GRIFFIN THEATRE’S ‘BETWEEN TWO WAVES’ dissected by me

Fact: Griffin is the only theatre in Sydney I can confidently say I get value for money whilst supporting new works and local talent. The casting net is thrown a little wider and the intimacy of the stage most often works in its favour. Writers, directors and designers can get creative on a small scale budget, actors can play with their audience and, if you can find a place to breathe in the foyer, it’s a nice place to hang out with friends. The works produced there aren’t always the best works you’ll see on the Sydney stage for the year but there is a genuine attempt to nurture and develop our national stories and voice. Let me make it clear- they’re not comping me to say this- no professional theatre in Sydney will comp me without legitimising my blog and facing the wrath of their ‘artistic’ team. But I have just subscribed again for 2013 and next year’s program contains a lot of promise.

‘Between Two Waves’ is a Griffin commissioned work, written and starring Ian Meadows. It is his vehicle and he is impressive in it. Meadows plays Daniel, an anxious climatologist who gets caught in a ‘storm’ (literal and metaphorical) and the play takes us on a journey of present day and flashbacks into Daniel’s failures and hopes as a scientist, government advisor, brother and boyfriend. I did see this play in its first preview and I am told that the major lighting effect didn’t work and there were a few kinks to work out so please understand that it has probably gone through the steamer and if you’re seeing it now, hopefully many of those kinks are now ironed out. It does mean that there isn't much point talking about the lighting design in this review, even though it may be a very significant thing when you see it.

Let me spend some time discussing the play as it is written to inform the choices in how it was performed. This play isn’t quite sure if it wants to be a film or a theatre piece. It’s engaging and has terrific ideas that pulse throughout it but some of those ideas are screaming out to be told through the camera lens- through strong controlled angles and images with a soundtrack emoting mood. What is not necessarily clear to us as a theatre audience could be made clearer through filmic devices. I certainly think it’s clear in Meadows’ mind but there are a number of loose threads that are left dangling at the end- his sister Claire, the relationship he has with his father, what made him anxious in regards to these events and relationships in the first place. These are the things as an audience member my friends and I went away discussing, what we presumed might have happened. And yes, it’s perfectly okay to come out and be asking questions but if they are the sort of things that make the difference between engaging in a good play or being affected by a powerful play, you probably don’t want your audience to be doubt.

The other thing Meadows still has to work on as the writer of this script is his supporting cast. Whilst the play hinges around his character Daniel and was written quite specifically for him to perform that character (I’ve never met Meadows but it feels to me that Daniel is a clear reflection of him). Meadows is great and he does capture the anxious but affable insecurity of a man who hasn’t found his place in the world or understand the worth he could bring to it. It does make you want to go and give him a big hug and make him a cup of hot cocoa and tell him it’ll be alright.  

Meadows hasn’t given the same opportunities for the support cast to be fully utilised. They don’t seem to get the chance to be layered, vulnerable characters, even for their big scenes with Daniel. Rachel Gordon’s character of Grenelle probably comes closest as she at least has to work between being a mother of a difficult teenager and as an assessor of damage for the insurance company. Meadows has ensured that she is plunged into situations she can’t control. She has levels of vulnerability and functionality and Gordon does a good job in playing with those layers.

The character of Fiona (Ash Ricardo) doesn’t get the same attention and as a character whose choices clearly and most profoundly affect Daniel, it is a pity he has written her with such continuous aggression. Maybe there was a bit of Sam Strong’s direction driving that but if Fiona and Daniel don’t have moments of calm waters before the storm hits then we can see that wave coming a mile off and it lacks the power of impact that it should have on its audience. Even scenes that have this potential are quickly dismissed by her suspicion or ridicule of Daniel. Ash Ricardo certainly punches out the energy and I wonder, if given the chance of more nuance and softness instead of a shrewish character for most of the play, we would have engaged more with her character. Sam Strong (who I should add is probably one of the better directors working on the Sydney stage at the moment and Adelaide is very lucky to get him) might have also explored other ways to express conflict on stage apart from yelling at each other. This distinctly felt like it was an over-utilised choice. If I have a criticism of Strong it would be that sometimes less is more and I’d like to see him scale back some of the choices he makes on how his actors have to express emotion and angst, especially in this play.

As for Jimmy (Chum Ehelepola), I’m not sure whether Ehelepola was having a wonky preview or that his character is so obviously and mistakenly played as a blokey, matey archetype that it never rang true and his moments of contemplation lacked real belief that as a character, Jimmy feels a bit mostly obsolete.

The play is undercooked. But Meadows has something really good to work with and another draft or two should have it as quite the gourmet selection in the smorgasbord of Sydney theatre. And now it’s had the chance to get comfortable in its own skin, go and see it. Even with its flaws, it’s one of the better offerings on our local scene for 2012. Good performances, good direction, strong design and a solid engaging play.

SYDNEY FRINGE FESTIVAL dissected by me

Hello Sydney. I’ve been getting my fill of the Fringe Festival in the last couple of weeks and thought I’d give you an overview of what’s out there to enjoy.

First cab off the rank was the duo, 52 Snifters, in a Rue de la Rocket production called ‘This Is My Box’, playing at the Hive Bar at Erskineville. The performers, Karena Thomas and Karli Evans use a box or vocal looper to create, enhance or provoke characters in their 52 minute show. Under the premise of 'lonely people', they do create some magic moments on stage. My pick would be the Crisco ladies, with its crisp spit-fire dialogue delivery with clever script work and interplay. A special mention also to the singles nights scenes that gave the girls a chance to mingle with the audience.

Under the watchful eye of director Erin Taylor, there’s some good material here and with some editing and tightening, especially as some characters are those we’ve seen played many times before and so it’s hard to bring a fresh take on it, this show has the potential to develop into a knockout. Great energy and ideas throughout.

Next up was Damian Callinan, probably the most seasoned performer I saw in my taste of the Fringe. Callinan’s show ‘The Merger’, from its run at the Melbourne Comedy Festival, was playing at the Reginald, Seymour Centre.  Callinan had a clear and engaging throughline with a plethora of characters, all performed by him, centring around the disastrous season of a local country town (Bodgie Creek) football team and their efforts to avoid merging with a local rival team.

What Callinan does very well is create a series of characters with dimensions and vulnerabilities, humour and affability and then give each moments of endearing pathos. He tackles all archetypes and ages and lets you inside the gruff or gentle exterior to see layers of personality with belief and playful energy. He engages directly with the audience whilst occasionally allowing the meta-humour of his own predicament as performer in relying on the audience to respond to his questions or characters or even himself to shine through.

Director Matt Parkinson has given Callinan’s show a sharp focus. I love the radio interludes and each of the characters are well-drawn. The brief scenes with the puppets would be the only thing that give the show a bumpy ride in what is otherwise a smooth, polished performance. I hope Sydney gets behind some of the Melbourne performers who aren’t well-known here but have a lot of depth in skill and storytelling to share with an audience.

Also playing at the Reginald was Tommy Bradson in ‘Sweet 16 or the Birthday Party Massacre’. Overcoming microphone issues early, Bradson’s show, accompanied by a 3 piece band, celebrates the coming of age birthday of Lula, her mother June, stepdad Gary and Lula’s boyfriend Johnny. Bradson plays all of these characters, of course, and the stage is decked out for the big event.

This was a show that heavily relied upon its audience to get behind the concept by pulling ‘volunteers’ from the audience to attend the party as relatives and friends of Lula. I cannot express to you the pleasure of seeing reviewer Jason Blake being endowed as Gary’s brother Richard in the early moments of the show and to Blake’s credit, he got into the ‘spirit’ of the show and was generous in his support of the action on stage, as all audience members were.

To me this show had a lot to offer in audience rapport, musical cabaret stylings with the assistance of musical director John Thorn, and some witty dialogue. Bradson’s choices of characters and ability to play each of them with humour and conviction was also skilful. However, the dialogue was fired out like a stray bullet so more control of pace and rhythm was needed so Bradson didn’t lose the gold in the rushed delivery.  Gusto- yes: control- a work in progress. I will say this, he wasn’t afraid to show a tan line or two and he does have an impressive peachy, firm ass(et). Can I say that? Gorgeous. Jealous.

Next up was Steen Raskopoulos’ show ‘Bruce SpringSTEEN’ at the Factory Theatre in Marrickville. Raskopoulos is one to watch. His exuberant material and presence is not yet tamed or polished but he is infinitely watchable and with a few more years of solo scripted performing, he’s got the potential to go far. The audience love him and I will admit, this was one of the shows (in contrast to an STC experience) where I was probably in the 10% of oldest audience members there and I don’t know that the vignette comedy material was aimed for my demographic but there were great moments of laugh-out-loud scenes and some characters were terrific.

What Raskopoulos does best is find clever ways to re-incorporate characters into his material. I loved the moments we went back to a particular character to see how they had progressed in their journey, like young Jimmy, or when what seemed like a throwaway rant on contemporary dance found its expression at the end of the show. This is smart comedy and Raskopoulos is not afraid to subvert our expectations and the audience respond to that best of all.

It’s still a bit unbridled in material- if Raskopoulos can find more of the above in the rest of his material, he’s going to sell out every show, like he did during this festival. His use of the audience, like in the golf scene, break-ups, dates, gallery tour and even dog show made the audience love him even more. They go with the knowledge that the finger may be pointed at them to join him in the spotlight. Don’t know that I would have jumped through the hoop for him or what he’s paying in liability insurance but I do know that the audience would have done anything he asked of them…and they did. He is a skilled improviser and uses his material to bend with the responses of the crowd. Mark my words, he’s going to be a hit.

Finally, I headed off to the Forum in Leichhardt to see the new musical ‘Frank Christie, Frank Clarke’. Whilst still some way away from being ‘stage ready’ it did have some nice moments and a very committed cast in trying to give it the best it can be in its current stage of development. It centres around the story of the Australian bushranger Frank Christie (and all his various aliases).

The issues in this play were in the material itself, written by Alan McFadden (music) and Peter Fleming (book and lyrics). Christie is too nice and it makes him very thin as a Robin Hood style thief in our Australian context. He needs some guts, a propensity for some villainy and a bit more swagger. Some of the songs might need an overhaul. I don’t know that songs like ‘See ya’ or Christie’s ultimate goal of attaining ‘A Fireplace in My Life’ will make the final cut- or classic lyrics with phrases such as ‘a map of Tassie’, ‘lamb fricassee’ or ‘petting the cat’ might not have a long shelf life. And the character of granny needs either proper development or needs to go- flesh or destroy would be my advice. At the moment it’s more aimless meanderings. Finally, in my own critical meanderings, the last 20 minutes needs editing or a complete re-write so the play doesn’t end with a whimper.

But it does have things that are working for it- the potential for its 19^th Century Music Hall staging would really enhance this work. As I mentioned before, the cast gave it passion and energy and actor Brent Dolahenty as Christie/Clarke was impressive as were Trent Kidd and Timothy Monley in their soft-shoe shuffling and Irish-jigging duos. There are some catchy tunes, played with skill, and although too thin for theatre yet, it might have something there worth building on. There were some genuinely funny moments.

And thus ends my Fringe experiences for 2012. Thanks to all who offered tickets and sorry I couldn’t get to more shows but right now, I’m off to swim with the crocodiles up north. Thankfully, the theatre scene has prepared me for this very adventure.

STC’S ‘AUSTRALIA DAY’ directed by Richard Cottrell and dissected by me

‘Australia Day’ is Jonathan Biggins’ first play. Biggins is most well-known for his roles in the STC wharf revues, where humour and satire with a love of the absurd in deconstructing the big events of the year in Australian society, politics and media permeate his work. It’s no surprise that his first play pulls from this content and understanding and aims it directly for the STC mainstream with a dash of flair. Biggins’ humour resonates throughout this work and the blue rinse audience wriggle in enjoyment as they vocally ‘um’ and ‘ah’ in agreement with many of opinions expressed. It makes Biggins’ work all that more entertaining to watch by also observing its audience.

You see, there’s a game I like to play at an STC show, especially in the 6:30pm early show. It’s called ‘Am I the Youngest Person Here?’ It’s a treat to be firmly (and I use that word figuratively) middle-aged and to be in the 10% bracket of the youngest audience members at any of their shows. Last night was no exception, although I did notice about 8 teenagers en masse in the audience (quick, call the police), and that may have thrown the stats completely out. The beauty of our more ‘mature’ subscribers is their fierce loyalty to a theatre company. It doesn’t matter if they’ve been distinctly dissatisfied with the STC (Stale Theatre Company) offerings for the last few years- they’ve been subscribing sometimes for over 40 years and they’re not going to stop now. It’s more than a trip to the theatre- it’s a routine and an excuse to meet up with friends on a regular basis and support a cultural pursuit. Young people are far more fickle. They actually want to be entertained.

This is an extremely long prelude to say that Biggins’ play may be the most fun they’ve had in the theatre for some time. These are characters we know, espousing the different, real and often flawed opinions we hear in the everyday. It certainly brought back fond memories of my grandmother’s love affair with talk-back radio and all things conservative that fed on the fear of change or progress. Biggins has crafted his play to reflect exactly that with a little contemporary division thrown in the mix. And what better environment to create that crucible of tension than to set his play in a small country town celebrating Australia Day. Pour in a few local political aspirations, token social figures from the Country Women’s Association, the local primary school, a second generation Australian, a Greens candidate, a staunch conservative, all embroiled in a bit of blackmail, a few off snags, a blocked dunny and a blacked-up white school kids’ version of an Indigenous story and you see disaster coming from a mile off.

Biggins has created all the archetypes you would expect and yes, we like and loathe their opinions and actions throughout the play but most of all we recognise them and they are not that far removed from who we are. Scary. It’s a user-friendly Australian farce.

Enter director Richard Cottrell, slightly redeeming himself after last year’s ‘Loot’ in faithfully producing Biggins’ play for the Opera House stage. He has found the fun and farce in the play and captured the voices of the characters with some pretty good comic timing. This is certainly helped in Richard Robert’s set design- freakishly real in conveying school facilities and local outdoor events. Lots of good entrances and exits to play with and helping the play find its end with a splash.

Kudos also for the casting. Geoff Morrell as mayor, Brian, treads the middle ground in an effort to avoid conflict and secure pre-selection for the local seat and we know from his ‘Grass Roots’ years that he can play this with aplomb. He does not disappoint. David James’ Robert is probably the most likeable on stage. His inoffensive ‘averageness’ has a certain appeal and he captures this with lovely honesty. Valerie Bader as CWA’s Marie is lovable in the traditional homely quality she brings to the role, although I’m surprised they didn’t make more of an effort to cover that tattoo in her costume in the second half- certainly out of place for Marie. Maybe they hoped most of the audience’s cataracts or glaucoma would blind them to this small detail. Don’t kid yourself. Your audience is sharper than you realise- they’re just very forgiving.

Peter Kowitz’s Wally, the most offensive and traditional of the characters, was probably an audience favourite- he certainly seemed to get most of the applause. Alison White’s Helen and Kaeng Chan’s Chester held their own and provided the other characters with springboards in which to kick out the gags.

Also a big wrap goes to Niklas Pajanti’s and David Franzke’s light and sound show in the second half. The incoming storm funnelled the tension of disaster we know is about to hit.

This is a fun Aussie farce and captured nicely (noicely?) to keep its audience happy. I hope Biggins keeps writing. I wonder what else he has in the tank?

ARTHUR PRODUCTIONS & GRIFFIN INDEPENDENT’S ‘THE SEA PROJECT’ dissected by me

‘The Sea Project’ written by Elise Hearst, directed by Paige Rattray and produced by 'Arthur' productions is a fairly strong offering currently showing at the Stables as part of the Griffin Independent season.

It centres around the story of Eva, who washes up on the shore, haunted by a past she can’t remember. Starting over with local softly spoken, simple and safe Bob, she starts to rebuild a new life until the mysterious Maciek appears and starts to force Eva’s memories into her present and disrupt her new stability.

This is the first production directed by Paige Rattray I’ve seen and I have to say, I’m impressed. Whilst the play gives her some pretty good material to work with, Rattray has ironed over some of its kinks with her exceptional cast and David Fleischer’s beautiful design. Hearst’s play has a terrific first 20 minutes and a strong finish. We’re intrigued by the mystery of Eva (Meredith Penman) and the blokey heroic likeability of Bob (Iain Sinclair). Once Maciek (Justin Cotta) enters, the threads of the play start to slightly unravel without tying them up completely. The play has great ideas but they just haven’t fully solidified yet.

If there are weaknesses in the play, it is when there are more than two characters on stage at once. Hearst hasn’t quite mastered the tension of the trio like she has in some of the powerful moments of the duologues.

But all of this is forgiven as the cast deliver a quality performance. The contrast of energies, mannerisms, accent, rhythms- all tightly honed with good direction. I fell a little in love with Sinclair’s Bob. He encapsulated the steady masculinity of the Aussie working-class man. It’s the stuff of Jimmy Barnes songs: raw, honest, heroic, inarticulate bloke- as opposed to Maciek’s high energy, creative, passionate and verbose dreamer. Young Samuel (Travis Cardona) lies between the two- waiting for his dream and direction to wash up on the shore. He is undeveloped but there is a sweet innocence about Samuel in Cardona’s portrayal that makes him likeable. Amongst all of them and tying them together is Penman’s Eva, who bends to each, shaping her empty past in adapting to each of their present needs and desires. Penman knocks this one of the park. She is a terrific actress.

Add to that a great design by Fleischer- surrounding the stage with reflective tiles, mirroring our ‘twin’ selves, our identity, the water and the depth of what lies buried under the layers of our everyday. Fleischer has created a simple yet very effective tool for this intimate rough theatre space to enhance the ideas of the play.

The live music was also a great touch. Tom Hogan’s accompaniment and interaction with the characters really added to the mood of the piece- sometimes playful, sometimes sombre and soulful. His soundtrack of music beautifully underscored the shifts in narrative and mood with skill and appropriateness.

The choices made by Rattray and the team gave this play the best outing it could hope for. I’m giving it a SOYP thumbs up.

STC, FILTER THEATRE & LYRIC HAMMERSMITH’S ‘WATER’ dissected by me

‘Water’ is a refreshing piece of theatre.

See what I did there?

I must admit that this week the idea of going to the theatre after work was about as enticing as watching Parliament Time or Channel Nine's coverage of the recent Olympics. I’d bought my ticket to ‘Water’ so long ago as part of my extras package in my STC subscription that I had forgotten what it was about and whether it was worth the trek into Hickson Road to see it. But loathe to throw in a ticket just in case I missed something wonderful, off I dutifully went to see Filter & David Farr’s production of ‘Water’ at the Sydney Theatre.

And I’m so very glad I did.

I fell in love with cinematic style theatre when I saw Robert Lepage’s ‘Lipsynch’ a few years back as part of the Sydney Festival- an extraordinary nine hour epic that weaved narrative through three different languages, surtitles, opera, documentary, traditional storytelling, realism, absurdism, technology and design. It was beautiful and I was hooked. Then I saw Complicite’s ‘Disappearing Number’. Bang. There it was again. Now I can add ‘Water’ to the list.

‘Water’ is a clever weave of stories spanning 26 years. It tells the story of five different characters whose narratives all connect through the theme of water- two estranged half-brothers, their ecologically informed scientist father, a British government negotiator at the G8 summit and her deep cave diving ex-boyfriend. We criss-cross through these stories, in time, place and images and are left to ask ourselves are our ambitions inextricably linked to our relationships with others? What propels us to act or not and what are the repercussions personally and globally?

Filter Theatre Company, with director David Farr, have crafted their performance and company’s ethos to ‘expose the workings of a production, so that the process in inextricably linked to the performance, the writing, the music and the sound. Actor, musician, video artist and stage manager are often visible to the audience…revelling in the immediacy of each moment and stimulating the audience’s imagination’. It’s visual and sonic storytelling. Whatever device of the stage that can be used to tell the story, it is utilised- space, technology, illusion, sound, light, design. Add to this, three very talented actors who can transform into a variety of roles and shifts in time instantly, so that audience are with them every step of the way, and you have a very clever show indeed. It is a ‘multi-stranded’ story that will please most who see it.

I was one of those people. From the return of the overhead projector at the start (didn’t that take me back to a time pre smart-boards and laptops) and maybe, the fact that the water molecule was called Jane and was labelled a social creature, I was sold. We are asked very early on to ‘join the dots’ and then the show proceeded to create a series of stories and images where we as audience did exactly that. I loved the gentle shifts in time, where backstory becomes present, and a simple gesture or item of costume or accent can transform one character to another instantly.

Even though all the action and technical aspects unfold in front of the audience, we are not suspended from engaging in each moment, in every choice. For instance, we accept that the man she is speaking to on the phone is a voice over from another actor right in front of you or the squash game is a projected series of live shadow images and sound is created live by the engineer (I know there is a specific name for that job but it eludes me right now). We see rolling sets, skype conversations, lights and sounds that represent elevators, rooms, lecture halls, press conferences and then there is the beautiful imagery of Joe, our deep-sea cave diver heading deep into the water in front of us on stage as we see him head towards his destiny. Characters react to sound, sound compliments action, visuals inform and enhance, characters can be in exactly the same space but we are aware they are separate and running in parallel lines and space and in the end we have a feast of choices that layer the metaphor and personal narratives with the social and political ramifications of the choices we make in this life.

It’s obvious I thoroughly enjoyed ‘Water’. Actors Oliver Dimsdale, Ferdy Roberts, Poppy Miller and sound engineer Tim Phillips, under the direction of David Farr, have taken what is a moving collection of stories with effective techniques in conveying each narrative or symbol and taken me on a journey that engaged me the whole performance.

And whilst I revel in the joy this show brought me, I wonder why almost every clever,  enjoyable show STC has programmed in the last couple of years is an imported one. I'll leave you to ponder that too.

'Water' may not have Lepage’s or Complicite’s polished sense of sophistication but it had me, hook, line and sinker.

See what I did there?

LUCY GUERIN INC & BELVOIR’S ‘CONVERSATION PIECE’ dissected by me

If you are one of those people who doesn’t get to the theatre very often and you don’t really enjoy experimental works (or you are dragging along a reluctant partner to the theatre who feels this way), this show is not for you. ‘Conversation Piece’ will reinforce all the reasons you don’t want to go to the theatre.

Yet I do understand that some of you will love this show. You see, it’s polarising. It’s either a show you’ll enjoy because of the movement and twists on inane conversation and the skill of some of the performers, especially Alison Bell. You’ll appreciate the concept and the half scripted/rehearsed elements combined with moments of improvisation. Or you’ll think that listening to over 10 minutes of idle chatter at the start is like sitting on public transport, cramped in the middle of the seat, being forced to listen to a group of commuters talk about what they watched on TV last night and that party they went to on the weekend until you want to turn around and scream at them to get a life.

If a show’s premise is to bore me for the first 10 or 15 minutes in order to try to be clever with it later, it’s flawed. Good theatre doesn’t need to bore its audience to prove a point.

This show, devised by Lucy Guerin in conjunction with her cast, has three of her company (Alisdair Macindoe, Rennie McDougall and Harriet Ritchie) literally come out on stage, stand around and have a conversation on what seems to be anything of roughly 10 minutes, which is also recorded. Enter the actors (Alison Bell, Megan Holloway and Matthew Whittet), who presumably have heard none of this and are given the recordings and re-deliver the entire conversation endowing the dialogue with attitude or character traits whilst standing on stage. Then throw in some movement, more reinterpretations of the conversation, some interplay between cast, a few bullying sessions, karaoke, interpretative dance, rhythmic ensemble work using the iPhones and then call it a day.

Of course, it’s not all doom and gloom because once things started moving in this 80 minute show, there were lovely images and some interesting mimicry of the original dialogue. If this was an experimental show in one of the smaller fringe venues, maybe I would give it more kudos than I do now. Is that fair? I don’t know but I do know that there was not enough here for me to get excited by it.

The parts of the show that at least gave it some engagement from my point of view tended to revolve around the choreographed ‘dance’ sequences or when cast started interacting, combining movement and using the dialogue in a way that suggested relationships or conflicts of status or power. For instance, Macindoe’s violence in his treatment of Whittet as he carried or moved him around the stage suddenly implied an emotional connection to action and words, even if the correlation between them was tenuous. I also particularly enjoyed the scenes between Bell and Ritchie, especially as Bell judged Ritchie on her own words in the conversation in some fairly realistic scenes of playground bullying. That was actually the scene of the night, with audience laughing on and showing how complicit we are in actions of this kind, laughing at the victim with no thought to the impact this event might have on her. Everything else was a bit blah. In the end the show worked for maybe half the time.

But mostly, it is Alison Bell who makes this show worth watching. Bell has enormous stage presence. You can’t help but focus on her and even in the whole cast movement sequences, she is the one you are drawn to watch, in spite of having three trained dancers on stage. Bell's energy and focus create an intensity in confidence and commitment as a performer and she is by far the highlight of the show.

This show was not for me but it might be for you. If you enjoy alternative and experimental pieces that have chunks of things that don’t work with chunks of things that do and you appreciate its concept over whether it came to full fruition, then head along. Otherwise I’d suggest you save the cash and go and see something on at the Fringe Festival or check out what’s on at The Factory and pay much less for probably the same amount of entertainment or more.

NEW THEATRE’S ‘VERNON GOD LITTLE’ dissected by me

It’s been years since I’ve seen anything at the New Theatre and shame on me (I need a clone to go to everything that’s on and wouldn’t a clone of me make the Arts scene happy?)

I will admit, in the first 15 minutes of this show, I was desperately trying to figure out an escape route that would get me as far away as possible from what was happening on stage. What on earth was going on? What is this random cacophony of noise? Is there a narrative? Have I just been thrown into Hell to watch incoherent theatre for eternity?

And then, I gave into it and got it and dare I say, kind of enjoyed it. It’s not easy to translate a book into a piece of engaging theatre and this book especially would have had its challenges. Tanya Ronder has taken DBC Pierre’s book ‘Vernon God Little’ and tried to capture the style of the book in a theatrical context and so initially, especially if you’re not familiar with the book, this show feels like it is bad drama school at its height. But it grows on you and in the end its ideas and energy convert you into a believer.

The play essentially explores the character of Vernon Little, small American town teenage boy, whose best friend has just gone on a shooting rampage in his high school before turning the gun on himself and now, in a search for answers, Vernon is called in for questioning. With the predators of sensationalism circling like vultures, Vernon soon finds he is considered an accessory and his journey of accusations and twisted truths and blackmail has just begun. It is a play that explores the manipulation of media and truth, the seduction of fame/infamy, and the public’s love of sensationalist journalism. It doesn’t really paint anyone in a positive light and seems to suggest that we will all abandon our own sense of ethics (if we ever possessed them in the first place) in order to get what (we think we) want.

Once you let the style flow over you and give in to the satire and absurdity of form, I think you will quite enjoy this. There’s certainly some inconsistencies in accent and the cheese of the show will make you feel like you’re drowning in a lactose intolerance haze but overall, the director, Louise Fischer, has produced a very tight ensemble show that is to be commended. I think she has brought out the best in this collective and it is clear the cast are having great fun in the madness of the script. Then, when a moment of still focus or concentrated ensemble work or choreography is needed, that cast jump in action. Fischer has done a fine job.

I was also impressed with the quality of most of the actors in the show. This cast is absolutely committed and the quality of skill was high. This play asks a lot of them but they gave it their all and Fischer has clearly given them a safe environment in which to take these risks.  It reminds me how much talent is on the Sydney scene as mainstream tends to stick to the chosen few and there feels like there’s very little diversity. But recently, with more exposure to the independent scene, it’s obvious there is a big pool of talent out there and I hope mainstream theatre takes a chance and steps outside its comfort zone to cast from a wider pool.

One of the most impressive things about ‘Vernon God Little’ is the set, designed by Tom Bannerman. It’s got so many wonderful playing spaces inside it and gives a cheeky, farcical edge to the play. The revolving doors, the sheriff’s stars crafted decoratively as well as a mobile for play and status, the colour and use of levels was a terrific vehicle for the director’s vision. The set told quite a bit of the play’s story and style and endowed the play’s sense of fun, twists and turns, quite literally. It's a great versatile and sophisticated set.

This is not the sort of play you see every day and I can say, it will test your ability at the start but persevere through the initial incoherent energy and it should all fall into place and you’ll hopefully enjoy what it has to offer. And watch some of the cast- I think they’ve got a bright future ahead.