Lazarus, The Production Company, The Playhouse, Arts Centre Melbourne, Saturday May 25th 2019

Lazarus, The Production Company, The Playhouse, Arts Centre Melbourne, Saturday May 25th 2019

"Lazarus" was presented by The Production Company at The Playhouse, Arts Centre Melbourne, on Saturday May 25th 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.

"Lazarus" by David Bowie and Enda Walsh was presented as the opening show for The Production Company's 2019 season, at The Playhouse, Arts Centre Melbourne, Saturday May 25th 2019.

"Lazarus" has been presented in London and Off-Broadway.

In a word - "awful!"

In two words: "don't bother!"

Yes, David Bowie fans may think this is sacrilege.  But it was such a confusing production.  The four pages brief David Bowie had presented to the original writer Enda Walsh was certainly not realised in this production.

The staging was cumbersome, awkward and lacked focus.

The video and lighting designs covered up the confusion.  Some consolation at least was the video played homage to David Bowie.

Set and Costume Design by Anna Cordingley had flashed of eccentricity and again paid homage to David Bowie.  The set reminded me of "Bye Bye Birdie" with seven screens wide and two high to create fourteen oblong shapes that would expose performers behind.  These fourteen screens were used for the videos and also to reveal action behind. 

Lighting Design by Paul Jackson created some highlights, but more distractions from the awful production.  It was a saving grace at times.

The show dragged for want of some decent singing and story line.

The sound of the orchestra was thin.

Vocally the singing was uninspiring and at time grating.  

Choreography by Stephanie Lake showcased how she struggled to move from contemporary dance to commercial theatre.  The staging and choreography was much like a ballet school concert.  Yes, I have seen enough contemporary dance used effectively in Broadway productions of "Spring Awakening" and "American Idiot".  (Not the Australian productions!)

The choreography was executed with random hap-hazard coordination.

Direction by Michael Kantor was like his rising as if Lazarus.  This production lacked focus and was like one long (very long) video music clip.

Some decent singing came from Emily Milledge as the Girl and Chris Ryan as Newton.  Iota, was Iota and paraded in his beautiful outfits that again tried to detract from an awful production.

Emily Milledge was terrific as the Girl, though she was much better in "Carrie the musical" and other shows.

Chris Ryan has a good voice and did a reasonable job with an awful script, role and direction.

The production was enigmatic and confusing.  The staging was clunky at times.  No, often!

The finale had Chris Ryan singing "Heroes" with about 67 disco balls, and only one that spun.

I noticed that eleven people left during the first hour, and only three returned from breaks.  So, that was eight people in the stalls left that I saw and counted.  It was more interesting to watch the reactions of The Production Company subscribers leaving, and those that stayed, rather than watching the show.

The best part in the show was a young man called Josh Gates who played Ben and Dirty Boy.  His singing was the best in the show.  His dancing was sublime. He was worth spending $105 a ticket to see.  I look forward to seeing him more in the future.

The finale image of David Bowie after the curtain calls was a comfort that he did not live to see this production.

Overall, "Lazarus" obtained a 5/10. 

Sweeney Todd the Demon Barber of Fleet Street A Musical Thriller, TEG Life Like Company, Her Majesty's Theatre, Sunday April 23rd 2019

Sweeney Todd the Demon Barber of Fleet Street A Musical Thriller, TEG Life Like Company, Her Majesty's Theatre, Sunday June 23rd 2019

"Sweeney Todd the Demon Barber of Fleet Street" A Musical Thriller" was presented by TEG Life Like Company, at  Her Majesty's Theatre, Melbourne on Sunday June 23rd 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.

"Sweeney Todd the Demon Barber of Fleet Street" A Musical Thriller" was presented by TEG Life Like Company, at  Her Majesty's Theatre, Melbourne on Sunday June 23rd 2019

I will outline the good things before I discuss what I did not like about the show.

I have seen about six versions of this show.  Some multiple times, so I have seen a version of "Sweeney Todd"  at least ten times in total.

Vocally - the choral harmonies were fabulous.  Nearly, the best I have heard of this score.

The orchestra led by Vanessa Scammell was sensational.

I loved Anthony Warlow in the titular role of Sweeney Todd.  With better direction he would have been brilliant.

Gina Riley as Mrs Lovett gave an adequate or fair job with her in-your-face performance.  She lacked the finesse and pernicious natures of the role by every other actress I have seen do this role.  She was not menacing and conniving enough.  Part of this I put down to the lack of rehearsals and lack of solid direction.

Tobias Ragg played sensitively by Jonathon Hickey.  Though with better direction, staging, and relationship development with Pirelli and Mrs Lovett, he has the potential to be the best Tobias I have seen.  Sadly, the direction let him down.

Anthony Hope was played well by statuesque Owen McCredie.  His rich tone was heavenly, though he did hit a few bung notes.

Daniel Sumegi played Judge Turpin with vocal authority but needed more physical commanding presence.  His acting was very wooden.  We were fortunate to witness Daniel Sumegi sing when he won the Sun Aria.  It was so good to see how much he has developed.

Anton Berezin as Beadle Bamford gave a solid performance, but was hampered with inadequate and clumsy staging and direction.

Jonas Fogg, I am sorry to say played by Matt Heyward was nearly forgettable as the direction let him down.  Matt Heyward was a great ensemble cast member who assisted in creating different atmospheres for various scenes.

The bass voice in the ensemble was magnificent, pure and rich in tone and diction.

I did not like Joanna as she was played with distance by Genevieve Kingsford. She had a pinched and shrill tone that lacked any warmth.  I did not care for Joanna to be saved.  Every other version I have seen, I felt desperate for her safety.  This time, I wanted Anthony Hope to run!  (Now, I loved her in "The Light In The Piazza" and have seen three versions of that show.)

The Beggar Woman/Lucy role played by Debra Byrne required clearer diction.  Her entrances and exits lacked purpose and direction.  Sorry, she was awful and I like Debra Byrne usually.

Set Design by Charlotte Lane had good points but was very clunky in the execution by the cast in the staging of many numbers.  The set with walkways around the orchestra on stage left reminded me of the walkway from the original "Pacific Overtures".  The use of the mirror, window and portraits reminded me of Anthony Warlow in "The Secret Garden".

Lighting Design by Tom Willis was reasonable to create different atmospheres and locations, though the execution at times was a bit clunky.

Costume Design by Kim Bishop was generally serviceable but the brocade looked as if there were dusty patches on many of the costumes.  The gentlemen at the seance looked resplendent in their tails.

I liked the idea of the seance concept by director Theresa Borg, but it became piece-meal by ensuring the head of the seance - madam was returned to the table.  The concept needs work to be fully realised as it highlighted how under-rehearsed and under-developed (under-cooked - excuse the pun!).

The staging with the round table distracted our attention from other action.  I realised I had missed a few important moments happening elsewhere as the table turning and positioning up-staged the other action.

The staging with the red curtains was used for Pirelli's entrance, the dividing curtain to Mrs Lovett's parlour and also the gate to the asylum.  I can cope with a set piece being used for multiple purposes, but it became very confusing with the asylum scene.

I could cope with the concept of the zombie-like exits after each character had their throat slit.  What I did not like was the difference in execution - as some would stand in the doorway a moment and wander off, another would rush off, while another would walk with a zombie like gait.  Maybe have arms out to keep some consistency.  Plus a lighting effect may have added to the moment.

The chute being wheeled on was very amateurish.  This took away from the drama of the reveals of bodies in the chute.  Sadly, the worst version I have ever seen of this scene.

Choreography by Jo-Anne Robinson was wasted as it appeared that time had been spent rehearsing the opening number to create a dance of gestures.  Oh yes there was the Sweeney Todd and Mrs Lovett waltz to the oven.   Oh yes and a girl danced on the table!

The timing of some interactions was totally off beat.  The relationships between characters at times were incongruent and lacked the sensitivity to honour the score and the subtle humour.

Miming occurred one moment, then not another, which was totally bizarre.  They mimed the oven door in one scene, and then another time they used the gates of the oven door.  Miming pies in another moment and then have pie (props) was totally ludicrous.  The worst bit was when there was not even a stuffed bird in the bird cage, and was mimed having its head twisted.  You can buy these stuffed birds at $2.00 shops.

The duet "A Little Priest" lacked so much humour.  The funniest moment was when Anthony Warlow walked towards the violin section of the orchestra for the "stringy" line.

The "God, That's Good" and "more pies" scene that opened act two was absolutely a mess.  The scene screamed "ridiculous" as the singers were singing "more pies" while a plate full of pies was centre on the table.  Some of the performers were trying to make something of this and you could see the futility and resignation on their faces.

There was an in-joke where the chandelier rose and fell that paid homage to "The Phantom of the Opera" that Anthony Warlow had starred in during the late 1980's.

I was disappointed that I missed Sweeney Todd's final entrance onto the table, as other action distracted my focus.  I knew his entrance was coming and was thrown momentarily.

I have seen at least two amateur productions that had better timing and staging than this production.  I was certainly had spine tingling reactions at every other performance.  Sadly, I did not have these reactions at this production.

At $163 a ticket - it was worth seeing Anthony Warlow perform this role.

Overall - messy!  It was like a work in progress.

"Sweeney Todd the Demon Barber of Fleet Street - A Musical Thriller" only obtained a 7/10.

Muriel's Wedding The Musical, Global Creatures and STC, Her Majesty's Theatre, Thursday April 25th 2019

Muriel's Wedding The Musical, Global Creatures and STC, Her Majesty's Theatre, Thursday April 25th 2019

"Muriel's Wedding The Musical"  was presented by Global Creatures and Sydney Theatre Company at  Her Majesty's Theatre, Melbourne on Thursday April 25th 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.

"Muriel's Wedding The Musical" is based on the iconic movie "Muriel's Wedding" which has an emotional depth to the humour and the story.  The emotional depth and humour was sadly lacking in this production.  

Why?

I will outline the good things before I discuss what I did not like about the show.

Do not get me wrong, I liked the show, but we, as an audience should have been loved it and singing as we left the theatre.  We bumped into friends before the show began.  At interval, they said they could have left.  At the end of the show we left with our friends, and noticed no audience member was raving or singing any of the songs. To say the least we were all disappointed and we see a lot of theatre!

What I liked:

Updating the story of the film by P.J. Hogan to include references to social media, and the use of modern technology with smart phones, Facebook and Twitter and Instagram was a smart move to ensure modern day relevance.

Updating Muriels' job in the video store in Sydney to a photographic booth with life-size celebrity cut-outs was fun; as some of the younger audience members would not know what a video store was, let alone a VHS or Beta tape!  So this became a double joke for the older generation.  Mind you, no one laughed out loud at this change of location.

I loved the use of ABBA as Muriel's inner voice.

Music and Lyrics by Kate Miller-Heidke and Keir Nuttal were good with reservations.  My favourite song was when Joanie, Perry and Malcolm sat on the couch with the monosyllabic grunts and reactions.  I loved the integration of ABBA's lyrics and tunes into other songs, that I found to flow better than in "Mamma Mia" where they were contrived and opportunistic. Here,  Kate Miller-Heidke and Keir Nuttal maximised the opportunities to get inside Muriel's thoughts without prostituting the songs.  This was done with homage and respect to ABBA.  See below for why I did not like this production element.

Costume Designs and Projection Design by Gabriela Tylesova.  In particular the "Sydney" costumes were fun.  The bridal outfits were beautiful.  Muriel's daggy costumes highlighted and differentiated the status anxiety of her school group.  The ABBA costumes were terrific in capturing the mid 1970's spirit.

Set Design also by Gabriela Tylesova had some elements that I loved and others that I liked. The best part was the proscenium arch that was decorated with mobile phones and leaves.   The mobile phones would display different themes for some scenes, including menus, selfie photos etc. 

The set comprised of many sliding walls and fly in curtains to create different locations.  This scenic design idea has been used numerous times.  I liked the idea of much of the set, but the execution left a lot to be desired.

The set also include two revolves centre stage, and there were two tracks running from upstage to downstage.

Some of the Choreography by Andrew Hallsworth worked better than other sections.  In particular, I loved the bridal mannequins moving in a music-box-dancer style, juxtaposed by the more natural dance moves of the other characters.  I loved the gestural dance of the evil girls swiping their smart phones and flicking their hair back, as they paid homage to "Kath and Kim".  


The acting displayed adequate characterisations of each role without capturing the heart and essence and soul.  Yes, the actors created iconic moments from the film and created larger than life characters; but the performances were wooden and pedestrian to say the least. 

Emotionally, Pippa Grandison as Muriel's mother, Betty Heslop stole the show for me. Her first solo was cut short by others to emphasise her status in the family unit.  This was the first emotional high for me in act one. In act two, her death scene talking to ABBA was the only magical moment in the show.  The way the scene was staged could have been a drug-trip, and paid homage to suicide victims' plight.  It was if Betty was going to heaven.

Jarrod Griffiths as Brice Nobes, the parking inspector captured the essence of Muriel's plight.  He did not upstage Muriel; he just gave a solid performance with more heart.  Sadly, though I think his role needs to be trimmed as his journey overshadows the main plot of Muriel's story.

Muriel's father, Bill Heslop played by David James with the right amount of gruffness.  When he arrived home and entered through a door that was later used for Muriel's exit to her bedroom belied credibility.  In hindsight, Muriels' exit highlighted that the staging gave the scene a creepy feel as if Muriel's father had just entered the scene from her bedroom!  I appreciate artistic license of using sets for multiple uses and locations, but I did not like this staging at all.  No door would have been better had he entered one way, and Muriel exited the other.  Or use two doors.  Simple! 


What I did not like"

It was not as much fun as the movie!

Programme design needs to include locations of scenes as in many Playbill programmes.  I found it disrespectful to the lead actors that they were relegated to the back of the programme.

The opening announcement could have been so much more theatrical to create a wonderful sense of occasion and anticipation.  Creating atmosphere and acknowledging the rules of attending the theatre was done so well by David Atkins' production of "Hairspray" with their opening announcement..  Sadly, the producers did not use this moment to set the sense of occasion.  Maybe they could have introduced with "Don't be "You're Terrible Muriel" and spoil the show for others.  Turn off, that means off your phones"!

Below us, sitting in the stalls, mobile phones were being used to text during the opening number with not an usher in sight.  I mean these women were holding up their phones texting for half of the opening number.  The light shone in our eyes so badly we could not see the stage properly.  Plus the distraction meant it put me in not a good head space.  I do not pay $155.00 per ticket to be distracted by such Bogans.  Don't worry, I complained at interval and the ushers were onto the perpetrators in the stalls area.

"Muriel's Wedding" is a magical film that transports you emotionally, and this did not happen with the musical.  The audience should have been laughing uproariously at one moment, and then in tears at other times.  Sadly, this was not to be.

Direction by Simon Phillips was reliable and adequate but missed so many emotional connections between the characters.   This show was not up to his slick production values as in "Dream Lover" or "Priscilla Queen of the Desert The Musical" as the staging was messy at times with poor co-ordination of the set, lighting and stage hands.

The show lacked pace and highlighted holes in the awkward pauses between set changes and scenes.  Segues were messy, and were not helped by the stark lighting.  No attempt at really transitioning occurred.  Our focus was drawn sometimes to areas on the stage by poor coordination of lighting and set changes.  We were distracted by extra and inappropriate action at times that drew our focus from the main thrust of some scenes.

Music and Lyrics by Kate Miller-Heidke and Keir Nuttal were ruined by the location of the orchestra and the sound quality.  The film is rich in sound, while here it sounded distant, retarded and cheap.  The orchestra sounded if it was a small band for the local school production, using professional musicians and with a limited budget.   Wrong!  If Global Creatures want to take this show further, it needs a richer and fuller Broadway sound to the orchestrations.

The songs were not presented in their best way.  The songs and music were grating as we, including our friends said because we could not understand the lyrics as the diction was so poor on many occasions.  The songs would have been better had we had better orchestrations and lyrics that we could understand.  Thankfully the cast were not out of tune.

Sound Design by Michael Waters needs a lot of work with balance and execution of the coordination of turning on-and-off the microphones.  The clunkiness and sound quality was jarring.

The orchestra sounds tinny, thin and amateurish.  Orchestrations by Isaac Hayward need developing for a richer sound.  This is unforgivable when you are paying $155.00 per ticket.

Set Designs by Gabriela Tylesova were executed by stage technicians that were too clunky at times and disrupted the flow.  The screens and fly-in-curtains sometimes did not coordinate well. Some of the screens that slid in from the wings did not appear wide enough for Her Majesty's Theatre as they revealed entrances and exits in corners of the stage that took away the magic of theatre.

Set Design also by Gabriela Tylesova had some elements that I loved, and others that I liked.  In particular the proscenium arch was decorated with mobile phones and leaves.  The mobile phones would display different themes for some scenes.  I liked the idea of much of the set, but the execution by stage hands and technicians left a lot to be desired with clunky and jerky scene changes.  Exposed areas were revealed to show holes in the set design, and thus diminished what should have been magical theatre.  The stage crew should have been wearing blacks or other attire so as not to stand out as they tried to sneak and hide as they moved sets on and off the stage.  It was very tired and amateurish stage management.

Did I say - the magic was lost?

Lighting Design by Trent Suidest did not maximise the differences in location when the stage was split with two locations.    When ABBA appeared there should have been a private lighting change to emphasise we were entering Muriel's head.  The lighting seemed to be either on or off!

Choreography by Andrew Hallsworth does not highlight each character's quality as in other shows he has choreographed.  The group formations are safe, and have a good ballet school production quality, rather than slick Broadway style choreography.

The Act One scene in the Chinese Restaurant needs refining.  It became messy with ballet school like choreography and staging.  Though, the best aspect was the set as it brought back memories of the Chinese Restaurant and "Small World" scene from "Gypsy".

The reveal and entrances of Deidre Chambers played by Chelsea Plumley lost any surprise element.   She stood upstage centre, posing with her back to the audience.  There was no attempt at disguising her entrance, so the fun was lost.  It was too staged, and had an amateurish quality for her showgirl entrances.  Mind you, Chelsea Plumley had the best voice in the show!  She is too pretty and not haggard enough as she does not have the requisite wrinkles and face cream for the role.

The swimming sequence went on way too long.  Yes, double the length of time that the audience could tolerate.  Cull please.

Jarrod Griffiths as Brice Nobes, the parking inspector, sadly, though I think his role needs to be trimmed as the show is too long.  We could have done without the ten minutes of the "Never Stick Your Neck Out". 

Muriel Heslop played by Natalie Abbott was adequate but did not capture my heart.  Yes, she did the right moves and said the right lines, but lacked charisma.

When Rhonda Epinstall played by Stefanie Jones dropped her lighter, the average smoker would rescue their vital possession quickly.  She made no attempt to pick it up and could have done so and kept the dialogue happening naturally.  The more she ignored it, the more palpable the lighter on the stage became.  It was retrieved by a gentlemen and placed on the table later as he slid it under his left hand and then across with his right to where it should have been located.  Wow, this meant more to us than what else was happening.  This was an example of our audience focus being pulled away from the main action. Go with the flow and that is why actors study improvisation.  This highlighted that these performers were not in the moment, and gave pedestrian performances.

The following scenes could be reduced in length and tightened:  Life Is A Competition and S.O.S numbers, and the wedding-dress-store scenes.

The language could have been curtailed and use of "Fuck" once to emphasise the moment.  The other times made it feel like "I would have preferred to watch the dvd again".

The bows at the end were very ho-hum and the reprise of "Sydney" was appropriate, but the audience wanted an ABBA song to sing as they left the theatre!  The audience felt cheated as no one was singing as they left the theatre.  It is a musical, AND they should have been at least humming a song from the show! It was just too long!  Way, way too long.  The audience were exhausted after nearly three hours.  It became a chore, and audience members could at least tick off another "bucket-list" show to see. 

Now remember: the audience barely laughed at this performance.

"Muriel's Wedding" the movie is one hour and forty six minutes long.  It snaps along, while the musical just dragged on for nearly three hours.

Snap and slick will keep the show moving, as it dragged in both acts.

Revise, cull and shorten.  The script and production numbers need pruning.   Ensure the audience is begging for more!

Broadway:

"Muriel's Wedding The Musical" would be ideally suited to The Palace Theater on Broadway (where "Priscilla Queen of the Desert The Musical" played) but needs some work if it is to proceed to Broadway.

A friend, who attended the same performance, summed up the show and said "You're awful, "Muriel's Wedding The Musical"".

The show lacked the warmth of the film, and was a cold rendition lacking the emotional heart of Muriel.

"Muriel's Wedding The Musical" obtained a 7/10 while my partner gave it a 6/10.

Arbus and West, MTC, Farifax Studio, Arts Centre Melbourne, Tuesday March 5th 2019

Arbus and West, MTC, Farifax Studio, Arts Centre Melbourne, Tuesday March 5th 2019

"Arbus and West" by Stephen Sewell was presented by MTC at the Fairfax Studio, Arts Centre Melbourne on Tuesday March 5th 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.

"Arbus and West" by Stephen Sewell, MTC, is a good piece of speculative theatre, as the playwright imagines what could have happened as these two characters meet.  The play needs some work but is a great first showing.

Broadway actresses will be chaffing at the bit to play these three fabulously rich roles.

Historically, Bob Dylan's "The Times They Are a-Changin'" lyric/quote, from the album of the same name, was only one month old when Diane Arbus says so to Mae West.

Oops, the script needs a slight revision, as Trader Joe's was founded in 1967 in the USA and was not around in November of 1964.

When the stage manager announced a two minute call and then a 30 second call Mae Wesr was preparing for her entrance at her dressing table.  Ruby took her time to a fix Mae's red feather to her hair about 30 seconds after the 30 second call.  

Ruby said her mother was 93 in Act One, and then said she was 92 in Act Two.  MMM?

The relationships between each of the women fires up in different ways that creates tensions.

Without spoiling their entrances some famous men make a special guest appearance!  Many audience members tittered at their entrance and exposition.  Some audience members shrieked in realisation, while others naively contemplated their "back-lit" entrance.

Act Two is funnier than Act One.


In an article by Kerrie O'Brien on the MTC website is a Stephen Sewel quote "They got on like a house on fire... it was a fun event for the two of them but when West finally saw the photos she was appalled and wanted to sue for defamation because Arbus was an artist and she wanted to show the truth!"    Sadly, West's response of being appalled and wanting to sue was lost, if non-existent in the production.  More could have been made of this in Act Two, rather than West dismissing Arbus' death.

The time shifts were mostly effective by the use of the lighting and where the action was focused in Mae West's dressing room, or on the front of the stage, or when Mae West sang on stage 

The finale is poignant and revealing as to how Mae West may have felt.

Direction by Sarah Goodes developed a good reading of Stephen Sewell's script.  Sarah Goodes has also educed fabulous performances from the three fine actresses.  She has also introduced us to two debut performances at MTC by Diana Glenn and Jennifer Vuletic.  Why have they not been showcased at MTC is beyond me.

There is a depth to each of the characters that each of the three fine actresses have developed.

Diana Glenn  as Diane Arbus gave us a warm and seductive performance as she tried to coax Mae West to reveal herself emotionally and physically.

Jennifer Vuletic as Mae West's assistant, Ruby gave a proper and stoically protective performance.  At times she was a little stiff.  I read this as is Ruby was steeling herself for the next revelation or the next encounter with either Mae West or Diane Arbus.  Ruby's stiffness could be perceived that was the back bone to support Mae West.  I liked how Ruby stood up to Mae West and spoke honestly.  This won Mae West's respect and Ruby knew her place as the assistant.

Melita Jurisic paid incredible homage with her performance of Mae West.  I have seen better imitations by drag queens, but Melita Jurisic became her believable version of Mae West including signature poses and characteristic vocal delivery.  I particularly loved how Melita Jurisic captured Mae West's her eye movements.  Ted Shawn would approve in his book "Every Little Movement".  A movement consultant could have enhanced her moves for more accuracy as her centre shifted.  (Refer Michael Chekhov "Centres".)  I think Mae West's centre was in her brain as she realised that this was her main sexual organ, and she knew when and how to change her centre to the different parts of her body.

Set and Costume Design by Renee Mulder captures the glamour of Mae West's style.  The corridor for her apartment and dressing room also works a separate stage area.  The use of the two doorways to the front door and to her bedroom created completely different atmospheres.  The central window framed the action with a stream of daylight that created its own tension between characters.  This window also supported Stephen Sewell's writing by giving an ethereal and spiritual layer to the production. 

The Chauffeur, while not being revealed, left the audience with questions about the mystery of this elusive character.  

The script could be pruned as it became a little repetitive at times.  The interval gave a sense of time transition.  With refinement this script can be slicker, tighter and funnier. 

"Arbus and West" by Stephen Sewell obtained an 8.5/10. 

Underground Railroad Game, The Ars Nova Production, Malthouse Theatre, The Beckett, Saturday February 9th 2019

"Underground Railroad Game", The Ars Nova Production, Malthouse Theatre, The Beckett, Saturday February 9th 2019

"Underground Railroad Game", The Ars Nova Production, was presented as part of the Malthouse Theatre 2019 Season at The Beckett Theatre on Saturday February 9th 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.

"Underground Railroad Game" presented by The Ars Nova Production as a part of the Malthouse Theatre 2019 Season at The Beckett Theatre, Saturday February 9th 2019.

As you entered through the doors of The Beckett Theatre, three black dolls were on display before the seating area.  Due to the crowds, it was difficult to get close and read the text.  A shame this information was not put into the programme.

I was not confronted or shocked by these dolls, as I had, and still have my childhood Golliwog.  I adored my Golliwog.  He was my equal and taught me about equal rights.  He taught me respect and colour is not a novelty, but a difference.  I am white and do not tan, and believe it or not, I was racially vilified because of this as a child.  Yes, a white man racially abused in the 1960's for the colour of my skin.  Even more reason, why I adored my Golliwog!

So the tone of trying to shock me with these three dolls - did not work!

The play is presented by two fine actors who were also the creators of this show, Jennifer Kidwell and Scott R. Sheppard.

The opening scene was a bit laboured, but well acted to create tension.  The twist from a re-enactment to the lights up in the audience and the actors becoming the teachers was well presented.

The play required audience participation, as we were the students that were divided into two groups of either Confederate or Union Soldiers.  At first the audience participated with trepidation.  As the play progress the audience's enthusiasm waned.   Reactions and interaction was half-hearted by many audience members.

The play was well acted but patronising.  The twists and turns of the relationship between the teachers became uncomfortable, not for the racial implications, but because racial division was rammed down our throats forcefully and without any subtlety.

Some moments became cringe worthy at times for the wrong reasons.  The sucking of the nipples provided the audience with not the shock, but an opportunity to react with "oh, he really is sucking the black woman's nipples" which took away from the moment.  It was so in your face that it detracted from the scene.  I called this the "Rocky Underground Horror Show" moment.  I wish a judge will have seen this show particularly when the male teacher went under her dress and provided her with oral stimulation.  This scene would have been more confronting with a more simulated stylised approach.  The scene was basically gratuitous soft porn.

The fight scene had the same reaction from the audience, where audience members were saying out loud "they really are hitting each other" etc.  Again, this scene detracted and became a violent porn video where the two characters erupted into a passionate sado-masochistic sex ritual with lots of humiliation and denial.  This scene had the male teacher on display as a "piece of meat" like the slave auctions where the slaves would be put on public display during the American Civil War.

The "Safe-house" sign was defaced with "Nigger lover" where he was humiliated and beaten. This transitioned into a flagellation and masturbation kink scene.  This scene was more of an advertisement for "50 Shades of Grey" rather than highlighting the horrors of the American Civil War and the Underground Railroad.

There was no mention of any safe houses in New York City.  We were only exposed to one example of an Amish looking man.  I have been through one of the underground slave/illegal immigrant tunnels in China town in New York City.  That experience was more chilling than this play.

An historical error included the line where the male teacher (Stewart?) was asked what he does in his spare time.  He replied "Basketball".  Now remember this show was about the American Civil War occurred between 1861 - 1865.  Basketball was not invented until 1891 by James Naismith!  Had the plantation worker asked "Basketball? What is that?" would have given the scene more gravitas.  Maybe they meant baseball which had been invented in 1839.

There were so many missed opportunities in this production.

For example, as the two teachers walked along sipping their drinks, Atticus Finch was quoted as the male teacher's hero from Harper Lee's "To Kill A Mockingbird".  If they wanted to explore the themes more thoroughly then the creators and director Taibi Magar should have included something about the controversy of "Go Set A Watchman".  Without any reference to this sequel, the whole play was kept back in the 1960's rather than with any contemporary perspective.

There was a modern day reference to the book "To Kill A Mockingbird" and Atticus Finch as the male teacher's hero.  The scene would have had more gravitas and relevance had they explored the outrage and reaction to the revelations about Atticus Finch in the sequel "Go Set A Watchman".    For example, was Atticus Finch a role model as he nurtured Scout as an independent thinker?

There was no mention of "Twelve Years A Slave" or "The Heart Is A Lonely Hunter" where both books and films created more empathy and compassion for the plight of the slaves.

As per the Q&A on the Malthouse website, and page 5 of the show's programme, there are references to a historian/park ranger "...stumbling over his words".

Here, there was a missed opportunity to discuss and clarify the difficulties and preferred naming of the slaves as mentioned in the story about the historian/park ranger on page 5 of the Malthouse Theatre programme: "The white man spoke about the Underground Railroad and the conditions of slavery but had a very difficult time talking about Black people, stumbling over his words - 'slave...enslaved...Afro-American...Negro...' he never landed on what to call Black people."

The missed opportunity was to clarify with certainty what and how these people should be called/named/reference in the future.

Had they wanted to explore the use of the appropriate language to be used then they could have delved further into the use of terms: Negro, nigger, black, coloured and/or African American etc.  They could have referenced "Uncle Tom's Cabin" or "The Heart is a Lonely Hunter"  by Carson McCullers, where the daughter Portia confronts her father, Dr Copeland.  See page 75 for what was considered politically correct in 1940 for a black woman/African American standing up to her equally black father.

There was no reference to the lone Australian, William Keen Bryant who fought for the Confederates in the American Civil War.  With a minor adjustment during the audience participation dividing of the audience, they could have included this little known fact.  For example they could have had a kangaroo in only one envelope for an audience member to open, to represent the lone Australian.  This could have brought the message home to Australian audiences with a little more controversy and self reflection.

I kept my blue soldier as a souvenir as there was no instruction as to what to do with your envelope and contents.

The Amish man and slave puppets were used effectively at the end of the show.  This also linked to the way golliwogs and mammy dolls were marketed and made.  They had a display of these as you entered the foyer.

The visuals were effective with Production Design by Tilly Grimes, and Scenic Design by Steven Dufala.   In particular, the large billowing dress that transformed into the tent, where the two characters created a shadow play, was most effective as a "transformer" costume.  The set made mainly from cardboard looked as if it made for a school production.

The play was not as confronting as it was made out to be.  Nor did it create within me a heightened sense of empathy for the slaves and the escape routes.  "Twelve Years A Slave", "The Heart Is A Lonely Hunter", "To Kill A Mockingbird" , "Go Set A Watchman" and "New York" by Edmund Rutherfurd were more enlightening and provided me more opportunities for empathetic responses.

Maybe the two teachers were the real game as they played with the audience's emotions and not telling the full story of the underground railroad.

Overall "Underground Railroad Game" obtained a 7/10.

Evita, State Theatre, Arts Centre Melbourne, Thursday December 27th 2018

Evita, Opera Australia and John Frost and David Ian, State Theatre, Arts Centre Melbourne, Melbourne International Arts Festival, Thursday December 27th 2018

"Evita" was presented by Opera Australia, John Frost and David Ian at the State Theatre, Arts Centre Melbourne, on Thursday December 27th 2018

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.

I have seen "Evita" twice before when originally produced in 1980 at Her Majesty's Theatre Melbourne, where the theatre had been decorated with elaborate banners either side of the proscenium arch.  At the State Theatre, there was no decoration inside the theatre, though they had a specially set up Argentinian themed bar in the Arts Centre forecourt.

Tina Arena is amazing, though she appeared to be checking with the conductor more regularly than other musicals I have attended. Checking the position onstage with her marks was also very obvious.  Our audience neighbour highlighted both of these aspects to me.  I had noticed this too but was loath to say to a stranger.  Admittedly, it was the day after Boxing Day and she may have had a few days off.  So I will forgive these observations for ensuring a consistent quality performance.

I found Tina Arena committed to her objectives with a sense of purpose for each scene.  Though, the relationship with other characters seemed a bit distant at times.

Paul Szot as Peron was vocally commanding with his rich voice.  He lacked the physical commanding stature of Peter Carroll.

Kurt Kansley as Che looked more the part and sang quite well.  I longed for a combination of Kurt Kansley's looks, with John O'May's original purposeful conviction, and rebel interpretation both in acting and singing.

The Mistress was played superbly by Alexis Van Maaen, though a little more street smart than the original innocence of the Australian original.  The use of atmosphere exercises could enhance this scene even more, as the staging was pedestrian.

Michael Falzon as Magaldi lacked any sex appeal and charisma.  Compared to Tony Alvarez who oozed and made audience members swoon or shift in their seats to take notice.  He had a television audience following that highlighted the requisite stature of the role.

The whole cast need to give a sense of atmosphere.  The atmospheres should change with each scene, and there was sameness in the quality.  Some Michael Chekhov atmosphere ensemble exercises may assist!

Choreography by Larry Fuller was accurately reproduced for the steps.  Technically the dancers were superior in technique to the original but lacked any emotional or sense of atmosphere or occasion.  Many seemed to be going through the steps.  The military section had appalling lines and needs a good drilling to reinstate the crispness.  Yes, you can be seen in the back row, and yes, you can stand out if it is not sharp.

Set Design by Timothy O'Brien was similar to the original 1980 production, minus the smooth transitions between scenes of trucks loading the new sets.  The State Theatre allowed for the sweeping height of the set to be fully exposed.   The stage tracks were used for the delivery of sets from upstage, while I remember sets being slid on from the sides (rather than being carried on by the cast!)

Costumes, also designed by Timothy O'Brien are functional for the ensemble.  As I thought with the original production the poor or working class characters lacked the honesty of some grime or holes, thus highlighting they were just costumes rather than people's clothes.  Eva Peron's costumes are magnificent.

Lighting Design by Richard Winkler was realised by Trudy Dalgleish.  Some of the lighting needs refinement for the transitions between scenes.

Musical Direction by Guy Simpson was slick, even with the drummer chewing throughout.  (Maybe to keep his energy up as it is musically a demanding show.)  One yawning player was a bit off putting.  This is the bonus of sitting in the front row!  The orchestra did not sound as rich as my original 1980 viewings.

The choral singing was excellent, but lacked passion.  Individuals at times hit the occasional bung note.  This is understandable as "Evita"  is one of the most demanding of musicals.  Plus, the more enclosed Her Majesty's Theatre Melbourne encased the sound to enhance the majesty of the score, rather than getting lost in the more spacious State Theatre.

"Evita"  feels dated with the sluggish transitions between scenes.  The lighting highlighted the sense of waiting for the next scene and was very clunky at times.  Maybe an update to include some more fades could have assisted with the flow.

I am glad that I saw the show again.

"Evita"  felt like an academic production.

Overall, "Evita" obtained a 7/10.

A Quiet Evening of Dance, William Forsythe, State Theatre, Arts Centre Melbourne, Melbourne International Arts Festival, Thursday October 17th 2018

A Quiet Evening of Dance, William Forsythe, State Theatre, Arts Centre Melbourne, Melbourne International Arts Festival, Thursday October 18th 2018

"A Quiet Evening of Dance" by William Forsythe was presented at the State Theatre, Arts Centre Melbourne, for the Melbourne International Arts Festival on Thursday October 18th 2018

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.

I have seen examples of William Forsythe's work "Eidos: Telos" for the Frankfurt Ballet at the 2001 Melbourne International Arts Festival, and "In the Middle, Somewhat Elevated" by The Australian Ballet, and other works.

"A Quiet Evening of Dance" is a challenging work for non dancers.  Thankfully, I had read a lot of articles prior to seeing the show.  For those who did not read the programme prior to watching the show were a bit confused for the first act.  I had a gentleman come up to me at interval and asked what I thought.  I said it was basically the history of dance through time and I recommended that he read the programme and a few articles online.  I also said to him "I felt that an introductory talk for about ten minutes with a few demonstrations would have made it more accessible for the audience."  He agreed.

Do not get me wrong - I loved the show.  It was a bit didactic at times but was playing with our heads as dance history was being developed through the ages.

At times some of the moves looked as if the dancers were in a dance studio and using their hands as if marking the choreography to save their bodies.  There was the duality of this plus the deconstruction of movement.  Then there was the reinvention of using other parts of the body in place of the original body part.  When the first twist of the spine occurred I was taken aback with surprise and delight.  When the first saute occurred I had the same reaction.  These reactions to the first plie, step, turn, releve, bourrees etc made me appreciate the journey that dance have come on.

"Prologue" began the first act and paid homage to the court dances of Louis XIV.  There was an elegance and ritual.  It made me appreciate the dance history and historical dance classes with Margaret Mullins.  Thankfully, I was exposed to the codification of these historical dances by Raoul Feuillet.  It was as if the drawings were being demonstrated on the stage.

The first clap by one of the dancers created a startled surprise.  We were now being introduced to both music and time as the claps increased.

The crossing of the knees with hands had elements of the vaudeville knee and hand crossing trick.  The crossing of the arms over the knees later developed into the a slapping sequence that paid homage to the German Schuhplatter knee dance.

We were even exposed to the different ballroom styles of dance in a stylised way.

Later in Act Two, Christopher Roman used juggling with his lower arms upstage.  I have seen the photo of the original drawing and the name escapes me of the title.  The audience laughed in recognition of this famous drawing as Christopher Roman pas de bourree'd across the back of the stage whilst juggling his lower arms. This action immediately drew us to the origin of this step.

William Forsythe is genius as he has created his version of Darwinism or evolution of movement for the stage.  We were witnessing the birth of new moves such as the arabesque or the tour en l'air.  

The final diagonal of six dancers created a pathway for Rauf "Rubberlegs" Yasit who wove his way through the dancers.  His moves were a modern version of the classical solo en diagonale.  A bold statement shone through with - this is the future of dance - evolve or tradition will die.

I would love to hear William Forsythe talk about "A Quiet Evening of Dance".  In fact I would love to interview him and have a discussion as I am in awe of his work.  I would love to see more of his works.

"A Quiet Evening of Dance" obtained an 8.5/10.