Let’s agree that the Genesian is an equal opportunity
employer and that anyone who has a passion for performing or technical work or
directing will probably get a go and maybe, just sometimes, they probably
shouldn’t. Other times I have been pleasantly surprised by what’s come out of
this tiny theatre and its dedicated band of members. Their commitment is
faultless. Talent is not so guaranteed.
This was the case in their latest production of ‘Hotel Sorrento’. Hannie Rayson’s play is a difficult
and ambitious ask because it is filmic and episodic in structure and on stage
it can and it did feel clunky and piecemeal because director Shane Bates has
pushed for set locations in every scene and turned up the obvious meter on full
volume. As a result we see actors carrying out chairs for a two minute scene or
having to move walls and counters to play their two minute scene and so it
goes. Aaron Harvey’s set certainly allowed for some interesting lighting scapes
for Timothy M Carter to play with and there were lots of open spaces for action
to occur but it all felt a bit hard and it struggled to find momentum. Let’s
not even talk about the one scene that had completely the wrong lighting state
for a good two minutes whilst the cast performed in semi-darkness. It’s the hit
and miss of amateur theatrics. Some days are diamonds, some days are stones. This
show was a boulder.
This was a play in a hurry to move and the slow development
of characters and relationships seemed to be missing, as was the ever elusive
tension. The Genesian production of ‘Hotel Sorrento’ was trying just too damn
hard and fell short.
There were some nice transient moments of talent on stage,
even if the blocking was contrived. The actors were giving it their all and
even though there was some confusion over the native English accent of one of the
Australian characters, Marge, Lynn Turnbull-Rose put in the strongest
performance of the cast and tried to find the truth for her character that made
us at least believe her intentions.
There was a distinct lack of subtlety across the board in
this production and it meant the stakes weren’t high enough for us as audience
to really engage in the characters’ dilemmas. It made this relatively short
play feel a whole lot longer and I don’t think its audience, as forgiving as
they are, was as completely satisfied as it usually is in what is produced
there.
I admire the intentions of the Genesians, I just don’t
always admire the work. ‘Hotel Sorrento’ squarely fits that bill.
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