Cloudstreet, Malthouse Theatre with Black Swan State Theatre Company, The Merlyn at The Coopers Malthouse, Thursday May 23 and Friday May 24th 2019

Cloudstreet, Malthouse Theatre with Black Swan State Theatre Company, The Merlyn at The Coopers Malthouse, Thursday May 23 and Friday May 24th 2019

"Cloudstreet" was presented by The Malthouse Theatre with Black Swan State Theatre Company, The Merlyn at The Coopers Malthouse, Thursday May 23 and Friday May 24th 2019.

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.

"Cloudstreet" by Tim Winton was adapted for the stage by Nick Enright and Justin Monjo and  was presented by The Malthouse Theatre with Black Swan State Theatre Company, The Merlyn at The Coopers Malthouse, Thursday May 23 and Friday May 24th 2019.

The opening scene was way too loud with vocal levels.  Amplification of voices was unnecessary as the actors projected their voices with purpose.

Matthew Lutton has directed a fine production that resonates with the elements, and the house speaking via two Indigenous actors.

The entrance of when Lester goes looking for Quick and Fish needs a slight change as he masks the central action and turns to discover them.  It is a corny move that can be corrected with Lester searching out into the audience as if looking into the waters, and then turns to discover the boys centre stage.  I spoke to Matthew Lutton at interval and congratulated him on a great production and pointed out the above change.  He liked it and may incorporate it when the show travels to Perth.

The reason why I say this is because the production was nearly faultless.  

Set and Costume Designs by Zoe Atkinson excel in bringing Tim Winton's novel to life.  The house is transformed with sliding walls and a floor that weeps tears for the history and creates so much watery atmosphere.  The images of the cast walking on water at times are as if Lazarus has arisen.  (Coincidentally "Lazarus" the David Bowie musical is playing for three weeks at the Arts Centre Melbourne Playhouse Theatre.)

The costumes bring to life the 1950s' and 1960's.  This is one of the few productions where you could smell the toil and sweat in the heat of the encased in the costumes.  I am sick of seeing beautiful costumes that are too clean for characters.  Congratulations Zoe Atkinson and Matthew Lutton for a truthful depiction of the characters' clothes.

I wrote the following notes on Facebook after Part One:

"CLOUDSTREET: MALTHOUSE THEATRE

I have seen Part One which is acts one and two, and loved it.

The period music sets the tone as you enter the theatre. Sadly, no acknowledgement of the songs/music is in the programme. My mum used to sing these songs so it enhanced the experience of struggle, survival and love.

The vocal volumes are a little loud, and they do not require microphones as the actors project their voices.

Great inventive design by Zoe Atkinson that has many elements that were used in her brilliant designs for BLACK RIDER: THE CASTING OF THE MAGIC BULLETS.

One entrance will gain more gravitas with the atmosphere by having Lester Lamb (Greg Stone) searching for his sons by not masking the action centre stage. Plus it will add to the search and sense of space. A dual lighting adjustment here could also enhance the dual atmospheres.

Great sound effects that create varying atmospheres.

Some of the lighting plot could be improved to create different locations both in, and out of the house.

A beautifully cast production.

Sadly, the programme does not list each actor playing specific roles. For example, list the names of the characters, and others. I want to be able to look back in later years and say a particular actor played a specific role.

I look forward to PART TWO, tomorrow night, that comprises acts three and four.

So far, 8.5/10."

The programme could have detailed each character played by the actors.  I want to be able to look back and recall specific actors played one major role or various roles.  They list this way in commercial productions.

The whole cast were brilliantly suitable for their roles.  Yes, Natasha Herbert as Dolly Pickles was sublime in her drunken and slutty matter.  Alison Whyte was also sublime as Oriel Lamb,  Greg Stone redeemed himself after "The Dolls House Part Two" to play Lester Lamb.  Guy Simon gave a caring performance as Quick.  While Benjamin Oakes gave an honest portrayal of Fish, these two guys had a unique relationship that was not forced but created a connection,

The relationships between these main characters with each other were one of the strongest interconnections I have seen in a production in a long time.

One review stated that Natasha Herbert was comical.  I disagree and  would call her characterisation as the reviewer described, but emphasise that her honesty in portraying these elements was so truthful and recognisable that it was made funnier (or comical).  The way the reviewer made it sound as if Natasha Herbert was playing for laughs.  She was not.

Rose giving birth scene was a stylised transformation with the use of the pregnancy costume becoming the baby and the after birth.  This birth was very clever and one of the best examples of a birth on stage that I have seen.  Not as this same reviewer described the scene as "performed outrageously well".   It was a transformation not an outrage!

Sam Pickle, played by Bert LaBonte, was downstage hidden at a beach house.  This same reviewer missed the point of the two distinct locations that juxtaposed the scene.  The reviewer missed the point, as it was Lester Pickles having sex with Bert's wife, who provided the hideaway for Bert.  So there was more to this short scene than "deflation and oblivion".  I loved the juxtaposition of the supposed tough guy being hidden away by the caring and full of surprises Lester.

Lighting Design by Paul Jackson was more atmospheric and location specific in the second part.  This lighting was better for the third and fourth acts (Part Two) as it created more defined locations that enhanced atmospheres.  

Sound Design by J. David Franze and Composition by Elizabeth Drake enhanced the atmosphere the moment you walked into the theatre.  Sadly, the programme did not name the specific tunes that were used.  I recall the songs and tunes from my childhood and watching old movies.

The Aboriginal and Indigenous themes were beautifully incorporated.  From my memory of the book, they represent the landscape, and the history of the house.

Theatre is a different medium to a book and the production captures so much depth of Tim Winton's novel.

"Cloudstreet" obtained an 8.5/10 for the two parts.

Blaque Showgirls, Merlyn Theatre, Malthouse Theatre, Thursday December 1st 2016

"Blaque Showgirls", Merlyn Theatre, Malthouse Theatre, Thursday December 1st 2016

"Blaque Showgirls", Merlyn Theatre, Malthouse Theatre, Thursday December 1st 2016

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.

Who would believe that in one week you would see two show with cut out sets and props?  Let alone seeing two shows in a week with a cut out rickshaw crossing the stage?  "Blaque Showgirls" did as did "Reefer Madness" at Chapel Off Chapel.

"Blaque Showgirls" was a fun satirical show though it felt like a Year 12 Drama project at times.

The most compelling part of the show was the various aspects of racial discrimination, indigenous and identity issues.  It was less didactic than I expected as it provided various perspectives.  The core to me that was most revealing was Ginny Jones (Bessie Holland) yearning to find a place in the world and the extent at which she was prepared to go for her own gain.

The cast of four worked well together, though the Stage Manager and Assistant Stage Manager deserved to be a part of the final curtain call - as they were so much a part of the action.  To me this was discriminatory that they were not acknowledged.  For example the blank stare of Matilda Woodroofe, the Assistant Stage Manager when holding the hat with wig attached was one of the funniest moments in the show.  The pause was magic.

Guy Simon played the dual roles Kyle MacLachlan and True Love Interest.  He played his parts with sincerity that made it funnier.  His first scene at the beach as True Love Interest was very funny and he had a true connection with Ginny Jones.  It was not hammy but these actors found a truth within their characters to play the moment of connection with honesty.  He did not play a caricatures but larger than life characters and therefore made it funnier in setting up jokes.

In fact with all of the four actors they played with sincerity as larger than life characters.  This level of sincerity and connection with characters is what was missing with "Reefer Madness".

Elaine Crombie as Chandon Connors and Auntie differentiated between the two characters.

Emi Canavan as Molly the Japanese girl with a dream brought a realism to the humour and made her journey more poignant.

Each character was used in some way by Ginny for her own gain to find her sense of identity.  At one time it reminded me of "Go Set A Watchman" by Harper Lee when many readers were disappointed by some revelations about Atticus Finch.  Here we find Ginny was disappointed to find out her heritage.

Direction by Sarah Giles worked the script by Nakkiah Lui to maximise the humour and tell the story. The connection between Ginny and Auntie seemed real and made even funnier.  Sarah has made the actors find an inner truth to their larger than life characters.  The actors were also listening to, and being present for one another that made it funny.  There were a few holes in the production that could have been tightened to make the production slicker.  This was mainly to do with the transitions between scenes and some of the set changes.  The white balloons at the end looked re-used, deflated and tired, which gave it a sloppy look.

The show channels John Waters trash film genre.  I was waiting for the Egg Man to appear!

The script by Nakkiah Lui seemed to pose various points of view.  There was the predictable jab at Andrew Bolt but were also balanced with some inner soul searching from within.  I think this script could be tightened to make it even funnier and more poignant.

Set and Costume Design by Eugyeen Teh was terrific with his playful designs.  The cardboard cut outs were a highlight with the beach tent, surfboard, dressing room mirror etc.  The white stage had a surtitles board above which named locations or provided additional information.  This was another fun addition to the design.  The main proscenium arch moved upstage smoothly to open up the stage area.

The open wing area on each side was an interesting choice seeing where the Stage Managers would move signs etc.  This was distracting and took away our focus from the main stage.

The costumes were functional and also grossly tacky when appropriate.  The full body unitards with hand prints attached were explicit and fun. 

The burning "Sorry" sign alerted me to where the exits were located.  I worried about safety and knew that it would meet safety regulations.  This also raised a level of emotional connection to the sign - if a sorry is genuine and burns inside of the person giving the apology.

Lighting Design by Paul Jackson was sharp and created a sense of space and location.

There were some very funny moments with the boomerang thrown out one exit and returning via another exit.   The emu dance was well staged by Movement Director Ben Graetz.

The final dance sequence by Ginny Jones was interesting as the other characters were all cleaning up. I told my partner this afterwards and he agreed it was a subtle message of how certain races do the low paid jobs of cleaning, driving cabs etc.  This final trash message was as if the white man had caused all of this trash and here was a white girl dancing to claim not only her identity but her territory.

I thought overall the actors worked with a fair script to maximise its messages.

Overall I gave this production a 6.5/10.

Jasper Jones, MTC, Sumner Theatre, Wednesday August 24th 2016

Jasper Jones, MTC, Sumner Theatre, Wednesday August 24th 2016

We attended "Jasper Jones" from the novel by Craig Silvey and adapted by Kate Mulvany and presented by The Melbourne Theatre Company at their Southbank Theatre, The Sumner Theatre on Wednesday August 24th 2016.

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.

"Jasper Jones" brings up memories from the summer of 1965.  I had just turned six years old and I remember my childhood memories so vividly as if yesterday.  This sense of memory was accurately translated by Kate Mulvany from Craig Silveys' book.

The book and play "Jasper Jones" reminds many of "To Kill A Mockingbird".  To me it has echos of the film version of "Intruder In the Dust" which preceded "To Kill A Mockingbird" with its themes of justice and racial discrimination. "Jasper Jones" also reminds me of the book "The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time" with wanting to solve the murder of Laura Wishart.  (By the way I hope that the Broadway or London play "The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time" tours to Australia soon!).

"Jasper Jones" is patchy at times and both my partner and myself thought it was a bit laboured and overlong.  This did not take away from our enjoyment of the play as there are so many wonderful aspects of this production.  The script was quite didactic and was full of four letter words.  In 1965 "bloody" and "bastard" were frowned upon.  The use of four letter words was a bit over done and not as accurate for a country town in 1965.  Maybe they needed the phrase "I'll put Velvet soap on your tongue" inserted into the script.

The three young male members of the cast actually take centre stage here with their credible performances.  The other actors vary in their ability to convey a truth in their performances.

Jasper Jones was ably played by Guy Simon and engaged with the audience quickly.  The sighs from the audience revealed Guy Simon's ability for us to empathise with Jasper Jones' plight.  Guy Simon brought this fourteen year old to life: both physically and vocally.

Charlie Bucktin was played by Nicholas Denton with a geek-like naivety.  He had a wonderful rapport with Jasper Jones and his Vietnamese mate Jeffrey Lu played by Harry Tseng.  Their relationship of young teenage boys was played with honesty and captured our hearts.  Their adventures outlined the issues of 1965 succinctly - the bullying and racism,   Their sense of adventure and super-hero antics captured the school yard conversations and imagination.

The remaining cast varied in their roles - some becoming cartoon-esque and others not quite capturing the coldness of authority required.

The real star of this production is the director Sam Strong who has assembled an incredible technical crew to bring his vision to life.

Set and Costume Design by Anna Cordingley captured the essence of a small Australian town.  The revolving set with dam on stage right and the dug up ground on stage left created an additional element of realism.  We saw "Masquerade" which also used a revolve effectively for transitions and scene changes.

Anna Cordingley's costumes gave the impression of 1965.  A shame they did not use the plastic sandals instead of the more modern sandals.

Lighting Design by Matt Scott enhanced the atmosphere.  The emotional context was used effectively in the colours chosen to light the cyclorama backdrop.

The Composer and Sound Designer, Darrin Verhagen captured the spirit of youth, country parochialism and isolation.  The planes flying above sounded so real as they flew overhead creating a sense of menace and urgency.

The Director, Sam Strong has used transitions between scenes seamlessly.  The entrances and exits of characters around the revolve emphasised the town of Corrigan.  The ending of Act One and the opening of Act Two was magical as if we had just had a television advertisement break.

We saw Sam Strong's production of "Masquerade" and his trademark of seamless transitions is to be admired.

Sam Strong  has enabled his young actors to physically and emotionally attach to the awkwardness of being a teenager.

The reveal scene of Charlie's mother was lost by about ten per cent of the audience as they could not see what was happening.  Some audience members were laughing and others curious as to what was happening.  This was a design and sight line issue.

Classic iconic images of Australia were used throughout the production.  The push lawn mower and the cricket stumps are two examples that were used effectively.

The secrets and story surrounding Jasper Jones are touching.  There are some cliches in the story telling but it is a good yarn.   The scene when Jasper and Charlie confront Mad Jack Lionel is given away very early if you listen carefully.

The denouement scene by Eliza Wishart played by Taylor Ferguson lacked the intensity of revealing such a dark secret.  The delivery was measured and lacked an emotional depth of distress.  It even lacked a suppressed lack of distress.  Taylor Ferguson played the dual roles of the sisters Laura and Eliza.  She made a clear distinction between the dual two sisters and made me double take if it was in fact the same actress.

The ending is satisfying without being patronising.  We all have secrets from when we were teenagers.  I think it does leave it open for a follow up book - but then again that may spoil the magic and mystery of "Jasper Jones".

Overall my partner and myself both agreed this production deserved a 7/10.