After All This, Unsure What to Think

(Source: QTIX)

If you're studying Performance Innovation, this article will not help your assignment. Try fragmented narratives, though.

Brought up from an acclaimed season in Melbourne, another installation of Brisbane Festival's Under the Radar is Elbow Room's After All This. It's a puzzling examination of the afterlife composed of three different scenarios: two children talking about an up-coming nativity production, a disillusioned mathematician struggling with faith, and the ritual suicide of a charming cult.  While they seem to be unrelated in narrative, they share the through line of discussing the afterlife.

The beginning is endearing and touching, focusing on two children who know too much about death and religion already too early in their lives, before we're introduced to the second segment which is absolutely baffling. It features a scientist and a mathematician examining the audience before Kathryn Marquet jumps out of the audience asking for money like Eliza Doolittle, who then converts into a well spoken religious figure. The final part involves a chorus of enthusiastic cultists who explain their plans of ascension to whatever lies after death. Who knows - maybe they've got it right and we're the crazy ones? It was so fast paced that I couldn't reflect during and after I wasn't really sure what I had seen.

With a chorus of artists including Emily Tomlins and Angus Grant there are a few solid performances, but there is so much guessing on what is actually going on throughout the scenarios it's pretty difficult to connect with any of the characters. However, the cultist segment was very entertaining and everyone delivers an eerie but entertaining performance.

Apparently Steve Toulmin did sound design but I can't remember any sound at all with the exception of a song at the close of the show. Kris Chainey's lighting was pretty non-descript too, some nice washes and a few LEDs but not much else going on.

The most thought provoking moment was actually during that wild second segment - the scientist points out that everyone considers themselves to be important, despite them being no different to other people. I've always pondered this because surely everyone thinks they are the centre of the universe at some point . . . really glad someone finally discussed this in some form, although as soon as the idea was presented it was gone.

The piece left me a little dazed. I wasn't sure what to comment on after it as finished, and I wasn't really sure what had happened. It has some solid performances and interesting ideas, however they're not discussed at great length or depth. But everyone else loved it and it's finished now, so that's that!

After All This showed as part of the Brisbane Festival's Under the Radar at Brisbane Powerhouse until September 21. Duration of 60 minutes, no interval.

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.

Underground's Urinetown [*]

Promotional artwork for Urinetown (Source: Underground Productions).

I didn’t know anything about Urinetown until last night, but from the moment where the front of house manager jumped on a seat and yodelled that we all “know the drill”, to the disembodied voice whispering “. . . piece of ass” at the start of the show, I suspected it was going to be a bit of a disaster. 

Urinetown is about a world in turmoil – in an eternal drought, water consumption is monitored and restricted by the tyrannical Urine Good Company who charges the public for the privilege to piss. Handsome boy Bobby Strong, who lost his father to the cruel arm of the law, falls head over heals in love with Hope Caldwell in an ill-fated romance among a revolution that hopes to inspire change and liberate the water rules, so everyone can pee where and whenever they want.

The musical itself is a perplexing and difficult choice since it really has no redeemable features. The premise is insipid and the book, score and lyrics are too inane for a snob like me - while there are a handful of reoccurring motifs (like, 3?) there is no complexity or anything memorable in the score. While the director and script claims that the production looks at the serious issues of the environment, globalisation and consumerism, it doesn't really come through or discuss any of the issues at great length. I don't think anyone was expecting a musical comedy to do such a thing, but if it was trying to it's difficult since there isn't much character development, and sequences and numbers just happen in front of your eyes while you watch in a daze.

There were three standout performers in the cast – unsurprisingly two of them include James Gauci and Rhiannon Marshall. Gauci plays the dashing Bobby with a great exuberance and vitality, easily breezing through the rock-esque score, and Marshall is the picture perfect and plucky heroine with an airy voice and lovely timbre. Their duet, ‘Follow Your Heart’, showcases true musicality and ability to perform. The third standout was a boy with light purple hair, who performs these outrageously inappropriate movements, stealing focus every time he was on stage. And the audience loved him for it - pointing him out and cheering every time he was there. One thing the whole cast is is enthusiastic, although by the ending of the second act, it’s apparent that they’ve all cottoned on about how ridiculous their situation is. Regardless, everyone performs with great élan, and it really pays off in a few musical numbers like ‘Run, Freedom, Run!’ and ‘Why Did I Listen to that Man?’ Pretty much anything involving the whole chorus was a glorious, chaotic mess and barrage of sound. Kieran Davey and Xanthe Jones aptly perform and make the best out of their two roles, an irritating duo who provide unnecessary narration while breaking the forth wall (the whole thing feels very patronising).

The Schonell in its festering glory didn’t help the situation - the cavernous space swallows up any performer or piece of set in it, and the minimalist approach of having a sparse set for the small indie-rock musical totally backfires since the space is about as intimate as a volcano. The set was practical but didn’t really stimulate much, although unfortunately it fell down about a third of the way through Act One. The wretched sound system causes the frequencies of microphones to cancel out sporadically, and (I think we heard one of the lighting operators fall down) it’s impossible for the lighting to evoke any additional emotion and it just comes off as a category I would describe as ‘musical lighting’ – however, there is a lot of comedic lighting cues, like when the cast dance in the dark, characters having to step across into their spotlight, and (my favourite) couples walking across the space in a blackout for apparently no reason.

For a scipt claiming to be a comedy, there are a lot of lines and gags that are emphasised and then re-occur as the script progresses. They’re pretty rancid, but there are a few genuinely funny moments where I laughed out loud – Little Sally retelling Bobby’s final message, Caldwell’s bizarre mannerisms and throwaway remarks, and ol’ purple hair kept us adequately engaged throughout the duration of the show.

It's a huge achievement for a student theatre company to produce a large scale musical with such a huge cast, but this performance of Urinetown just goes to show that even a solid and enthusiastic cast can’t save a truly unpleasant show. There were a lot of mess-ups on the technical side of things due to the shabby venue, but there’s nothing really special in the musical itself. The enthusiasm of the cast carries the show to some extent and there are a few stand-out performers, but it’s not a particularly enjoyable evening.

Tickets for Underground Production's Urinetown are $15-$20, and is showing at The Schonell Theatre at the University of Queensland until September 10th. Duration of 2 hours and 30 minutes including interval. Book by visiting Underground's website.

1984 - Shake & Stir's Live Movie

I don't think I've ever been as depressed reading a book as I was with 1984, and once I finished it I remember thinking that it was not something that I'd particularly care to experience again. With that in mind, I never expected to see an adaptation for stage - but enter Shake & Stir, whose work aims to connect younger audiences with more complex texts with contemporary stagings. Shake & Stir's re-imagining of 1984 is a brilliant adaptation, and although it's still equally depressing it's compelling and engaging through its use of multi-media, brilliant technical design and wonderful acting.

Overall the adaptation is really enjoyable and very smart. The events of the book are condensed without compromising much of the plot, and certain scenes were staged exactly how I'd imagined them when reading the book.

Proberts, Parker, Balbuziente during
the '2 Minutes of Hate' (Source: Facebook).

I love that when I saw the poster, I knew which actor was going to play which character. The three main characters are perfectly cast, and overall the cast are great as an ensemble. They're led by the always worthwhile Bryan Proberts as Winston Smith, who plays the role slightly animated but sensitively subtle as a suppressed member of the silent minority. As the only woman in the cast, the role of Julia (obviously) falls to Nelle Lee, who shows a veneer of innocence but is delightful as the passionate and promiscuous rebel, and Hugh Parker is O'Neill in a way that's authoritative and eerily charismatic. Ross Balbuziente and Nick Skubij cycle a variety of supporting characters pretty well, but Skubij also pulls out a great performance with Charington (but I couldn't tell you why . . . ).

While much of the action on stage is led by the actors, multi-media plays a big part in progressing the story. The video media, provided by Optikal Bloc, is one of the most dominating features of the production. It exists as a way to communicate Winston's inner thoughts to the audience, and is instrumental in the production since without it, it'd be impossible to communicate the first half of the book. It's a smart idea and the only thing that really distracts it is that it feels like the total length of the footage feels like it's hugely dragged out, and all the internal monologue is delivered the same way (Winton speaking his thoughts directly to the audience in a shade of blue). It felt like we were sitting in the cinema watching 1984 - The Live Movie! While it gets a bit tedious, it's easily the best quality video I've seen in a live performance. Of course it also gets a lot of attention since half of the space is taken up by impressive and imposing television screens. It's gorgeously shot and processed, but there are a lot of slow motion shots zoomed into faces, and I spent a lot of time wondering if O'Brien and Winston were about to make out (actually, I think a homo-erotic subtext would have been interesting but I suppose that's a bit too much of a creative departure).

The remaining aesthetic and technical aspects of the show were brilliant. Josh McIntosh's cold and grimy set is imposing and practical, but so clever - it's magical when, in a few seconds, a corner of smoothly transforms into the intimate little room where Winston and Julia experience their temporary love story. Jason Glenwright's lighting is appropriate and varied as usual and the nondescript score, which is full of nuances and subtle rifts, perfectly captures and enhances the hopelessness of the monotonous life and is by far the best theatrical score I've heard from Guy Webster.

Proberts and Lee in McIntosh's beautiful set (Source: Facebook).

Beyond the unintentional erotic vibes, I have only two criticisms for the show, although I consider them to be pretty major faults. When Winston betrays Julia in Room 101, the event is too de-emphasized among the soundscape and lighting. Winston crying "Do it to Julia" is basically the conclusion to the show, as it shows that he has finally succumbed to the torture and has relinquished his will to think. It's pretty much a non-event since the screaming is so loud the content is inaudible and it's smothered by sound and a sudden change in lighting cue. The other criticism is the interaction between Julia and Winston at the end - it's too animated for people who have had their personal feelings annihilated (as spoken "they make it so they ruin your love"). Proberts moving a lot and trying to hold her hand implied that he still subconsciously had feelings towards her, and O'Neill makes it pretty clear he would have obliterated that. I guess it's really up to direction and interpretation, but those points really didn't get through.

While I'd heard some lacklustre reviews and people complaining about the overuse of multi-media, I really liked and enjoyed Shake & Stir's 1984. They've enjoyed a sold-out run which is well deserved and the adaptation has been handled sensibly and effectively. All the actors are great and the technical aspects are excellent, and beyond a few criticisms there isn't much not to like. Grand. I'd say the whole 'Double plus' thing, but everyone else in the industry has said that already.

Tickets for Shake & Stir's 1984 are sold out, and is showing at QPAC's Cremorne Theatre until September 1st. Duration of approximately 90 minutes.

The Harbinger at La Boite - Round 2

(Source: Anywhere Theatre Festival)

Besides Ovo, and for totally opposite reasons, The Harbinger was the piece I was most interested in seeing this year. In his welcome, David Berthold comments that last year's season of The Harbinger "gleamed with promise". The piece has improved enormously since it's last incarnation, but although it's enjoyable it feels like what needed work before still needs reworking.

The Harbinger tells the story of a street rat who hauls up in a forgotten bookstore, claiming that she has been pursued by a monster called Mr. Nobody. The bookstore is home to a tired and bitter old man, Albert, who is resentful of the world after the death of his wife. The two forge a strained relationship when the Girl refuses to leave, and promises she will build metallic insects in return for sanctuary.

Albert and Adelaide (Source: Anyone's Guess).

There's a lot to like in this performance but there are a few things that really limit how lost you can get in the show. The writing is problematic - the story has a lot going on in it, but since it feels like it wants to go in a thousand different directions when the conclusion comes to wrap up all the plot points none of them are particularly satisfying. The pacing is also really uneven, where the beginning feels like it's drawn out way too long and when the ending comes around the jump to a conclusion feels a bit rushed. I don't know how much that has to do with having two directors and writers - in co-productions I find that creatives who share the final decision often have conflicting visions, and in The Harbinger you get the feeling you watching two different shows. Whatever happened, there isn't enough character development with the major characters, so at the conclusion of the piece the brief moments of wonder presented quickly feels very superficial. The dialogue is also pretty bland in a lot of places and has a tendency to throw in unnecessary coarse language which feels like it obliterates the feeling that you're in a dream world (like my writing style). It reminded me of a theatre technician scolding an actor - the actor puts their grubby hands on everything, makes impossible demands and whines a lot, while the technician is irrationally mean and unfairly condescending at every opportunity. 

This makes it really difficult to connect with either of the two main characters. Barbara Lowing voices Old Albert, and although she's delightfully spiteful and cynical, she seems wrong for the role purely because her voice (as a woman) doesn't suit the giant puppet (a man). I know it's pretty old fashioned of me, but I like it when men play males and women play females - I found it impossible to buy in to the illusion that this puppet was alive and being voiced by a woman wheezing to try and make her voice more imposing and masculine. Kathleen Iron plays the other principal, a wretched girl who apparently make it her aim to grope every object in the room, ultimately kicking furniture and then whining about how cruel and malevolent it is for being locked. She then proceeds to disobey every instruction given to her by Old Albert, destroying his possessions or ransoming them back to him, threatening him with these awful guttural wails. She might claim to be a victim pursued by Mr. Nobody, but given her behavior I'd say the real victim in this scenario is common courtesy.

Adelaide and the tree sapling (Source: La Boîte).

Meanwhile, in the other half of the story there are a trio of women who surround Old Albert (Anna Straker, Niki-J Price and Giema Contini) and move wonderfully around the stage, operating several puppets in addition to moving the hands of Albert. In contrast to the world of the girl and Old Albert is enchanting, and I fell in love with the mirroring story of Albert's earlier life (I don't know why, but I didn't mind Price playing younger Albert). The dialogue is lighter, the scenarios are more enchanting, and the characters are a thousand times more likeable. All three women are wonderfully skilled, and each of their characters were really enjoyable to watch. Price's bashful and awkward Young Albert are endearing, and Contini's voicing of Princess Happy is hysterically animated and her Mr. Somebody channels this Willy Wonka charm as one of the most delightful characters I've seen. Straker's performance is especially sweet. Perhaps it's because she's playing a female character, she seemed the most natural performer. Her soft and quietly resigned attitude totally brings Adelaide to life, building an emotional connection, and leaves you unaware you're watching a puppet.

Amusingly in one section a balloon popped out of a chest representing the moon, and a woman sitting a few seats away grabbed her friend (?) and snarled that the balloons were used "Just like in A Dinner With Gravity." For anyone interested in the integrity of this claim:

• Similarities - Balloons. 
• Different - EVERY OTHER FUCKING THING EVER.

The sound design is pleasant, if a bit uninspired. There are a few clangs from the original score which were suitably inserted this time and made me pretty nostalgic, though most of the cues were comprised of arrangements of Gymnopédie No. 1. The choice of the impressionistic piece is lovely but it doesn't really seem to evoke anything in terms of emotion or thematic commentary (although the last time they used a Satie piece everyone company in Brisbane did, so expect to see it around and remember you heard it at The Harbinger first). On the other hand, the set and lighting is gorgeous. It retains its previous aesthetic of ancient elegance in an enchanting world. Books and pages fill the space which has been rescaled and shaped to now include a sleeping tree standing prominently at the head of the stage. Trees inside buildings excite me.

I still have my ticket from the first time I saw The Harbinger - this reworking is a monumental achievement for Dead Puppet Society. There are some things that need attention, but in terms of what has been created this is absolutely the most magical thing to grace the La Boîte Roundhouse in a while. It has a lot of writing issues, but it has an enchanting aesthetic and some wonderful characters which are brought to life by talented puppeteers. Like most people I wouldn't say I was disappointed, but I was expecting more - but when am I not . . .

Tickets for Dead Puppet Soceity's The Harbinger are $30-$54, and is showing at La Boite Theatre Company's Roadhouse Theater until September 1st. Duration of approximately 90 minutes. Book by visiting La Boite's website.