirical, Tourette’s-like honesty regarding the Government’s rationale – not so subtly pointing out the perversities surrounding this issue.
Ezekiel Day is captivating as Rajoo, and brings him to life with a passion and wit that is befitting. You are entirely with him on every step of his journey and he evokes a feeling of being genuinely distraught at his predicament.
Sean Scully playing the melange of Government representatives seemed stilted as first, but in retrospect I think this may have been deliberate to heighten the tension. He possessed a unique dryness that allowed him to pull off this rather cynical line up of characters, but I was especially impressed at his professionalism when the show was briefly delayed due to an emergency within the audience.
Jessica Muschamp, as both the skittish but well-meaning legal aid lawyer and the stone faced psychiatrist, was the perfect embodiment of bureaucracy. She and Day played off of each other beautifully and really served to demonstrate the sense of isolation and hopelessness that can escalate within this unforgiving environment.
All in all, The Process isn’t about offering solutions to this long-standing problem, but is rather a frank contextual piece that offers a bird’s eye view of an issue that is so often fragmented and manipulated for point scoring.
This is intelligent and culturally mature theatre that reflects back to the audience a very different view of Australia to the public image of our nation that we have cultivated and cherished over the years: this is a story of a country that’s both at a crossroads and trapped within a social and political gridlock.
Deborah Hawke
When: 25 to 28 Mar
Where: The Street Theatre
Bookings: thestreet.org.au
By Laura Jackson. Aspiring Musical Theatre Company. The Street Theatre. 15 Mar 2015
March is the month that the world celebrates International Women’s Day, but also stops to reflect on the intractable issues that most affect them. Handle It brings some of the most pressing matters affecting young women to centre stage through a fearless one-woman show.
Through a multitude of complex characters that share a connecting storyline, Laura Jackson explores the themes of sexual violence, the misuse and abuse of social media and the damaging social effects of hard-core porn – boldly going where few dare to go.
Handle It plays sleuth to the mystery of fictional teenager Kelsey Armitage, whose night out on the town results in a tragic cascade of events. Compromising pictures of her begin to surface on the internet, while it also becomes clear a sexual assault has taken place – though it’s becoming increasingly unclear if the two are linked.
What I love about this play is that it deftly uses every opportunity possible to inject a meaningful conversation about the issues at hand. Via incredibly illuminating monologues, Jackson gives voice to the traumas women experience every day and confronts the prevailing attitudes that perpetuate them.
The precise timing of the content on the projection screen backdrop (by Brandon Wong) is also crucial to the production. It acts as a giant laptop, exemplifying in ruinous detail the process of Kelsey’s photos ‘going viral’ when they fall into the wrong hands, but also the public conversations taking place around the incident.
Jackson is a magnetic performer and a masterful chameleon, both skilfully crafting and representing a diverse and compelling cast of personalities. There is a staggering amount of depth to each character, and it is quite obvious that a great deal of care went into ensuring their authenticity.
Handle It is a provocative, no holds barred commentary that deconstructs some of the more troubling developments to emerge from our digital age, while using just enough humour to take the edge of the intensity. It’s a fulfilling experience that gives you plenty to consider, without dictating any particular conclusion. For me, this is theatre at its best.
Deborah Hawke
When: Closed
Where: The Street Theatre
Bookings: Closed
By Jeffrey Hatcher and Mitch Albom. Queanbeyan City Council. The Q Theatre. 3 Mar 2015
Everyone needs a Morrie Schwartz in their lives: that rare person who cuts through our outer shells to touch the core of our being and reminds us of our humanity when we lose our way.
Morrie Schwartz of course is the subject of the much-beloved book Tuesdays with Morrie, written by Mitch Albom in 1995. In it, Albom recounts the poignant life lessons he learns as he reconnects with his former professor during his final days suffering the fatal Lou Gehrig’s Disease.
While the book is very dear to my heart, I recall it being quite an emotional rollercoaster. As such, I wondered if the play would have the same impact. The short answer is it does, and so I recommend bringing a box of tissues. It took all of my strength not to sob uncontrollably in that theatre, and were it not for the awareness of my fellow patrons it would have been an intensely cathartic experience.
As with any book adaptation, you go in with a preconception of what the characters are like, or even a sense of knowing them intimately. So when stage Mitch (Dave Evans) and stage Morrie (Graham Robertson) utter their first words, their requisite American accents prove quite distracting.
Evans sounds a little schmaltzy and Robertson’s accent lacks a specific identity – is it from Brooklyn? New Orleans? Influenced by Eastern Europe? Who knows, but it keeps changing and it takes a while to overlook this and absorb myself in the story. Robertson’s Morrie is also a little more abrasive than I imagined him to be, and somewhat overlooks the gentleness and sensitivity at his core.
Beyond these issues, I can’t fault Tuesdays with Morrie. The stage adaptation is a masterfully edited version of the book; it leaves in all the highlights while at the same time ensuring the length of the show is manageable and that, like their precious time spent together, each moment counts.
The modest setting (by Brian Sudding) predominantly centres on Morrie’s home and is just as described: homely, warm and simple. It is wise to not overdo the design for a play such as this; it would just detract from the richness of the story.
Evans and Robertson are a dynamic duo and develop a sincere intimacy over the course of the evening. There is a stirring tension between Evans as the busy, competitive and ambitious Mitch as he rails against Robertson, the free spirited and philosophical Morrie. However, the real intrigue starts when this tension gradually melts away and their infamous friendship develops in its wake.
A special mention goes to Dylan Muir as Mitch’s wife Janine, who does not appear in the flesh in this production but nonetheless makes her mark via her radiant voice. As she sings a beautifully tender version of The Very Thought of You, Muir captivates the audience and provides a magical, sentimental climax to the show.
Mercifully this production ends on a more subdued note, which allows the audience to pull themselves together and dry their tears before the lights come up - revealing our state of upheaval. I have no doubt that this experience will trigger many long overdue calls to loved ones in the days henceforth.
Tuesdays with Morrie is a funny and deeply touching theatrical gift that is guaranteed to find a place in your heart. It is an experience that is sure to leave its mark on you for life and gently challenge you to consider death in a way that is profound and life affirming.
Deborah Hawke
When: 3 to 15 Mar
Where: The Q Theatre
Bookings: theq.net.au
By Yaron Lifschitz and the Circa Ensemble. The Canberra Theatre Centre. 26 Feb 2015
With all the marketing hype surrounding this Brisbane-based circus troupe’s latest creation Beyond I must admit, having never seen them before, I was looking forward to having my mind blown.
Witnessing the rapturous response from the audience at the conclusion of this performance, I would say that many other people around me did in fact have their minds blown. However, sitting there in my seat I couldn’t help but wonder: “am I missing something?”
Many elements of a good show are present in Beyond, including technically astute and multi-gifted circus performers (Robbie Curtis, Bridie Hooper, Rowan Heydon-White, Kathryn O’Keeffe, Paul O’Keeffe, Skip Walker-Milne and Billie Wilson-Coffey), a quirky and eclectic soundtrack and some impressive feats of strength and gravity - but somehow it just doesn’t reach its full potential.
Perhaps it is the fact that the show is heavily steeped in the absurdist genre, which isn’t usually my cup of tea and something I often find either tedious or nightmarish. Absurdism, paired in this case with Circa’s avant-garde “stripped back circus of the heart” approach doesn’t translate into something overly engaging to watch.
In terms of motivation, it is briefly explained at the start that the performers will be crossing the line, “between human and animal, between madness and sanity, between logic and dream”. This being said, I find it intellectually lazy to then put on a few oversized bunny heads whilst doing circus tricks and call it ‘artistic exploration’.
It comes across as a little awkward and undercooked; a few concepts thrown around that fail to develop into anything really profound. It may be fine for amateur troupes, but at the professional level one expects to be moved and challenged.
There are, however, some lovely moments born from the interaction between the performers. The laid-back culture of warmth, trust and playfulness amongst them is really endearing. There is also no doubt about the enormous talent and impressive specialities each member of the troupe possesses; the level of equality in displays of strength between female and male members is especially inspiring.
The stage is divided into three deliberate spaces separated by Twin Peaks-esque red velvet curtains allowing swift changeovers between acts – a nice touch. The design adds a dynamic edge as well as allowing the production to flow in unpredictable directions.
Beyond is well suited to those taken in by the physical wonders and possibilities of the circus or a love of unbridled silliness (children come to mind); perhaps not so much if you are looking for a theatrical production with a powerful message. But, each to their own.
Deborah Hawke
When: Closed
Where: Canberra Theatre Centre
Bookings: Closed
Phoenix Players. ANU Arts Centre. 14 Feb 2015
Having read the original Nick Hornby novel many moons ago and being a massive fan of the Americanised 2000 film starring John Cusack, I must say I was curious to see what form the musical version of ‘High Fidelity’ would morph into.
Developed in the USA by David Lindsay-Abaire, Amanda Green and Tom Kitt in the early 2000s, the musical incorporates elements of both the book and the film, but has taken creative licence with the story assumingly for ease of adaptation to the stage.
It’s the same basic storyline: Rob (Zach Raffan), a surly record storeowner, has just broken up with his girlfriend Laura (Josie Dunham). This jolt propels him into revisiting his top five past relationships to see where his love life went so terribly wrong.
But having these preconceptions of the book and film proved something of a distraction and initially made it difficult to accept this reimagining of the cult classic that seems to be flipping the bird to everything the other two stand for.
Walking into the ANU Arts Centre theatre, the set looked familiar enough – a gritty nineties retro aesthetic with music as the centrepiece. From the outset the script seemed much like I remembered it too, and the soundtrack effect of the kicking live band playing backstage was a great touch. Then came the songs.
While incorporating a lot of the dialogue and musical references from the book and film, the songs are actually original creations spanning a broad range of genres. But it’s incredibly jarring when a story you associate so strongly with being cynical and ultra hip suddenly mutates into Glee right in front of your eyes.
To be honest, most of the songs did in fact work quite well; the lyrics and accompanying choreography were funny and compatible with the intended essence of each scene. Furthermore, the immense collective talents and enthusiasm of the cast enabled them to pull off some of the more sentimental numbers (that the main characters ironically show such disdain for) without too much cringe factor.
One thing that seems almost impossible in a musical is to portray a character without turning them into a schmaltzy caricature. Musicals gloss over the enjoyable and carefully crafted nuances of an individual, leaving only shallow impressions of what they actually are. Again, an accomplished ensemble minimised this factor and injected enough depth to draw you in.
Raffan was well cast as the complex yet affable Rob, fully displaying the presence needed for the role that ultimately glues the show together as well as some beautiful chemistry with Dunham - though vocally he was not the strongest out of the primary characters. Dunham, as the conflicted Laura, had the most demanding role and she really delivered the goods with her powerful, artisan crafted voice and a complete abandon of inhibitions that took her performance to a whole other level.
Max Gambale in the role of the cantankerous Barry was every bit the bull in a china shop, while also showcasing the impressive extent of his singing capabilities in the stirring ‘Turn The World Off’. Likewise, Will Huang as the supposedly timid Dick blew the roof off with his unexpected vocal range and his kick arse comedic abilities – particularly during ‘Conflict Resolution’.
Amy Dunham was a stand out as mutual friend Liz, with a slightly sultrier take on the character with a brilliantly executed ‘She Goes’. David Cannell almost led me to believe that Nathan Lane had somehow won the part of Ian, with uncanny similarities both physical and in camp mannerisms. His performance was hysterical and his ‘Ian’s Here’ duet with Dunham was an absolute scream.
In the musical version of ‘High Fidelity’ there is a much stronger focus on the characters of Rob and Laura, with his ex-girlfriends’ roles (Nina Wood, Rachel Thornton, Laura Howieson, Silvana Moro and Ashleigh Bennett) so condensed that they play no meaningful part in the story – but nevertheless make great back up dancers/members of the chorus.
Rob and Dick’s respective interests, Marie Lasalle (Miriam Miley-Read) and Anna (Emily Ridge) have also been given a radical overhaul in both character and storyline, but fit in rather nicely to the bigger picture overall with solid performances.
Though ‘High Fidelity’ the musical is a departure from what most people would know and love about the book or film, it is still very much a good play in its own right. My advice would be to go to see it with an open mind and accept it on its own terms – once you do this, it becomes a really endearing and enjoyable experience. Who knows, it may even make your top five.
Deborah Hawke
When: 6 to 21 Feb
Where: ANU Arts Centre - Canberra
Bookings: stagecentre.com