Masquerade, Sumner Theatre, Melbourne Festival, Sunday October 25th 2015
"Masquerade" by Kate Mulvany and based on the book by Kit Williams was presented by the Griffin Theatre Company and the State Theatre Company of South Australia at the Sumner Theatre, for the Melbourne Festival, Sunday October 25th 2015.
For those new to my blog I write about the holistic experience of attending the theatre. 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 love to reminisce about the shows I have seen over my lifetime. I mainly write this blog for my own memory and it is wonderful to share it with people. As I have been writing this particular post, my enjoyment for "Masquerade" heightens. My memories are consolidated. My heart soars and my soul is nourished. (I wrote this paragraph and could not decide to put it at the end or the beginning. I chose to place it at the start to give context of why I adore my theatre, and also why I whine about mobile phone usage during a show!)
Kate Mulvany transports us into a world of both realism and fantasy. It is a world of hopes and dreams, disappointments and mortality. She has adapted the book by Kit Williams and interspersed her story within this play with music.
The opening outline of the proscenium arch of the theatre is superbly designed with lots of letters. I knew there was a hidden message in there somewhere, even though I had not read the book. It instantly created an atmosphere of wonderment, intrigue and mystery. This is what more shows need to incorporate to build this immediate contract with their audience.
The Melbourne Theatre Company has a welcoming foyer with both upstairs and downstairs bars opened. This is what the Arts Centre Melbourne need to do to ensure patronage particularly at The Playhouse upstairs which is rarely staffed. John Truscott would be proud of the holistic experience created at this Melbourne Theatre Company venue.
With the announcements they could have asked patrons to turn off their phones and no recording "as it may interfere with the hospital equipment." This would have garnered a laugh as well as get the "twanking" devices turned off. Sadly phones were still being turned off during Helen Dallimore's entrance where she picks up the book. They should have announced which child was playing the part of Joe for each performance too.
Helen Dallimore played Tessa the mother of Joe (played by Jack Andrew) with earnest determination and full of love. She was totally believable as Joe's mother. The final scene was so beautiful and touching. Jack Andrew won the audience's sympathy fighting his crippling cancer/illness. His solo singing was reminiscent of Lionel Bart's "Where Is Love" song from "Oliver".
I was so pleased that the sound levels had improved for Act Two and would love to see this show again to be able to properly hear Act One. Sadly this was the last performance for its short festival run.
Kit Williams has lots of riddles in the book obviously and we have not read his book. Sadly the riddles in Act One made no sense due to the volume of the music over-shadowing the singer, or the singer's diction was not clear enough. I think the riddles need to be repeated for those who have not read it to make some sense. In Act Two a riddle is repeated and was clearer than in Act One.
Sets and Costumes Designs by Anna Cordingley were terrific. The central set was a cube frame with extendible steps at the back. The curtains were hospital green in Act One and red in Act Two. I wonder if she realises the significance that green diffuses the colour of blood in the operating theatres and it is also a calming colour. The curtains can be pushed across as in a hospital. In Act Two the colour scheme for the curtains and the bed changes to red and is much more sinister and foreboding. Here the curtains are pulled down as if the world of Tessa has had the carpet swept from underneath her.
The green curtains in Act One also serve as screens to show shadow video images. This is a beautiful piece of stage design that creates atmosphere and movement, and also progresses the story.
Above the central cube area is a large circle that has two banks of lights, one representing the moon and the other the sun. At one stage these two light banks pass each other to create an eclipse. A lovely piece of theatre lighting and stage design.
The large cube frame is central and stands on a raised platform that houses a revolve. This is used effectively for changes of scenes and location. The five piece band is located on stage left.
Costumes also by Anna Cordingley were clever from a theatrical perspective and practical for the numerous quick changes. Penny Pockets played by Zindzi Okenyo wore the most elaborate costume being a full skirted dress with lots of pockets full of characteristic items. The curly long wig and the large glasses created a larger than life character. The special touch was incorporating the trick of the eye ball falling out of her head. On her next entrance the left frame of her glasses had a black patch resembling a pirate. A magnificent piece of complete costume design.
The Pig costume was effective as a simple step into costume with braces. Gloves to create pig's trotters would polish this costume. The Hare costume for Nathan O'Keefe was also a great piece of costume design, though some gloves for paws would finish this costume.
Costumes for Tessa, Joe and the nurses were all practical that defined each character.
Zindzi Okenyo is a versatile actress playing four different characters. Her nurse was clinical and not obtrusive. Playing the role Dawn had a positive quality, while Penny Pockets character could have been more defined physically as a baddie.
Kate Cheel as the Moon created a journey as we watched how the Hare did not pass on her message to The Sun played by Mikelangelo. The Moon costume reminded me of the "Man in the Moon" dress worn by Gaylea Byrne in "Mame" at Her Majesty's Theatre in 1968. Kate Cheel worked her Moon dress effectively to be uplifting and hopeful, and then in Act Two she worked her body and the dress despondently and sad. Her shift in physical moods demonstrated a clear connection to the Moon's journey for children. I wanted more of this physical clarity with some of the other characters.
The Fish costume worn and played by Zindzi Okenyo was fabulous as worked the costume to create a a character. The lighting for the fish's entry reminded of the Beatles song "Octopus's Garden" and "Under the Sea" from "The Little Mermaid". I thought this lighting effect could have also been ramped up more to create beneath the sea illusion. Maybe dropping the lights to increase the focus on the projections onto the cube could have achieved this.
The music composed by Mikelangelo was fun and memorable. I loved the different tunes for the various songs and interludes. My main beef was that sometimes the volume of the band drowned out the singer/s. The lyrics were hard to hear. I would love to buy the "Masquerade" music CD with the lyrics included to add to my Music Theatre collection.
The Barbershop Quartet minus Ali Aba was a good joke. Though they sang quite flat which took away from their quality playing of various instruments. In the tradition of "The Music Man" a Barbershop Quartet is slick - visually and vocally.
The violinist role of The Man Who Makes The World Go Round played by Pip Branson gave an honest performance. When the music suddenly stopped when a mortal died, came as a shock and I was taken aback and emotionally charged. It was a wonderful and sudden reality check. This was staged with sincerity and compassion without patronising the audience. It was good theatre to bring us back from the fantasy. Also having seen so much theatre it is lovely to be transported by such a simple theatrical device.
Pip Branson also played the Newton role reminding me of Professor Ratbaggy from the early 1960's television. It is such a compliment as Pip Branson transported me back to fondly remember Ernie Carroll playing Professor Ratbaggy using old fashioned pantomime skills.
The wind effect could be ramped up a bit for more effect with both sound, staging and lighting design. It is very much in keeping with, and pays homage to "The Wizard of Oz."
Mikelangelo played The Sun and The Practical Man. Mikelangelo is also the composer of this terrific score for adults and children. Singing wise he was a bit flat but I forgave him as he wrote such wonderful music. Playing the Practical Man visually could have used more gesturing or posturing be an obvious baddie. I enjoyed The Practical Man's downfall in Act Two. The classic three times joke was fun: when he was trying to sell a piece of string as a necklace, then trying to sell pegs as earrings and then a cockroach that was gobbled up by the Hare. (Mikelangelo reminded me of Bryan Batt from "Mad Men").
The second act had more heart, soul and humanity than the first act which was more clinical in its approach. I mean clinical in that there were so many elements to get across with the riddles and the characters and the loss of the amulet. With the two stories happening concurrently it also reminded me of "Matilda" and how they added the extra story into the musical. Here, "Masquerade would work better in Act One with more clarity of the riddles.
The characterisation of the baddies were not defined enough for identification as baddies. The closest was the Practical Man who obviously stole the amulet. The role of Penny Pockets, if intended to be a baddie needs to be physically and vocally nastier. This is old fashioned pantomime and we should want to boo and hiss the villain and cheer the hero.
The Bag of Dreams prop was absolutely so simple and created so much emotion as each balloon was released. This section was poignant and very moving for adults; and also tender and full of hope. It was one of my favourite moments in the show.
It was lovely to hear children talking to the characters in Act Two, as in the tradition of an old fashioned pantomime. I wanted more of this with heightened clarity.
The ending is very moving and realistic without being morbid. The music plays on. Congratulations to the directors Sam Strong and Lee Lewis.
This show, "Masquerade" will do very well internationally as the book is so well known.
This was our final show for the 2015 Melbourne Festival.
Another year passes and not one show started on time at the 2015 Melbourne Festival. This show began at about 6.39 pm.
An older lady in about C Row was asked by an usher to stop taking photos at the end. Maybe a proud Grandmother, even so it is not amateur theatre!
There has been a theme with about five shows testing the boundaries with fantasy and reality, and the contrast between rational and irrational thoughts.
Love conquers all is a lovely theme for this show, along with "never quit" or "never give in" as in the famous Winston Churchhill speech.
Overall my partner gave this production a 6/10 and I gave it a 7/10.
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