Passion, Playhouse Theatre, Thursday November 6th 2014

Passion, Playhouse Theatre, Thursday November 6th 2014

"Passion" plays for a short season at the Playhouse Theatre at Arts Centre Melbourne for four performances only.  "Passion" has music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and a book by James Lapine.

For those new to my blog I write about the holistic experience of attending the theatre and I do not retell the story.  Please click on my links to other sites for extra information.

"Passion" is presented by Life Like Company with a stellar cast of Australian musical theatre performers.  I purchased two Dress Circle tickets for $135 each in the A row.  I was shocked that these great seats were available and on hindsight I can understand people's reluctance to spend this amount on a new group.  Though these seats were a little pricey for the quality of the entire production I have paid more for another lesser quality show.

I have seen "Passion" before at Chapel Off Chapel and thought that production was the Australian professional premiere.  Maybe it was a co-operative production?  I try not to compare productions but I had not written my blog back then.  I want to acknowledge that the Chapel Off Chapel production had a minimalist set and did a stellar job on a much smaller stage with magnificent harmonies.

The pre-show announcement asked that mobile phones be "turned off."  I hope this is the new standard compared to their normal request to switch phones to "silent."

"Passion" stars Kane Alexander as Captain Giorgio Bachetti who has a mistress Clara played by Sylvie Paladino.  They begin the musical in bed singing "Happiness" and the staging is anything but happiness. The singing is glorious but the emotional connection is anything but happiness, more like awkward lusty adventures.  There was no tenderness or seduction or passion but pure mechanical post-coital coy covering-up with the bed-sheets to hide their flesh or modesty patches from the audience.  The physical action lacked physical intimacy and was incongruent with the beautiful singing.

There was a detachment and aloofness between Clara and Giorgio.  It was as if the director was trying to emphasise the lack of passion or maybe there was no emotional connection between the actors.

The role of Fosca is the ugly duckling role in "Passion" as she teaches Giorgio about love and passion.  Fosca was played with restraint by Theresa Borg.  Her screams varied in terrorising us as did her physical condition.  I wanted to see more physical connection to Fosca's mental health issues.  Though sung beautifully I yearned for more rich darkness in her vocal connection.

Lighting by Rob Sowinksi and Tom Warneke was confused and ill-defined.  The performers either could not find their light or there were too many shadows across their faces.  The lighting did not differentiate the sense of space or location enough in the first third of the show.  It did improve but the lighting design came across as a last minute decision.

My favourite aspect of the lighting was when the desk was used by Clara with one lighting plot.  Then the desk was used in the bedroom with Fosca and Giorgio with a lighting change.  This lighting to differentiate scenes was what this show needed more of.

The set design by Rob Sowinski, Kim Ritchie and Dave Bramble used some elaborate and heavy period furniture pieces, including a large dining table, desks and pool table.  They were awkwardly moved about by the military clad actors.  Some times the poor actors had to heave and lug the heavy dining table or pool table off the stage.

The use of the sheer curtains gave a voyeuristic atmosphere to some scenes particularly when we could glimpse Fosca in the background.  These curtains got in the way on a number of occasions with the performers trying to navigate around them with the heavy furniture.  With a longer season this would be corrected.

The orchestra played magnificently as led by Guy Simpson.  Why though did one player read the programme during sections when he was not playing?  This was very distracting and sometimes more interesting to watch the orchestra rather than the stage.

I felt the staging, with more time, would become more confident, as it came across as very awkward on occasions.  Particularly with the stumbling into curtains and retakes on some dialogue.

I understand this is a short four performance season but the length of the men's hair varied so much that it looked ill-defined for the military characters.  While some of the men were all disciplined and well groomed the others were dishevelled and rebellious looking.

The support roles give few opportunities to show their characters and some were more defined than others.  The dining scene allowed us more of an opportunity to distinguish each character.  Some of the characterisations were a little wooden and stilted.  I hope that this was their historical period and military choice.

The costumes by Wendy Findlater were of the period and suitable. MMMM Wendy Findlater sounds like a made up name.  Plus she is the Assistant Stage Manager.   MMMMMMM!

There was a wardrobe malfunction for Giorgio and I longed for Clara to adjust his epaulet with some tenderness.  The more this was ignored, the more prominent the wardrobe malfunction became.  In the next scene Giorgio's epaulet was adjusted and again highlighted a missed intimate moment between Clara and Giorgio.

Director, Neil Gooding has produced a fine ensemble of performers that brought "Passion" to life.  With more they could have made this work radiate and excel.  Though what I loved about this production was the various levels the main characters developed relating to the many definitions of passion from lust, love, desire, obsession and struggle. Another definition relates to the strong and powerful emotions not only felt by Fosca, but also juxtaposed by the ever present "strong and powerful" military characters.

I too "struggled" with the military characters moving the heavy furniture.  Maybe this struggle was intentional by the director, as many people when they move house struggle to let go of a favourite piece of furniture and take it with them to fit inappropriately in their new abode.  If this "struggle" to move the sets was intentional, then make it more obvious.  It makes sense in respect to camping and decamping the military, but also decamping and setting up a new relationship or a new house.

The musical "Passion" also highlights the grieving patterns that people can experience.  Giorgio goes through two simultaneous grief cycles for Carla and for Fosca.  This culminates in his acceptance of love for Fosca.  Someone should do a PHD study on these two simultaneous grief cycles that Giorgio experiences.

The various letters between Carla and Giorgio show different stages of their relationship.  In Giorgio's letters to Carlo he talks about Fosca.  Giorgio is denying Fosca and is angry or disgusted by her.  He has a turning point where he is depressed by his relationship with Carla and also does not realise that he misses Fosca.  There is the final acceptance that his relationship with Carla is over and the acceptance of his love for Fosca.  This is where Kane Alexander excelled in his balancing of the two grief cycles.  His vocal gymnastics over the evening, showed us the range of emotions that finally resigned itself in his acceptance of self with his love for Fosca.

Fosca too goes through her grieving cycle and this manifests itself in her mental illness.  Remember that depression used to be called melancholia.

Carla also goes through her grief cycle.  This could include grieving for refusing to be with Giorgio and not wanting to give up her child.  This imaginary grief counterpoints the reality of what we see with Fosca's public displays.  Both Carla and Fosca have different imaginations: Carla's what could be in the future, compared to Fosca's what is now.

Again this is where Sylvie Paladino and Theresa Borg have hit these grief cycles on the head with accuracy in their vocal delivery.  I could hear the despair of Theresa Borg's longing while with Sylvie Paladino there was a yearning and lustful desire for Giorgio.

The Musical Direction by Guy Simpson is the highlight of  "Passion" with such a fine orchestra playing Sondheim's score.  Guy has also ensured that the performers sing Sondheim's score with reverence.  The harmonies were beautiful particularly between Clara, Giorgio and Fosca.  While the harmonies for the men's ensemble were a bit unbalanced in volume levels at times.  The ensemble of men played the supporting roles with varying levels of success.  Small sections of the individual singing was flat and out of tune. I was very impressed with the diction as it was clear but not pedantic.

My favourite part of "Passion" was the singing of Kane Alexander, Sylvie Paladino and Theresa Borg.

I look forward to seeing more work by Life Like Company.

Overall this production gets a 7.5/10.

Les Miserables, Her Majesty's Theatre, Melbourne, Thursday 29th October 2014

Les Miserables, Her Majesty's Theatre, Melbourne, Thursday 29th October 2014

The newly imagined version of "Les Miserables" directed by  Laurence Connor and James Powell played at Her Majesty's Theatre.

For those new to my blog I do not retell the story and write about the holistic experience of attending the theatre.

I was so impressed with the Dress Circle usher who reminded patrons that no photography was permitted as they entered the theatre.

One of my favourite actors, Simon Gleeson was not appearing as Jean Valjean.  I was disappointed but I had heard only but praise for his understudy, Daniel Belle.  The role of  Jean Valjean is iconic to modern musical theatre and Daniel Belle did not disappoint.  He has a rich and powerful voice with terrific diction.  He brought sincere passion to the role and I felt he made a lovely connection to the role and to other characters.

Daniel Belle aged physically and vocally with his portrayal of Jean Valjean.  In his final scene I had tears welling up in my eyes with his relationship to the memory of Fantine, Cossette and Marius.  This was the emotional connection that I longed for with other characters.

Hayden Tee was menacing and powerful in his portrayal of Javert.  I loved how he took ownership of his space and radiated his evil intentions.  At times I thought he pushed his voice and pressed down for volume.  I also liked his emotional connection with other characters.

Fantine was played by Patrice Tipoki with a warmth and vulnerability.  I liked her emotional connection to the role and her relationship with Daniel Belle  as Jean Valjean.  Her final entrance needed some alternative lighting such as a ghostly lighting or a tunnel of light to create an atmosphere of ascension to heaven.

Lara Mulcahy as Madame Thernadier and Trevor Ashley as Thernadier relished in their roles and the audience adored them.  They added depth and various emotional levels to their wicked characters.  I did prefer the original staging of "Master of the House" compared to this updated staging, as focus was pulled by other characters with over-staging the number.  I thoroughly enjoyed their characterisations.

Eponine was played by Kerrie Anne Greenland and I was mesmerised by her performance.  I enjoyed her emotional connection and then towards the end of "On My Own" it was if she was yelling rather than belting in "On My Own."  It sounded so forced that I lost my emotional attachment to her characterisation.

Gavroche played by Daniel Stow had the audience in the palm of his hand. Daniel Stow has a good sense of comedic timing as the feisty street urchin.  He showed up some of the minor principals with his command of the stage and keeping his character's accent.  He did not force his portrayal and allowed his character's cheekiness to come through.

The sets and image design by Matt Kinley were very effective and I did not miss the original revolve for the barricade as I know others have.  I liked the use of the film and video projections to provide depth and a more realistic time frame.  I did not like the lack of continuity with a recurring scene.  I understand about logistics with moving staging and did not like it when the bench was removed near Jean Valjean's gate when we returned to this set.

I particularly liked the use of the walkway stage right and the proscenium set construction as it was used effectively and brought the audience closer into the action.

The lighting design by Paule Constable was terrific and created lots of atmospheric changes for each scene.  Though I was disappointed in the final scene as there was not a ghostly quality to highlight Fantine as in heaven.  I prefer this new staging of final sequence.

The costume design by Andreane Neofitou and Christine Rowland honoured the period but it worried me that some of the shoes were not dirty or tatty enough for some of the poorer characters.

The wigs and make up for Jean Valjean were particularly impressive. They did not look like wigs as in some versions of this show that I have seen.

The music conducted by Geoffery Castles was crisp, fresh and clean, while the sound design by Mick Potter was impressive.  The gunshot by Jean Valjean towards Javert (stage right) had the sound effect over our shoulder on stage left and lost the realism for that moment.  Otherwise the gun shot sound effects in the audience were terrific.

I loved the projections by Fifty-Nine Productions, particularly Jean Valjean carrying Marius through the sewers.  This created a new depth to the scene.

The musical staging by  Michael Ashcroft and Geoffrey Garratt  was very effective except for  "Master of the House" as sometimes the focus was lost from the central characters by the upstaging of minor characters.  The famous marching sequence did not work for me due to the stop/start nature of the choreography.  If the video had the same stop/start timing then it may have appeared differently and been more effective.  I liked the concept and have seen it done very effectively in shows like "Young Frankenstein" with the "Roll in the Hay" song.  Here, with the cross-overs in the choreography and forward marching it did not match the video footage.

When most of 28/30 cast were on stage they gave depth and filled the stage with their individual characters.  This was unlike the main opening scene in "Brigadoon" at the Goodman Theater in Chicago that had an empty stage with a cast of 28.

The Javert suicide "Soliloquy" was brilliant and his final fall into the vortex was so effective and unexpected.  Comparing it to the original I thought, they may stage it in a similar fashion.  Not to be - as it was very clever and created an emotional push back by the audience as we were jolted into our seats and staring into Javert's black void.

I loved the "Turning" sequence with the candles as a great segue to the ghosts of the dead appearing for "Empty Chairs at Empty Tables."  Some terrific staging that created more of an emotional impact than the singing.

I loved the ensemble singing for its rich harmonies, but, sometimes a minor character was a bit off key and/or there was some scooping onto notes.

I am not going to compare performances from the other versions of "Les Miserables" that I have seen.  I was concerned at the number of times I saw performers checking their marks on the stage to ensure they were correctly placed.  This gave it a real "colour in by numbers" feel to some performances.  With the younger female performers this needs to be corrected.

Some of the minor principals were too concerned about the beautiful singing and came across as emotionally detached from their roles.  I thought some of the casting of these roles jarred in that there did not appear to be an emotional truth with their circumstances.

My partner has also seen "Les Miserable" at least five times and thought that this was the clearest version of the story.  I agree though some of the diction of the minor characters was thrown away.

I would highly recommend seeing this new version of "Les Miserables" again.

Overall this production gets a 8/10.

Melbourne Festival summary 29th October 2014

Melbourne Festival summary 29th October 2014

The 2014  Melbourne Festival was the 29th and I provide my summary:

Buying tickets:

I was in Chicago with my partner in late July 2014 when trying to buy tickets this year.  I always buy our tickets on the first day of Melbourne Festival tickets going on sale.  This year it was more difficult than ever, partially due to the lack of an international direct phone on their website from the day ticket sales opened.  This apparently changed after I provided the Melbourne Festival with feedback.

I must thank the staff who did assist me with the tickets and the emails.

With my experience in project management and particularly projects that re-occur annually, like the Melbourne Festival,  they need to evaluate more rigorously and improve upon their systems.  Do not go backwards and delete information from the website or the booklet.

Brochure:

When we arrived home the Melbourne Festival brochure had been delivered.  There was no mention of an international booking phone number as in previous years.  For example please refer to page 74 of the 2013 Melbourne Festival brochure that clearly outlines under "Booking Information" there is a sub heading "By Telephone" that states "Call Ticketmaster on 136 100 or from outside Australia +613 8623 2139.

When we arrived home I tried four times to buy tickets for "Since I Suppose."  We finally bought them, thankfully.

They should include all venues on the maps, as does the Melbourne Fringe Festival brochure that uses more than one map.

I provided feedback to the Melbourne Festival regarding "Early Works" by Trisha Brown Dance Company and was not impressed that the brochure did not state there was no seating, nor that we could photograph or record the event, nor was there an announcement stating such at the Meat Market.  They made a minor alteration to the website after my feedback.

Venue announcements:

I am not impressed with the inconsistent pre-show announcements at each venue.  "Off" with a phone is off.  If they choose to say "please turn phones to silent" then include "This means no texting during the show" as stated at the New York City Centre Theater.  I am sick of attending theatre and having people rudely texting or taking photographs during a show.  The ushers need to be more vigilant.

In 28 years of attending the Melbourne Festival, and seeing many shows each year, there is only one show that we have attended that has started on time.  Interestingly it was driven by technology and time.  The only show to begin on time was "Since I Suppose."

An aside:

The timing of the Melbourne Festival was perfect as I was able to show my friend around Melbourne.  I had worked with her on an Australian tour in 1978/79.  As a former circus and aerialist performer and at 78 year old, former circus performer from the USA, I was conscious of her interests and short amount of time.  Sadly she was unable to see any shows and it was lovely to be able to introduce her to the Golden Mirror Carousel and the Vault Exhibition.  She was so thrilled with the circus theme within the festival and left her with such fond memories upon returning to Melbourne.

My Favourite show:

My favourite shows this year was "Since I Suppose" by One step at a time like this.  This show should have gotten 9/10 but did not due to the difficulty in buying tickets.  Ironically I was in Chicago for ten days when they were probably rehearsing in Chicago.

I was so impressed with the communication from "Since I Suppose" before the event.  This built my curiosity and interest.  They had a Question and Answer session on Tuesday 28th October that was wonderful to be able to celebrate such a unique event, meet with the cast and crew, and also to give closure to a very good Melbourne Festival.

Congratulations to Josephine Ridge and her team.

Overall the 2014 Melbourne Festival gets a mean average of 7.2/10.  This is a good score that had a consistent standard and we only saw two shows that brought this score down.

Complexity of Belonging, Southbank Theatre, The Sumner Theatre, Friday 24th October 2014

Complexity of Belonging, Southbank Theatre, The Sumner, Friday 24th October 2014

For those new to my blog, I write about the holistic experience of attending the theatre and I do not repeat the story as in many traditional theatre reviews.

"Complexity of Belonging" was presented as part of the Melbourne Theatre Company subscription season at the Southbank Theatre - The Sumner.  This was also presented as a joint project as part of the Melbourne Festival, the Brisbane Festival and Chunky Move.

"Complexity of Belonging" is described as a project by Falk Richter and Anouk Van Dijk.  I have seen some of their previous works including "Hedda Gabler" and "An Enemy of the People" both of which I enjoyed. 

Wow what a show!  "Complexity of Belonging" is true festival fare of the highest order and deserves to tour the international festival circuits.

"Complexity of Belonging" began with a prologue as the actors bring out props to prepare the show.  This is a ritual of taking ownership and belonging to the show.  During this prologue, at least four audience members were on their phones taking photographs even though there was an announcement in the foyer.  I wish the ushers were more vigilant as I would have thought it was a breach of copyright.

Technically "Complexity of Belonging" began at 8.03pm which is not too bad.

"Complexity of Belonging" is about relationships with others, to the land and to Australia. It is a research project for an installation.  It is a project within a project. Both Karen Sibbing and Eloise Mignon's characters are doing research and take many notes.

Each performer had defined roles and carried these throughout the entire show.  The performers would take it in turns to highlight their story.  These varied from tragic, desperate, funny, poignant, racist, brothers, gay etc.  They touched on so many issues relating to the sense of belonging.

A complex work about what it means to belong in Australia.  "Complexity of Belonging" is like art within art.  The final image is of a group of statues as if they represent the stories we have heard and seen earlier.  In the art gallery pose there is so much respect and homage to the people's stories that we hear through the performance.

It does not matter to me that there is not a Muslim story represented in this show as one critic wrote.   There are so many religions, races and issues that are not introduced here.   I think the critic missed the point.  Other examples that were not shown included the viewpoint of a farmer, traditional housewife, child's, or a disabled persons etc.  This show creates powerful images of what it means to belong in Australia.

If anything I thought there was not enough emphasis on sport and being a "bloke" or a man in Australia.  There was not enough about political correctness, bullying and the cotton wool generation.  There was not enough about the older generation and what it meant to them for generations to assimilate.  The voice of the stories was younger than I thought. We were not shown a full range of viewpoints.  But - you know what!  I don't care, as "Complexity of Belonging" was about raising the complex issues of belonging in Australia and creates room for discussion.

The cinemascope cyclorama looks like a football scoreboard/screen.  This is used so effectively to transmit images from portable cameras to this screen.  As a scoreboard we could be measuring the score of what it means to belong.  The central image of the scoreboard/screen was foremost in our minds with many images being projected.  The performers climb this structure and hide as if hiding behind the shelter sheds and having their initiation to sex, or they try to climb higher in order to determine who is belonging more.  I loved these images.

The dance was great for most of the time.  Anouk Van Dijk's choreography is frenetic at times.  Wonderful images were created to counter point or provide a backdrop to scenes. There were two main instances of unison dance that were not in unison.  Also the canon effect of falling off the sofa chairs was out of time by the lady second from upstage.  She needs to prepare and anticipate her moves to keep the canon image fluid.

Alya Manzart is such a fine dancer.  Eloise Mignon is a fine actress that has a gawkiness to her role.
Josh Price, Karen Sibbing and Tara Soh are all fine performers.  Joel Bray played the boyfriend with sincerity and a genuine concern to try to understand his boyfriend played by Josh Price.

The powerful image of the bearded actor, Josh Price explaining the five options to his boyfriend Joel Bray who has climbed to the top and back of the screen. Joel Bray's head appears small and highlights the enormous projected image of his "bullet point" boyfriend.  This was a terrific image of the various degrees of power in a relationship.

I love the needy boyfriend played by Stephen Phillips  who has a Skype call with his girlfriend in Australia. 

I loved Lauren Langlois as the female character who lists what she wants in a man.  She is an exquisite performer who relishes her monologue with the therapist. It was a huge list of about 167 items. A male dancer comes and begins to lift her and throw her around.  She continues her rant, unperturbed.  The audience thunderously applaud her monologue.  Sensational theatre that had the audience completely engaged.

Karen Sibbing's character highlight the language barriers of coming to Australia and trying to understand the phrases "No worries" etc.

At one stage the cast of  "Complexity of Belonging" are lined up with microphones and it reminded me of a scene from an early 1980's production by Pina Bausch where the cast compete to tell of their body scars.

Another image of the man, Stephen Phillips building a structure with the sofa chairs. It is as if this is his mundane job.  He builds a second tier as if he has achieved middle management status.  He keeps organising them until he builds a tower.  He stands aloft.  It is as if he is the king of his castle.  The CEO.  He has achieved, but he is so desperately unhappy.  He is seeking meaning in his life, as do the other characters.

Stephen Phillips  deconstructs and reorganises the sofa chairs into a line.  He ensures they are evenly spaced and checks his work, then proceeds to hurdle over the sofa chairs.  Again, he reorganises the them into a slightly different configuration and proceeds to hop over them like a kangaroo.  Both of these sequences visually represent the competitive and sporting nature that is expected by many Australians. The hopping like a kangaroo sequence is something many children copy and is an international identity.  It both speaks of the outback and the Qantas logo.  It also represents the early flights to London which was known as the kangaroo route/hop.

James Vu Anh Pham is a powerhouse dancer.  There is a section about the Asian invasion of Australia.  He talks about the film "Romper Stomper" and being Asian.  Ironically, Russell Crowe who stars in this film is a New Zealander who made Australia his home.

"Complexity of Belonging" includes the use of the cameras and a crew member, who really should be credited as a cast member with her involvement in making sure the technology worked.  She was on stage many times as if the silent majority. Voiceless, but always observing.  Her presence gives texture to the staging. It is a shame that she is acknowledged more in the programme.

I loved the sections of  "Complexity of Belonging" with the actors walking backwards and forwards as if on the crowded streets.  The camera would focus on one performer.  Sometimes the camera would go into slow motion and what we were witnessing on the screen was a time-lapsed version of what the performers were doing. 

Three whiteboards were littered with photographs and articles for the research project.  Occasionally these items were projected onto the scoreboard/screen.  The whiteboards would be turned around and become the backdrop of an apartment, an airport with a Qantas plane, or an office building.  As backdrops they were used in so many creative ways: from providing depth to a scene or dance across the stage, or give a sense of perspective to a scene.  Sometimes they looked like camels crossing the desert and it felt like we were moving with the characters on their journey of discovery.  This paid homage to the early pioneers discovering their sense of belonging in years gone past.

Sometimes I longed for more stillness in "Complexity of Belonging" to reflect and focus upon the action.  The performers were scattered across the stage at times, as either individuals, pairs or small groups, as if they were searching for what it is to belong.  It looked like a huge scavenger hunt with the performers reaching into themselves.

We finish at the installation in Paris with Josh Price calling his boyfriend, who has not turned up.  I wonder if this had to do with the introduction about the Malaysian flight?  Was the boyfriend lost on the Malaysian flight?  I wonder if the phone call about the child being picked up by the mother meant that the child had one less father.

I loved the final images of the statues at the installation and the artist, Karen Sibbing desperately writing her notes that were projected onto the scoreboard screen.  She then edited these notes.  Her alterations being so beautifully poignant.  Great theatre.

I cannot rave enough about this production and would love to see it again.

Overall both my partner agreed simultaneously this deserves an 8.5/10.

Labels:

Complexity of Belonging, Melbourne Theatre Company, Melbourne Festival, Brisbane Festival, Chunky Move, The Sumner, Falk Richter, Anouk Van Dijk, Karen Sibbing, Eloise Mignon, Joel Bray, Lauren Langlois, Alya Manzart, Stephen Phillips, Josh Price, James Van Anh Pham, Tara Soh,

If These Walls Could Talk, Dislocate, Fairfax Studio, Sunday 26th October 2014

If These Walls Could Talk, Dislocate, Fairfax Studio, Sunday 26th October 2014

"If These Walls Could Talk" by Dislocate was presented as a World Premiere season at the Fairfax Studio as part of the Melbourne Festival.

For those new to my blog I write about the holistic experience of attending the theatre.

I had met someone on the previous night who had seen "If These Walls Could Talk"and he warned me with "Good luck with that one."  I was left curious what he meant and was keen to see it for myself.  I have seen some awful shows in my time and thought it best to keep an open mind.

To me theatre can speak in many ways.  When theatre moves the human condition to feel something then I feel it has been successful.  This was theatre that generated strong feelings of empathy and understanding to make my heart sink, glow or soar.

"If These Walls Could Talk" is a show for all ages though it has some adult themes of death and suicide that may not be suitable for young children.  It would be a good talking point with teenagers. It is a very accessible piece of theatre and maybe that is why the man did not like it as it was not "arty" enough.  I loved its simplicity in telling a simple story about a flat/apartment or house with various residents over the years.  It is as if the ghostly residents come to life to tell their story.  This is interspersed with the removalists moving the previous resident out and also an opportunity to change the set.

A very moving piece of theatre that did have a few holes that could be filled.

I was disgusted that someone in the front row had the audacity to take photos during the opening sequence.

The set comprises a round table, a two seater sofa, a window, fireplace mantelpiece and the frame of the building.  The doorway we learn later is a trick doorway that can swing open and closed and also rotate.  There is also a hat stand at the start. A tulle lampshade hangs from above. Along the way the sofa's covers or cushions are changed by the removalists to create a refurnished space for the latest residents.  The painting about the mantelpiece changes according to each resident: a family snap, a fish, a map etc.  Production Design by Michael Baxter would have been completed in consultation with the director, dramaturge and performers due to the working complexity of each aspect of the set.  Michael's designs provide enough of a cut out space for us to fill in the gaps.  From their work-in-progress video on Vimeo it is obvious that this show has grown in depth of content and design.

Kate Fryer and Geoff Dunstan play an old couple.  They enter and try to take off their hat and coat.  There is no coat hook.  Maybe there was once upon a time.  The performers move with a sincere respect of old age.  They want to dance together and negotiate the space in which to do so.

The lights change and the couple transform to their younger selves.  The door way rotates and there is a coat hook.  We too, are not mad. Memory can play tricks on our history.  Perception is their reality.

We see the younger couple dance, flirt and date.  They perform circus antics on the sofa.  There is an aerialist moment using the lampshade.  We then return to the older couple reminiscing and begin a tea ceremony that may be their suicide pact.  This overall opening sequence is tender and poignant.  I think it is powerful and rich in love,  that makes me wonder what the guy last night was thinking.  Maybe it is too obvious what they are doing?  Theatre should be about communicating.

We have the removalists DJ Garner and Luke Taylor who, not only change the setting but also provide some great clowning. Luke Taylor  is so funny with his electric drill routine that he uses to create the sound effects for his robot sequence.  I love his cheeky recognition of the audience.

At times the table, coat rack and sofa are moved.  They are covered with sheets as if from "Great Expectations."  As they are moved closer to the window and fireplace, I expect that they will reveal a performer underneath later.  Not to be.  I loved the way they played with the audience here and what they later did with these props.

We are introduce to a gay couple.  DJ Garner wears a cravat and is very needy of his partner.  They perform a tumbling routine over the table and the sofa.  He is craving affection and recognition.  They also use the cravat in their play.  DJ Garner does everything in his power to impress and keep his boyfriend.  He even dresses Geoff Dunstan with the coat.  Very simple and effective choreography that has smooth transitions.  Their routine means something, it is not just a filler circus act.  They reveal the breakdown and imbalance in their relationship.  They not only tell a story but has a message of relationship communication.  Their relationship is on the rocks.

The removalists can sometimes be two or the four performers.   With a cast of four they change their demeanour and characters so quickly from the other characters they play.  The costumes by Harriet Oxley give a great sense of character, time and relationships.  They look like street clothes but have been adapted for the rigours of these performers and their quick changes.

Kate Fryer lays in the outline of herself.  The spotlight chases her.  It is,  as if the light, is what people say they see when they have had a near death experience.  This white light keeps chasing her.  She flies above as if astral travelling and then recognises what has happened to her.  This is a great aerialist routine where DJ Garner enters.  They perform an aerialist duo.  At one stage he slides under the sofa with great speed.  She keeps trying to escape death.  He leaves and we realise that he she has been visited by death himself.

We have a haunted house routine by the two removalists. We have the black clown Geoff Dunstan and the more frivolous clown played by Luke Taylor .  It is such fun and the ladder gag is a joke on not only us but on each other.  This was such a good slapstick routine that paid homage to "Hold That Ghost" starring Bud Abbott and Lou Costello in a haunted house.  Both of these fine men have great physical comedy and plasticine faces.

There is a section that could be from "If/Then" the musical or "Sliding Doors" where there are two men  tending to the sick Kate Fryer on the sofa.  DJ Garner wants to chop her up while Geoff Dunstan wants to nurse her to good health.  There is a great sequence with the rug and the butcher's cleaver.  Another with the thermometer and the spoon.  The audience loved the complex nature of the comedy: her oblivion to the events around her, the two men's different motivations and also the men oblivious to each other.  They roll her up in the rug and she is thrown many ways.

DJ Garner is no small fry with his performance.  He is a giant as a dynamic performer with a powerhouse of strength and charisma.  His doorway routine where he drops straight to the floor had the audience gasping.  He is perplexed and confused as he works the doorway and has us in the palm of his hands. This is what good circus does - it engages the audience and creates a response.

Geoff Dunstan and Luke Taylor play with their power tools and have a paint-ball type fight. The power tools pick up sofa covers and the rug.  They create whirl pool like images.  One becomes a bomb.  Great inventive fun.

The final section has Geoff Dunstan desperately trying to do himself in.  It is a great routine with a bottle of pills, the fishbowl, the tie, the window, the light bulb and the electrical cords.  His black comedy clowning is so reminiscent of Marcel Marceau who I have seen on at least five occasions.  He tries to jump out of the window and the window itself becomes another performer.   It is not just one joke with the window but many. They create many physical examples with each prop or piece of scenery that the production designs would have to have been done in consultation with the performers.  The same with the tie and door frame.  The routines do not milk the routine but feed each routine to keep us intrigued and build our empathy towards his plight.

I loved the balance of the darker humour by Geoff Dunstan  with the lighter shades by Luke Taylor.

There are so many circus companies that link their speciality routines together with a theme.  They can be a bit like Judy Garland and Mickey Rooney's famous line "Let's put on a show."  Here we have a stronger thread and the routines support the story.  Some circus troupes do not incorporate an accessible story into their work.  Maybe the guy last night thought it was patronising.  I do not think that. 

I loved "If These Walls Could Talk"  as it is a great piece of artistic work that can create new audiences for the theatre.  There are themes of memory, history, relationships, respect for life, love, suicide and evil intentions.  We have time lapsed cultural references with the various changes to the sofa, costumes and other décor. 

Ghosts of some of the past residents appear.  We conclude with vignettes of previous scenes: the teacup and the thermometer, the old lady, the coat man.  Have they altered his decision? Do they unite in his grief? Do they spiritually guide him?

The final images make my heart soar.  It is raining shreds of a torn notes as the old lady and the coat man fly around him.  The stage is littered with paper that fuels such an uplifting finale.

This production was created with the performers and Daniel Rabin and Alexandra Harrison.  Composition and sound design by Chris Lewis.  Lighting Design by Eduard Ingles.  All worked together for a tight production.

"If These Walls Could Talk" resonated with warmth and was respectful of the vulnerability of the human condition. It made my heart soar that desperate people can seek help in themselves and in others.

Overall I gave this production an 8/10.

Pure Movement - Program 2, Trisha Brown Dance Company, Playhouse Theatre, Saturday 25th October 2014

Pure Movement - Program 2, Trisha Brown Dance Company, Playhouse Theatre, Saturday 25th October 2014

For those new to my blog I write about the holistic experience of attending the theatre.

Note there is my original review below and an amendment at the end:

"Pure Movement - Program 2" was presented by Trisha Brown Dance Company at the Playhouse Theatre by the Melbourne Festival.

The program states five works and I am appalled at the lack of respect for audiences that they did not make an announcement to the order of the dance pieces.  Appalled you may ask?  Yes considering my previous feedback about what was on the "Early Works" program.  It should not be a guessing game for audiences to decipher what pieces they are seeing.

I asked one usher at interval what was the running order of the performance.  She opened her program and began to read out the supposed running order as published in the program.   According to the program the first piece was meant to run for 2.5 minutes.  In fact the first piece ran for more like 20 minutes.  I explained that to her. Did she even bother to read the program?  She then tried to tell me that the second piece was "Newark".  Heavens above!  I had seen "Newark" in Program One and explained that to the usher.  She tried to say it was definitely "Newark" and I emphasised that I had seen it on Thursday night and that the dancers wore grey unitards.  She finally back pedalled and said that she could check with her supervisor at the end of the show.

Later at home I had to decipher from the program notes and the Trisha Brown Dance Company website what I had in fact seen. 

I think it is just plain RUDE that you are not given the courtesy to be told what is on the program.  I have paid big money to see all three of their shows.  Do you have to be "in the know" and the inner sanctum to be given this information.  This is why some people think that theatre is elitist due to this sort of behaviour.

The show began at 8.38pm for a scheduled start time of 8.30pm.

You may think that I did not enjoy the show.  I did enjoy the dancing - in fact I loved the dancer's work.  Though they could have selected a better work to finish the evening.

I had to go online to the Trisha Brown Dance Company  website to try to determine the order of the show.  I know she loves sequences and structure but here is my take on it:  The order was published as for example 1,2,3 Interval then 4 and 5.  The actual order was 5,1,3 Interval and 4 and 2.  It should not be so hard for audiences to have to do their own research to know what they are seeing!

"Set and Reset" began Program Two with two large triangles and a square that had film projected onto their white screens from four reel-to-reel projectors suspended above the stage.  The three large shapes rise to become three dimensional shapes: now they are two pyramids with a cube in between.  Still the historical footage is being projected. 

We then see a dancer carried across the stage by three other dancers.  This is reminiscent of Lindsay Kemp's slow crossing from "Flowers."  They wear beautiful translucent costumes designed by Robert Rauschenberg that follow their movements as good dance costumes should. 

In "Set and Reset" the dancers perform phrases with fouettes both a terre and en l'Air. There are wonderful hip sways that build momentum and create releves and create a Michael Chekhov  lightness and ease to the choreography.  There is more pas de deux or double work in this piece.  It is the most balletic piece that I have seen this wonderful company perform and shows a point of difference in Trisha Brown's choreography. 

I loved the way we could see the dancers in the wings awaiting their entrances through the net like tab curtains.  They played with the tab curtains on some of their entrances and exits that allowed the billowing effects to continue.  Some phrases seemed to originate in their elbows for their port de bras and build into fouette turns.  There were moments of sheer brilliance with the unison phrasing as they would sneak up on us and treat us to their magnificent timing.

I loved their curtain call of forming two lines of four and wheeling around.  They would then wheel these two lines of four again to showcase a variation of the ensemble.  They would exit using a similar phrase and re-enter with similar movements.  It was like watching the Radio City Rockettes post modern style.

"Watermotor"  was danced by Neal Beasley.  This short solo received thunderous applause from devotees.  Neal danced with quick shifts in weight and direction.  Some qualities of movement reminded me of the loose and easy style of Twyla Tharp.

"Les Yeux et l'ame" uses music from the opera with a score by Phillipe Rameau.  There are beautiful grey costumes that have a flowing rectangle of fabric at the front like a Grecian uniform.  This is such a magnificent and sophisticated piece of choreography. There are duos, trios and other variations.  Trisha Brown segues into each grouping with a central pulsation (like a group hug) that blooms into yet another variation.  There is a diagram by Trisha Brown as the backdrop.  Sometimes it looks like the dancer replicate some of the shapes form her drawing.  Her dance is such a sketch-a-graph of patterns.  It reminded me of "Tis A Goodly Sport" at one stage with its playfulness and the Baroque music.

There were pairings with heads being supported and gentle framing. The music was so bouncy and so relaxing and comforting.  It was pure soul food.

Interval/intermission/break!

 "Rogues" was danced by Lee Serle and Neal Beasley. One wore a blue sleeveless t-shirt and the other wore a blue t-shirt unlike the website that has them in orange and greenish colours.  This was danced at times to a harmonica.  The elbows are accentuated for their angularity.  There seemed to be a signature Jose Limon phrase with retrogrades and inversions.  I loved the sweeping feel with the swinging arms and the masculinity of the piece.  This showed great strength and the most masculine of her choreography in the three programs.

"Newark" finished the program and was also in Program One.  However, "Newark" starts with the two men and then two women enter, then another woman.  We build to many variations of the ensemble.  The flat back with the arms in second with a twist is a signature movement.  Lunges are prominent with turned in attitudes derriere.  I was so excited that I saw a developpe en avant as it stood out.  It stood to me as it highlight the limited vocabulary of this piece.

"Newark" had great partner work with the balances of the women on the men's knees.  The women are upside down and they suspend in space until they roll forward.  I was concerned though, that the rolls forward were a little flat-backed and needed more of a rolling motion to make contact with the ground or otherwise could lead to injury.  I had the same feeling at both performances.

Some of the floor work by the men is like a contemporary version of the Cossack dance/tricks. 

"Newark" is better on the second viewing but makes you feel let down as we do not finish on a high as we have seen it before. Any of the other three ensemble pieces in this program would have been the better choice to conclude the evening.

Olsi Gjeci and Stuart Shugg are the two men who dance with the same breath. Jamie Scott reminds me of Marg Downey the Australian actress.  She has such a lovely flow about her dancing.  Leah Ives has an assurance and confidence in her ability to create different qualities.  Tara Lorenzen has a lovely line, lightness and finish to her work.  She is a dynamo and has a cheeky glint in her eye.  Cecily Campbell appears at time to waft into space with her ability to change dynamic shifts, from being a feather to a bullet.

Overall, "Pure Movement - Program 2" was a good program but the order does not do them justice.  Plus it is not fair on the paying public to not know what they are seeing.  As my partner said it did not worry him as they all blurred into one another.  Though we both agree that some people enjoy reading about what they are seeing.  Also knowing the order of what you are seeing is important to be able to give context and try to understand each piece.

It should not be a guessing game about what I am seeing.  Even Merce Cunningham would announce the order of his work when they would randomly alter the order.  It is just plain courtesy and respect for the paying audience.

"Pure Movement - Program 2" gets a 7.5/10.

 

Amendment to my review written late Sunday 26th October 2014:

I went to the theatre on Sunday 26th October to see "If These Walls Could Talk" and spoke to a supervisor, Stephen about the usher incident on Saturday night.  He mentioned that there was an insert for the program.  I said that we never received an insert in our program.  My partner did not get the insert in his program.  Stephen offered to get an insert for me and it was the order that I worked out above it correct.  My experience would have been different had we received an insert in the program or an announcement made.

I do not retract what I said above from my experience but emphasise that having a consistent positive experience is my aim for all theatre goers.

Early Works, Trisha Brown Dance Company, Meat Market, Wednesday 22nd October 2014

Early Works, Trisha Brown Dance Company, Meat Market, Wednesday 22nd October 2014

"Early Works" by Trisha Brown Dance Company was presented at the Meat Market in North Melbourne.  We went to the 9.00pm performance that started ten minutes late.

Note that it took me two emails and a phone call to clarify the running order of the "Early Works" show.  I have included below my feedback to the Melbourne Festival.  As a consequence they wrote to me and made some changes to their website in preparation for Sunday 26th October 2014 performance. 

Page 42 of the Melbourne Festival brochure advertises the "Early Works" program of Trisha Brown Dance Company and did not mention the following:

·         That there would be no seating; 

·         That you could move around the space;

·         That photography and recording was permitted; (well that is what the Stage Manager said after the show)

·         The repertoire did not include "Scallops" 1973 as advertised; (This was not listed in the program but apparently was shown)

Please clarify the following;

What was the running order of the show at 9.00pm ?

Is "Group Primary Accumulation" the same as "Group Primary Moves" as advertised in the Melbourne Festival brochure?

What was the piece other than "Spanish Dance" that included music?

Concerns:

No pre-show announcement was made about the use of mobile phones or cameras.

No pre-show announcement was made to say that you could record, photograph or film the event. (Was this correct?)

As people were filming the event I am concerned about where the photographs of video footage will end up. 

I am concerned about the privacy implications of being filmed without an express notification to say that this could occur.  Note that the Australian Ballet recently sent out an email stating that a performance of "The Nutcracker" would be filmed and if you had any questions or concerns then they offered a contact telephone number.

No seating was available for some elderly or others who may have had ailments to restrict them standing for an hour plus waiting time in the foyer.

The show started ten minutes late: that is 9.10pm

It was a very hot night and had no air conditioning.

People would walk in front and block other people's views.  Only a few people looked around to see that they were not blocking other people's views.

Note:

The following order was received via email on Friday October 24th 2014:

Sticks VI

Soft Phrase (from Foray Foret)

Leaning Duet I

Sticks I

Grubby Duet (from Astral Convertible0

Figure 8

Scallops

Group Primary Accumulation

Sticks II

Spanish Dance

Note on running order:  If this was the running order then why is "Accumulation" missing from the above order?  Apparently it has music credits "Uncle John's Band" by the Grateful Dead.)

Review:

I really do not know the order of the programme and can only comment on what I did see or experience.

Believe it or not, with my above comments, I did enjoy what I could see of the show.  I look forward to seeing the other two programs by Trisha Brown Dance Company.

I chose a spot against a pillar as it was a hot night and I have had a bad back of late and needed as much support as possible.  I chose to stay seated on the floor as I did not want to hurt my back and I wanted to get a holistic perspective of the experience.  It was interesting to watch the behaviour of the audience and the dancers when I could not always see the dance piece being performed.

I chose my position,  as I am sure that Merce Cunningham would attest that this was another perspective to seeing Trisha Brown's work. No one at the Meat Market had the same view or perspective.  Mine was probably more "alien-modern" than some of these post-modernists could cope with.

I loved the pure movement and the skill of the dancers.  It was like stepping back into the early 1970s with their white jump suits.

The opening apparently was "Sticks IV" that had the dancers laying on the ground, each holding a ten-foot-long-stick.  They were trying to join them together as they rolled over on their backs and changed position. The dancers communicated with one another.  These moves are not pedestrian nor child like.  They are sophisticated and require their utmost attention, skill and steadiness.  It is a lovely group exercise to warm up the audience.  Sadly I got a view through peoples' legs.  It was as if watching a tribe presenting a ritual through a jungle of legs.

I think the second piece was called "Soft Phrase" (from Foray Foret) where Stuart Shugg and others danced.  I loved its fluidity and was reminiscent of many Nanette Hassall classes in Merce Cunningham technique.  I could only really see Stuart and two female dancers from where I sat.  I loved their precision although the bearded gentlemen had a flexed foot while the others had a relaxed foot.

 "Leaning Duets I " comprised of pairs each holding one arm and leaning as far away as possible from one another. They were totally off balance but balanced.  They would then walk in pairs on the diagonal to the opposite corner.  This was thrilling and challenging and reminded me of a twist on a school fete's "three legged race."  The opposite couple would do the same to the other corner.  Then they would both walk and try to pass each other in the centre.  The centre change over did not ring true for me as pure movement.  There was not enough off centred-ness and trying to catch their balance.  I got the idea and enjoyed it and went along with the staged version and the changes in the rules.  It would have been good to see a real change of weight between the four as they tried to pass over each other.

I could not see two pieces (maybe three pieces) properly but I did get to see the audience gather around and block each other's views.  I watched as the off-stage dancers looked over to me curiously why I did not run with the crowd.  I was fascinated with their keeping warm and preparing for the next piece.  Watching hips swaying made sense later for the "Spanish Dances" piece.  I got the preview that the audience did not get to see.

I think the pieces that I could barely see included "Sticks 1" and "Grubby Duet" (from "Astral Convertible".)  I swore one of the pieces that I could not see had music.  If so, I have been told it must have been "Accumulation" which apparently has a track called "Uncle John's Band" by the Grateful Dead. I do not know what this piece was called but I will call it the "Square Dance" where five dancers are in the central area that is marked on the floor as a square. Maybe this is called "Scallops." They pass each other in twos and threes and communicate "corner" when one dancer reaches the corner.  They complete the sequence to end where they began.  I loved it for it was adult playfulness.

I had it clarified in writing that "Group Primary Accumulation"  "is in fact the one piece called "Group Primary with Movers"."   This is where four dancers lay on the floor and begin a sequence which they repeat.  There is a definite beginning, middle and end to this piece.  A dancer walks in and moves one dancer slightly and they all continue the sequence.  Another dancer gets moved.  One is moved to sit upright and they all continue the sequence.  One is placed on top of another slightly and again they all continue the sequence without stopping.  The one sitting up is propped to stand up and you guessed it: they continue the sequence.  It is not boring.  It is fun.  I loved the ticklishness and genuine giggles from one or two of the dancers as they were intertwined as they continued the sequence. It is like a mediation on the simple.  Not so simple as they are moved about.

"Figure 8" had the dancers form a line and created gestures like "stewardesses demonstrating safety measures on an airplane." The program states that they stand in a row.  It could be a row or a column depending on your perspective, that is why I said a line.  They continue the pattern and close their eyes.  This is done to a clicking track or metronome type clicking sound.  They complete the sequence in unison and open their eyes.  Great timing and not a revelation they would finish together.  What I loved was that it reminded me of the Pina Bausch conga-line-type sequence through the Palais Theatre audience in the early 1980s. 

The finale "Spanish Dances" to the Bob Dylan's "Early Morning Rain" is such a fun piece to finish off a fine collection of historical post-modern dance.  The dancers are in a line and gradually get engulfed to the rhythm and movement of the dancer from behind.  It is infectious and makes you want to join in.

I chose my viewing position in order to have a perspective to create a point of focus to compare each piece.  Once I realised that the ensemble would move around the space I wanted to stay and see everything from the same angle to see if it worked or not. The thing that disappointed me was the rudeness of people standing right in front and blocking your view.  Not just in front of me but in front of others.

Some people chose to meander around the space.

I did not appreciate that at least two people were taking photographs and filming sections of the show.  I found this off putting and also disrespectful of people's privacy. 

It was also lovely to see Linda Sastradiprajda perform with this company.  Linda, I believe is the first person to enter through the six years of the VCA Secondary School and complete the tertiary course also at VCA.  I remember her in what was her First Form (now Year Seven) and it is a privilege to see her as a mature and sophisticated artist.

Stuart Shrugg is also a graduate of the VCA and is a fine contemporary dancer.  I remember learning similar phrases whilst a student at VCA and he has a lovely fluid and musical quality.

Trisha Brown uses movement and gestures in her choreography.  The larger archetypal movements are not her signature.  She expresses an honesty in pure movement that many choreographers do not understand.

What can turn me off some contemporary dance is the academic exclusivity of being in the inner sanctum of knowledge.  In other words if you have not studied their technique or concepts then it can appear alien to outsiders. With Trisha Brown's works, here you can see many of the concepts at play and enjoy their nuances.  Whether people understand her work is beside the point as it is also entertaining and has our attention.

Sadly I cannot name the other dancers as there are not photographs to put names to faces.  I enjoyed every dancer's contribution and the team work involved.

As audience members we should be treated with respect and given proper announcements and introduced to the names of the works rather than us trying to guess.  We should not have to write to request this sort of information.  I stand up for all "paying" theatre goers.

If my review seems confused, I am, as the brochure notes, program notes and the email all contradict each other with names and missing information (for one example the music credits of  "Uncle John's Band" by Grateful Dead.)

I received the following in my email from the Melbourne Festival "Regarding the use of photography and filming, the nature of Trisha Brown’s works means that the company does allow audience members to take photos and video, so it was indeed permitted during the performance."  Why were we not given the respect with a suitable announcement at the start of the show as this would have changed the experience for everyone concerned?

Yes I did enjoy what I could see.  But theatre should not be this hard to know what you are seeing.

Overall this program gets a 6.5/10.  It should have gotten an 8/10 if all of my concerns had been addressed.

Labels:

 

Trisha Brown, Trisha Brown Dance Company, Melbourne Festival, Meat Market, Uncle John's Band, Grateful Dead, Stuart Shugg, Linda Sastradiprajda, VCA, Pina Bausch, Figure 8, Soft Phase, Spanish Dances, Leaning Duets, Group Primary Accumulation