"Reefer Madness", RL Productions, Chapel Off Chapel, Tuesday November 29th 2016
"Reefer Madness" was presented at Chapel Off Chapel by RL Productions. We saw the Tuesday November 29th 2016 performance.
For those new to my blog I write about the holistic experience of attending the theatre. I buy my own tickets. So if you want a re-telling of the story please refer to the links for further information or for further insights. Note, that I may provide different links for repeated main words or phrases. I write for my memories of what I have seen, and is more of a stream of consciousness.
Buying tickets for "Reefer Madness"via the Chapel Off Chapel website was easy enough. They offer good value tickets for lesser known works and usually with reasonable quality casts.
The programme for "Reefer Madness" was $5.00 and very good value. I am impressed that they are one of the few shows at Chapel Off Chapel to heed my feedback and print the year of the show on the cover of their programme. The song list is laid out in a legible font. Some of the cast and crew biographies need to be edited to provide a more mature outline of their experience.
Sadly there is only one small paragraph that mentions RL Productions. I found their website and Facebook page. We had seen their production of "Crossroads" and were very impressed with it.
Stephen Wheat directed "Reefer Madness" and at times it shone. Otherwise, it dragged and was not as funny as it could have been. The humour was laboured and very cartoon-esque with no resemblance of any movie characters from the 1930's. The cast tried too hard with the material.
My favourite moments were the Placard Girl played by Priscilla Stavou as this was the role that was most in keeping with the era. Sometimes the placards were shown in such a fleeting or brief fashion and were missed by some members of the audience. I loved how she was shy in her delivery and this could have been developed to show her aspirations to become a a Follies girl, or more vaudevillian in their delivery. I yearned for more "Follies" or vaudevillian delivery. (Think "Ziegfeld Follies" and "Ziegfeld Girl" movies!)
My other favourite aspect was the choreography by Yvette Lee. There was a lot of work involved and the cast moved with precision and accuracy. The opening of Act Two was particularly strong choreographically with the various modes of transport incorporated into the movements: driving, running, sailing, train, flying etc. This was assisted by the cartoon-cut-out props to add to the humour. The quick scene with the rickshaw was a highlight, particularly with Ed Deganos doing the hard leg work. This whole scene reminded me of "She's a nut" from "On the 20th Century".
I also loved the "Dick Tracy" style poses with the performers in their trench-coats. Yvette Lee is a choreographer to watch in the future with her eye for detail and her ability to train all the performers to a very slick and competent level.
Yvette Lee has choreographed one of the tightest ensembles I have seen in years for a musical.
Singing varied in ability. The two leads let us down with the flat singing during the Act One final duet of "Reefer Madness".
The ensemble finale was the richest harmonies heard. Sadly we did not hear enough of these harmonies.
The transitions between scenes were laboured and needed to be snappy.
Lighting Design by Jason Bovaird captured the essence of the show. His lighting was most effective in the chase scene using the strobe effects. It is a shame that the staging during the strobe sequence did not maximise the effect by slowing down the action a bit more to enhance the humour of a silent movie. At times I was frustrated that the lighting design was marred by the lateness of some of the lighting cues. I do not think this was intentional. I am curious if the first entrance of Jimmy Harper missing his spot was intentional. I admired Ben Adams who played Jimmy Harper for holding his stance - so forthright during the Lecturer's introductions as it set the tone for his character.
The sound at times was clunky with the cues not being picked up and we heard a few words at normal volume before the microphones kicked in.
The band played well under the direction of David Wisken, but sounded very electronic. It would have been good to have more of a 1930's sound.
It was a fun night but could have been funnier. The cast and director need to watch more 1930's films to capture the honesty and naivety of their performances to capture the era, rather than trying to send it up. I have watched many 1930's films and can be instantly transported to a time and place. Here it was as if I was watching a group of very talented performers trying way too hard to be funny.
The actors needed to find sincerity and a connection with their characters rather than playing two dimensional solo performances. This would have made it funnier.
There were no bad performances, but there were stand out moments. I felt there was a lack of connection between many of the characters. The show seemed to be an array of many soloists showcasing their moments - except during the choreographed dance sequences where they came together as an ensemble.
Jimmy Harper was played by Ben Adams as the young man who becomes addicted to marijuana. He played many levels of his mania and mostly sang well. His character was the most believable from a 1930's film perspective, though I would have liked more connection with the other characters.
Mary Lane played by Grace O'Donnell-Clancy as a larger than life character. Though cartoon-esque in style both the main leads needed more realism to make it funnier.
The Act One final duet between which was flat by both.
Sally played by Phoebe Coupe, reminded me a little of Bette Davis from "Whatever Happened to Baby Jane" or Gloria Swanson as Norma Desmond from "Sunset Boulevard".
The "Spaghetti Western" delayed violence between Jack Stone (Jared Bryan) and Mae (Rosa McCarty) obtained consistent laughs. Sadly this type of delayed sequence was not used during other opportunities to provide for more sight gags by other characters.
Stephen McDowell ably played Ralph. His simple make-up and physicality gave his character more realism.
Sally's Baby was brilliantly sung and acted by Alex Thompson.
James Cutler as the Lecturer played many small roles throughout. The opening sequence sets the tone for the show, though it needs some tweaking to maximise the effect. He grew as a performer with his other characters. James Cutler sang well and channelled Robert Preston as Harold Hill warning students with "The Truth". Some may question the relevance with the conman antics of Harold Hill warning residents with the song "Trouble" from "The Music Man".
Ed Deganos as Jesus was hanging on a crucifix attached to a removalist's trolley. Visually a strong joke and he made the most of it.
Seth Drury as an ensemble member channelled the Keystone Cops with his height and dead pan gaze. More could have been done to channel the movement of the Keystone Cops during chase scene.
The costumes were fun, particularly the men's jacquard socks and v-neck vest looked terrific to capture the 1930's, the ladies' costumes were a little too contemporary but still gave the impression it was a high school production.
Set design by Simon Coleman was simple and effective allowing for the dual role of being a High School production - and a show within a show. The little touches of the red curtain not fully closing and the window shutters not closing fully may not have been intentional - but they worked to highlight the high school set construction.
There were so many contemporary references made within Yvette Lee's choreography. I liked the Matthew Bourne "Swan Lake" triangle in the finale and the Bob Fosse hands from "Pippin" when the reefers were all presented through the red curtain. The zombie type characters referenced all of the sci-fi television shows and had aspects of "Carrie" the musical.
Sadly the sight lines in Row F impede the view in the downstage area. There needs to be a metre gap between the front row and the stage to allow for a better view. It is not just me as two couples behind me had to move to empty side seats for a better view!
"Reefer Madness" was written by Kevin Murphy and Dan Studney and preceded the brilliant "Heathers" which has a book by Kevin Murphy and Laurence O'Keefe. It was terrific to see this earlier work to compare how the writing had grown musically and dramatically.
I look forward to seeing more work from this company. It excites me to see so much talent in Melbourne presenting so many rare works.
Overall this production obtains a 6.5/10.
The programme for "Reefer Madness" was $5.00 and very good value. I am impressed that they are one of the few shows at Chapel Off Chapel to heed my feedback and print the year of the show on the cover of their programme. The song list is laid out in a legible font. Some of the cast and crew biographies need to be edited to provide a more mature outline of their experience.
Sadly there is only one small paragraph that mentions RL Productions. I found their website and Facebook page. We had seen their production of "Crossroads" and were very impressed with it.
Stephen Wheat directed "Reefer Madness" and at times it shone. Otherwise, it dragged and was not as funny as it could have been. The humour was laboured and very cartoon-esque with no resemblance of any movie characters from the 1930's. The cast tried too hard with the material.
My favourite moments were the Placard Girl played by Priscilla Stavou as this was the role that was most in keeping with the era. Sometimes the placards were shown in such a fleeting or brief fashion and were missed by some members of the audience. I loved how she was shy in her delivery and this could have been developed to show her aspirations to become a a Follies girl, or more vaudevillian in their delivery. I yearned for more "Follies" or vaudevillian delivery. (Think "Ziegfeld Follies" and "Ziegfeld Girl" movies!)
My other favourite aspect was the choreography by Yvette Lee. There was a lot of work involved and the cast moved with precision and accuracy. The opening of Act Two was particularly strong choreographically with the various modes of transport incorporated into the movements: driving, running, sailing, train, flying etc. This was assisted by the cartoon-cut-out props to add to the humour. The quick scene with the rickshaw was a highlight, particularly with Ed Deganos doing the hard leg work. This whole scene reminded me of "She's a nut" from "On the 20th Century".
I also loved the "Dick Tracy" style poses with the performers in their trench-coats. Yvette Lee is a choreographer to watch in the future with her eye for detail and her ability to train all the performers to a very slick and competent level.
Yvette Lee has choreographed one of the tightest ensembles I have seen in years for a musical.
Singing varied in ability. The two leads let us down with the flat singing during the Act One final duet of "Reefer Madness".
The ensemble finale was the richest harmonies heard. Sadly we did not hear enough of these harmonies.
The transitions between scenes were laboured and needed to be snappy.
Lighting Design by Jason Bovaird captured the essence of the show. His lighting was most effective in the chase scene using the strobe effects. It is a shame that the staging during the strobe sequence did not maximise the effect by slowing down the action a bit more to enhance the humour of a silent movie. At times I was frustrated that the lighting design was marred by the lateness of some of the lighting cues. I do not think this was intentional. I am curious if the first entrance of Jimmy Harper missing his spot was intentional. I admired Ben Adams who played Jimmy Harper for holding his stance - so forthright during the Lecturer's introductions as it set the tone for his character.
The sound at times was clunky with the cues not being picked up and we heard a few words at normal volume before the microphones kicked in.
The band played well under the direction of David Wisken, but sounded very electronic. It would have been good to have more of a 1930's sound.
It was a fun night but could have been funnier. The cast and director need to watch more 1930's films to capture the honesty and naivety of their performances to capture the era, rather than trying to send it up. I have watched many 1930's films and can be instantly transported to a time and place. Here it was as if I was watching a group of very talented performers trying way too hard to be funny.
The actors needed to find sincerity and a connection with their characters rather than playing two dimensional solo performances. This would have made it funnier.
There were no bad performances, but there were stand out moments. I felt there was a lack of connection between many of the characters. The show seemed to be an array of many soloists showcasing their moments - except during the choreographed dance sequences where they came together as an ensemble.
Jimmy Harper was played by Ben Adams as the young man who becomes addicted to marijuana. He played many levels of his mania and mostly sang well. His character was the most believable from a 1930's film perspective, though I would have liked more connection with the other characters.
Mary Lane played by Grace O'Donnell-Clancy as a larger than life character. Though cartoon-esque in style both the main leads needed more realism to make it funnier.
The Act One final duet between which was flat by both.
Sally played by Phoebe Coupe, reminded me a little of Bette Davis from "Whatever Happened to Baby Jane" or Gloria Swanson as Norma Desmond from "Sunset Boulevard".
The "Spaghetti Western" delayed violence between Jack Stone (Jared Bryan) and Mae (Rosa McCarty) obtained consistent laughs. Sadly this type of delayed sequence was not used during other opportunities to provide for more sight gags by other characters.
Stephen McDowell ably played Ralph. His simple make-up and physicality gave his character more realism.
Sally's Baby was brilliantly sung and acted by Alex Thompson.
James Cutler as the Lecturer played many small roles throughout. The opening sequence sets the tone for the show, though it needs some tweaking to maximise the effect. He grew as a performer with his other characters. James Cutler sang well and channelled Robert Preston as Harold Hill warning students with "The Truth". Some may question the relevance with the conman antics of Harold Hill warning residents with the song "Trouble" from "The Music Man".
Ed Deganos as Jesus was hanging on a crucifix attached to a removalist's trolley. Visually a strong joke and he made the most of it.
Seth Drury as an ensemble member channelled the Keystone Cops with his height and dead pan gaze. More could have been done to channel the movement of the Keystone Cops during chase scene.
The costumes were fun, particularly the men's jacquard socks and v-neck vest looked terrific to capture the 1930's, the ladies' costumes were a little too contemporary but still gave the impression it was a high school production.
Set design by Simon Coleman was simple and effective allowing for the dual role of being a High School production - and a show within a show. The little touches of the red curtain not fully closing and the window shutters not closing fully may not have been intentional - but they worked to highlight the high school set construction.
There were so many contemporary references made within Yvette Lee's choreography. I liked the Matthew Bourne "Swan Lake" triangle in the finale and the Bob Fosse hands from "Pippin" when the reefers were all presented through the red curtain. The zombie type characters referenced all of the sci-fi television shows and had aspects of "Carrie" the musical.
Sadly the sight lines in Row F impede the view in the downstage area. There needs to be a metre gap between the front row and the stage to allow for a better view. It is not just me as two couples behind me had to move to empty side seats for a better view!
"Reefer Madness" was written by Kevin Murphy and Dan Studney and preceded the brilliant "Heathers" which has a book by Kevin Murphy and Laurence O'Keefe. It was terrific to see this earlier work to compare how the writing had grown musically and dramatically.
I look forward to seeing more work from this company. It excites me to see so much talent in Melbourne presenting so many rare works.
Overall this production obtains a 6.5/10.
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