A Worthwhile Dumb Play

(Source: Facebook).

Last night I saw the #1,472,505th outcome of Some Dumb Play, which under the direction and creation of Nathan Sibthorpe, is currently showing at Metro Arts until this Saturday. The ambition and premise of the piece is absolutely phenomenal - the audience interact through a specially developed website that allows them to pick three options, with the most popular choice being taken and performed by the cast. There are over 1.5 million possible outcomes, and every night you see it you're practically guaranteed a different performance. I love audience interaction and think it's the most effective way of getting an audience engaged with your performance, so giving the audience a say in what goes on onstage is a fantastic initiative. 

All the actors are very good, extremely proficient at improvising with such ecstatic energy. They're prepared for everything and anything, each exercising an expertise . The acting is pretty good for what little characters they have, in particular the two driving actors are Toby Martin playing a ridiculously devoted actor catering to the whims of the audience, and Cameron Clark's snarky behaviour attempting to boycott and ruin the entire endeavour.

The quality and substance of the scenes varies. The opening gives the audience a choice between cheating spouses, police cop drama and something else that no-one even considered. With the style established, the following choices allow the audience to pick the method of which the story is communicated. There's the choice of singing, dancing, kung-fu, nudity, and racist jokes - some scenes seemed to be just added in as gimmicks, such as a political 'satire' which took up a lot of time with sexual innuendo to simply tell the characters to go through a portal. While some scenes drag along and seem under prepared, a number of others are simply fantastic. There are high speed car chases, bizarre medical phenomenons and song and dance numbers. The most entertaining turn was an interpretative medi-drama dance to t.A.T.u's 'All The Things She Said' - it's a melodramatic moment which is hilariously good fun, and everyone applauded after. If the piece had been entirely filled with work like that, it would have been considerably more rewarding. 

The problem I have with the show is its ambiguous story, and its seemingly pointless progression. During the transitions there are mumbles of how frustrating and irritating the scenes are to stage - gradually the show descends into chaos, although I didn't really understand why. I think I was looking down and voting at the turning point where you were supposed to pay attention, because the next thing I heard was an announcement that Law had been injured (but he looked fine) and was being replaced. The characters then stage walk-outs, swap roles and sabotage the performance. I just never understood why, and furthermore, who are these characters? I don't care if they're unhappy and want to stage a coup d'état because I don't even know why they're making this show. Someone told me the whole thing is an allusion to the degeneration of human interaction through the force of technology - that didn't come through at all?

Lighting was very minimal which was appropriate and effective, since it's difficult to cater for so many potential scenes and outcomes. The sound design is excruciating. The voting takes place over 90 second periods and each interval there is horribly loud white noise transmitted constantly - this is always immediately followed with a slightly less unpleasant crackling fire (no idea why). It actually hurts, someone needs to change that. The rest of the sound effects and music cues are miscellaneous stuff to quickly move the audience into the next scene.

This play would be pretty wretched if you didn't have a smart-phone. An elderly woman sat behind us, and approaching the end of the play sniggered various comments about the audience's choice. I couldn't control myself so near the end I gingerly said "Ah old people . . . not long now". But the fact she was so annoyed could probably be attributed to the fact she didn't have a smart phone, and was unable to have a say in what was going on - it sort of defeats the purpose of seeing the show. 

I wanted to enjoy the piece a lot more than I did, but in the end it's a very bold endeavour and it's a stupid oversight to not be impressed by the sheer scale of the production. It was also very cheap and supporting emerging young artists is essential for our industry to survive, and the plethora of possible outcomes and scenes is absolutely worth experiencing once. However, I wouldn't recommend it if you didn't own a smart phone, since without a device you have no input and I imagine you'd be feel pretty left out. The weak writing of the actual story lets the piece down, but it's held together by great actors who can improvise exceptionally well, interesting concepts for scenes and the novelty of being able to impact on what's being performed. There's such a huge amount of dedication, energy and potential crammed into this piece, and it's worthwhile to be seen and experienced.

Tickets for Nathan Sibthorpe's Some Dumb Play are $12-$20, and is showing at Metro Arts Sue Brenner Theatre until November 17th. Duration of approximately 50 minutes. Book by visiting Metro Arts website.

Thoughts on the Things I'd Say To You

Source: QTIX

In the oven Warehouse of MetroArts, Fixate Productions are occupying the space with a little piece in Brisbane Festival's Under the Radar. Based on personal experiences, The Things I'd Say To You is a reflection on the process of loss and grief. In a surreal world in between denial and acceptance, characters ponder their ineffable feelings and situations, and consider the possibilities of what could have been.

The two actors, Kitty Gatling and Ilsa Wynne-Hoelscher, are very sweet in their roles. Their performance is very effective and suitable to the show - they're touching, animated, and appropriately bizarre. The only problem encountered is that the text is so heavy and personal it felt like they couldn't/didn't fully connect to the content. The text itself is also problematic to the audience - there are a collection of mundane topics which gradually reveal their personal importance to characters once they're discussed. However they don't seem to provide a satisfying explanation of their importance to the audience, and it doesn't seem they go deep enough for us to feel empathetically. For example, there is a reoccurring discussion with pancakes and their scent, and although I could sort of guess what was going on there with the loved one making pancakes, there needed to be further explanation. It is an engaging script which does have its moments of comedy, and the interactions of the two characters are adorable (Gatling's throw away comments while doing the laundry are particularly amusing).

As the piece aims to be surreal and reflective, it's pretty hazy what is actually going on in terms of narrative. One character constantly refers to the other as 'Mirror' and the other doesn't seem to get a name (I think it was said once, but I missed it). I didn't really enjoy the show because of the circumstances I saw it in. Unfortunately I sat in the third row, so I only saw about 40% of the show - the rest of the time all I was trying to navigate around the fabulous mop of red-hair in front of me and I never got a glimpse of the stand in its full glory. There was a lot of action on the floor that I missed, and the pacing of the piece didn't help.  For some reason a bunch of people, what sounded like a fucking high-heels convention, plodded past in the corridor next to us about 10 minutes into the show, obliterating the charm and intimacy of the room.

The show is minimalist on its technical aspects, but it's appropriate for the nature of the show. Hanna Sandgren's set is simplistic and lovely. It is utilised well by the performers who travel between the wings, and drapes material all over them which was a nice contrast. There were some simple washes in the lighting but nothing really special, and there is only one song used in the show which occurs during movement pieces. Projection is also used in a few instances including some kind of dye technique, but I have no idea what the desired effect was.

The piece is a great work for the emerging company and will hopefully have a sell-out season, and hopefully gets reworked to add a bit more clarity to its text. The Things I'd Say To You isn't the most compelling and dramatic work I've seen, but it is honest and genuine, and seeing the reactions of other audience members it has the beautiful potential to speak and bring solace to so many people who have experienced loss.

Tickets for Fixate Production's The Things I'd Say To You are $15-$20, and is showing as part of the Brisbane Festival's Under the Radar at MetroArts until September 22. Duration of 40 minutes, no interval. Book by visiting Fixate Production's website.

'Mind Games' is Cabaret on Steroids

Jo, being the vixen she is.

I am exhausted from all the brilliant art that has attacked me this week, but I wanted to write down some quick thoughts on Mind Games, in the hope that it will inspire some more people to try to catch the show as soon as possible. But anyway, what a week - the Iris soundtrack, then Ruben Guthrie, and tonight was Mind Games. Written, composed, and performed by the versatile Jo Loth, Mind Games is a cabaret that revolves around the theme of depression and mental health. It's probably not the most marketable show, but it's a crime that Mind Games won't be sold out every night.

Jo Loth storms the stage as her German diva alter-ego, the vivacious and hilarious Jolene Mindtrick. Loth's performance is like a prism held up to light a complex delivery that is just brimming with emotion. With great sensitivity and respect to the subject, she guides the audience through a totally unique experience. Mind Games is funny, charming, and engaging - the entire thing just sparkles with brilliance, captivating the audience through the essence of humanity and honesty.

The ingenuity of this production is the way that Loth's songs incorporate separate narratives into the music. They're funny, ironic, and incredibly touching. Any audience member who has experienced or had contact with depression can empathise with a score of characters which are found throughout the stories within the songs. While Loth has intertwined her personal life with the show, her personal stories never become unbearable or totally immersive since the audience is alienated by the fragmentation and interjections of other stories. Not that it stops us from being connected - the scene where Loth describes spending nights alone crying and contemplating killing herself just left me in a silent wreck. I fucking thought I was going to die from sheer excellence - I don't think I've ever connected with anything so heavily in theatre.

The musical score for this show was the center point and was the highlight. Loth, alongside the exceptionally talented arranger and pianist Wade Gregory, has composed songs that stretch over numerous genres, including rap, country, and faux-classical. The music is catchy, with some stand out tunes that are so touching - they're not pandering or boring compositions either, they're memorable and really enjoyable. Like the genres, Loth's vocals are diverse, flicking between dynamic, sultry, soft, raspy, and operatic with ease. She has a formidable but lilting timbre which adapted to fit all her vocal styles, and she was a delight to listen to. Gregory masters the piano, flicking in improvisations and embellishments on the music to add to that sparkling live element of the production. The duo are exceptional performers and I hope a collaboration or recording of this eventually surfaces because the music was great (despite the fact it destroyed me). I've actually been singing 'I'm Fine' out loud since I left the theatre 4 hours ago.

I wish this show could have had a high budget. I sat there wishing Loth could have a score of musicians, and that MetroArts could have had a more complex lighting and sound set up. The only complaint I have was the encore. After this gorgeous ballad, mixed with these unbelievably inspiring and uplifting speeches that separate the verses, there's an encore. Fair enough, the music is well worth it, but the song is a reprise of the opening song. Fair enough, but the opening song has these lyrics which are pretty heavy, talking about exposing our failures and repeatedly reminding everyone of our humiliations. It's an awesome song melodically, but I would have liked to have heard some cheeky new lyrics rather than feeling that we'd run around in a circle. Would have preferred a reprise of 'I'm Fine', but I guess that would have been an even more unsuitable choice.

The most touching part of the show was the reaction it provoked. There was a table at the back with information and brochures on depression, which a good portion of the audience went up to and collected whatever they wanted. I commented that it was a bit sad that it had to happen at all, but Jo said it was a good thing people were trying to help themselves or others. The idea that people have been so moved by the show as to be inspired to change an aspect of their lives is just a testament to how incredible this night was.

It's hard to comprehend we're still in Brisbane with so much incredible entertainment playing around the corner. I loved Mind Games. I'm planning on seeing it at least three times, it's just so worth it. Engaging through its witty script and the connection it establishes, Mind Games is a captivating and touching performance by Jo Loth and Wade Gregory, who glide through music styles and emotions with ease. Please, please make an effort to see it. I guarantee you will not regret it. And if you do, make sure you recommend the show to someone you don't like so they can hate it as much as you do...

ETA (18/10/11): Caught the show again on Tuesday, and Jo's put in an alternative encore. After the fun reprise of the opening song, she says "Now here's attempt #2 at being a Jazz singer". It's a revelation - a symbolic victory that she's overcome all the obstacles and is finally achieving what she loves. The ending is now wonderful. You go, Jo! 

Tickets for Jo Loth's 'Mind Games' range from $15-$20, and is showing until October 22 and is showing at MetroArts Studio. Book by visiting the Metro Arts website or by calling (07) 3002 7100.

Brisbane Festival - What's Wrong With Gregor Post?

I stole this image from the Brisbane Festival website.

What's Wrong With Gregor Post? I have no fucking idea - aspergers? ADHD? Too much time on the shrooms? I couldn't really answer the question, but it was pretty solid entertainment for fifty minutes that's crammed full of political in-correctness, and at such a small price you don't really have anything to lose by going to watch it. You're also supporting the Brisbane Festival and local artists. So yaaaay.

What's Wrong With Gregor Post? is a show about the titular character recounting some of his fabulous globe-trotting escapades. Through some tricky conventions and unbelievable stories, aided by some kind of narrator, Post communicates various tales of his travels that are remarkable to the extent that its started to question whether they happened at all. What's Wrong With Gregor Post? is a delicious black comedy that revolves around the power of imagination. Possibly.

I enjoyed it like a movie - it was light, snappy entertainment, but it just didn't manage to immerse me into the dramatic world (or meaning, until after), and I found my mind wandering an awful lot, pondering the mysteries of the universe but primarily reflecting my boring personal life. However, Post's adventures, which are told episodically, have bizarre and unpredictable twists which never fail to entertain. I'm pretty sure other patrons of the show were pissed off since I kept on laughing at pretty much everything, but to be honest any speech that involve the words 'moist' and 'dense' in the same sentence are a fucking win. The script was full of snappy throw-away comments that were hilariously crass and surely would have sent some monocles flying.

The setting and lighting were nice and simple. The set itself was simple, but crammed full of objects including lights, signs and furniture which expanded for Post's adventures which filled and flourished the minimalist stage (the rest you can fill in with your imagination. AHAHAHAHAHAHHAAAAAAAAAA! <- what a pun). The music, which combined lots of pop  music extracts with (what I think was) an original score was utilised really well, setting and assisting the mood in an unobtrusive manner.

I almost liked the Metro Arts theatre, but the fact that we could hear all the music blaring from the coffee shop outside, including 'Lines on Palms' by Josh Pyke, which in turn reminded me of Bree, made me froth wildly with unconditional, incandescent rage.

I made sure to buy Benjamin Coconut-Smashing Schostakowski - I call him that without his knowledge, seeing as he doesn't actually know who I am - a drink afterwards, partly to thank him for the quirky piece he put on for us, but also out of guilt at the fact I rocked up the Metro with Thom and Othelia somewhat inebriated after downing a bunch of beers to obliterate any memories or emotions about my lack of love life (although, writing shit like this all the time, I'm pretty sure people - myself included - agree I do deserve it).

Schostakowski is a talented guy, I really enjoyed What's Wrong With Gregor Post? but I just didn't find it exceptionally thought provoking or ground-breaking. But who the fuck cares - it's got awesome dry humour, it's not prudish and it's inherently entertaining. By the way, this isn't a review, I'm way too drunk for this to be a review. Yay Ben!

Tickets for Benjamin Coconut-Smashing Schostakowski's 'What's Wrong With Gregor Post?' range from $15 to $20, and is showing from 8th to 11th of September, 2011 at Metro Arts Theatre. Book by visiting the Brisbane Festival Website or by calling FoxTix on 1300 111 369 .