In the last few weeks I’ve had the pleasure of attending a
couple of the Sydney Short and Sweet Cabaret shows, the finale of Short and Sweet
Dance and the one-man comedy show ‘The Full Load’ as part of
the Midsumma Festival at the Butterfly Club in Melbourne. It’s certainly been a
month of variety.
The Short and Sweet Cabaret was one of the best outings I’ve
seen as part of the Short and Sweet Franchise. Partly its effectiveness is
derived from the formula that almost every act adheres to- a ballad to start, a
discussion of how hard love is and then pumping out a showstopper upbeat song to finish
in celebration of ‘survival’. But the skill on stage was palpable and ranged
from the seasoned performer to the burlesque. Director Kate Gaul offered it a quality
eye that helped the cabaret component achieve a polish not always seen in these
ten minute vignettes and musical director Daryl Wallis gave it consistency and a professional edge. It was a successful combination of music and theatre and the strongest of
the forms in the Short and Sweet Festival.
The Short and Sweet Dance had plenty of good technique in
evidence but it also reinforced that whilst many of them are skilled dancers,
they are not always actors or choreographers and it means sometimes their
intentions can be cloudy and they haven’t really found what they’re trying to
say in the images and movement presented. The skill of a proficient
choreographer shouldn’t be underestimated. The ‘So You Think You Can Dance’
secret is not just in amassing great dancers. What mostly sustains its success is found in providing the dancers a vehicle to showcase those skills through
quality choreography. That is not to say that many dancers in Short and Sweet Dance didn’t display great
technique but they couldn’t quite realise the triple threat of acting, dancing and choreography so it can feel disconnected from its audience, like Joseph Simons’
piece ‘Familiar Strangers’ where there was astounding technique but the acting was lacking. Some were more acting than dancing, which was
superfluous, such as ‘Sink or Swim’, lovely to watch but the dancing was
irrelevant and all our focus was on the one person, a very skilled performer, who
didn’t dance at all. The evening ended with a genuine stage-filler in ‘Swingdancin’’
which at least brought an infectious smile to its audience. But I was glad I
saw it and I’m all for a festival that allows trained technicians of their
craft to present their ‘something to say’.
In a delightful trip to Melbourne I caught Nigel Sutton’s
solo show, ‘The Full Load’, directed by Roslyn Oades, at the Butterfly Club.
Sutton is a friend (full disclosure alert) but after seeing his show I felt it
was well worth reviewing in case you get the chance to see it if it does the
Festival circuit.
‘The Full Load’ introduces us to the character of Krispin K,
orphaned laundrette aficionado and owner and we in the audience are being trialled or auditioned for the privilege of having Krispin launder your intimates. Amongst
the hijinks of learning how to sort clothes, treat stains, fold sheets and intertwine
socks, Sutton transforms into his clients and takes us on a journey of their
dark and comic idiosyncrasies. It’s an ‘Alice in Wonderland’ tale with black
comedy and audience interaction and it’s not afraid to include pathos in its
punch.
‘The Full Load’ is a well-crafted show that hits all the beats
and treats its audience with care and respect. Sutton subtly signposts and
manipulates tension and we are partly appalled, mostly sympathetic and always
engaged in the plight of Krispin K in this one hour show.
It’s a polished, energetic performance that can be enjoyed
by all ages and if it comes to a venue near you, dress to impress and see it.
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