Girl from the North Country, Comedy Theatre, Wednesday May 25th 2022

We saw “Girl from the North Country” at the Comedy Theatre on Wednesday May 25th 2022 at the 7.30pm 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.

I write my reviews for my own memories as dementia is hereditary on both sides of my family.

I have not seen many shows this year as I was diagnosed very suddenly with advanced prostate cancer surgery on November 30th 2021 and was operated on successfully on January 4th 2022.  Thankfully I am now cleared of cancer.

POTENTIAL SPOILER ALERTS:  Please do not read until you have seen the show.

I missed theatre with COVID restrictions for two years (2020-2021) and I had tickets to so many shows during this period.  Sadly, the timing was awful, due to my surgery I missed the Australian productions of both “Fun Home” and “Jagged Little Pill”, so I was looking forward to seeing something uplifting.  I hesitated wanting to see “Girl from the North Country” due to what I thought were going to be depressing themes, especially the confronting dementia of the Elizabeth Laine character played by Lisa McCune.

I can tell you the Australian production of “Girl from the North Country” is sheer brilliance and lifted my soul to the heavens with gratitude.  It was like the snake salesman with a elixir that actually worked!

Conor McPherson wrote the book, and directed this production with compassion and a depth of understanding of the human condition.  He has used  Bob Dylan’s lyrics and music to not only carry a story but to emotionally transport us in time to fully empathise with the plight of all the characters.
 
This review is different to my other reviews and is my response to the event, without a critical analysis of the story or characters.

You can read the synopsis elsewhere with links to other articles.

I wrote the following on Facebook:
“Bob Dylan fans - go and see “Girl from the North Country” .  You will appreciate the lyrics more than me.  Wow - what performances!
I was shocked my partner gave it 8.5/10.  It is very emotional and what an ending!  My full review for my blog will appear in the next few days.  2022-06-26”

I gave the show a 7/10 as I wish I knew the lyrics better, and I can appreciate why my partner gave it an 8.5/10.  If I knew these lyrics it would have added to the context and the emotional journey/arc for each character and sub plot.

The music and lyrics by Bob Dylan are gut wrenching at times and at other times are full of hope.  The songs are used to assist in telling the stories of many of the characters and most importantly from an emotional connection to the audience.

The following is a recommendation:

The following is a recommendation from the New York Theatre Guide and they succinctly describe why to see the show.

https://www.newyorktheatreguide.com/news-features/a-new-york-theatre-guide-to-girl-from-the-north-country

“Who would we recommend Girl From the North Country to?

Bob Dylan fans that have yet to experience these beautiful new takes on their idol’s greatest hits will surely not be disappointed, along with anyone who likes classic folk music. But for theatregoers who are unfamiliar with the icon’s back catalogue, we’d recommend Girl from the North Country to anyone who has enjoyed Broadway classics the likes of The Iceman Cometh and Long Day’s Journey into Night by Eugene O’Neill, Death of a Salesman and A View from the Bridge by Arthur Miller, or A Streetcar Named Desire and The Glass Menagerie by Tennessee Williams. If you enjoy a drama, you'll love Girl From the North Country.”

I added the following to the above list:  “Carnivale” the television series; and John Steinbeck’s “Of Men and Men” and “The Grapes of Wrath” - either the book, film and/or play versions.

The images and emotions are gut wrenching at times.  The pace is usually slow, ponderous, and considered that is suddenly punctuated by high drama.  The ebb and flows of the lives of the residents are visually represented in the water projection used occasionally.

MICROPHONE STANDS:

When singing at the microphone stands the performers seem to be angels from heaven.  In fact, these microphone stands were the “trumpets from heaven”.   This will make sense when you see it - especially take note of the narrator’s final tale.  It made me think of the neuro-linguist programming device of placement and especially with the microphone stands as props  Yes, it may be a big stretch in my assessment and I could easily see the show again to verify or question my judgement.  Wow - judgement, or final judgement is such an appropriate word for the emotional response I had with these heavenly angelic moments.

These angel like moments were similar to a Greek Chorus.  The ensemble were individual characters who also become scenery, atmospheres and silhouettes.  One of the most obvious was the queue from stage left to right as if on the “susso” queue (sustenance/unemployment/dole”).

When the ensemble gathered in a circle, around a microphone stand upstage-right, they looked down curving their upper backs and created an image of a dome.  My immediate thought was that it reminded me of the Sistine Chapel with the angels over-seeing the earthlings.  What a short but powerful image: of protectors.  I do not know if it was intentional - but WOW - it stirred my soul and warmed my heart.

These gatherings around the microphones also reminded me of the angels of the airwaves - giving hope to their listeners during the depression.  The more I reflect on the show the more I think these microphones were the angels’ trumpets.

The other significance of the use of the microphone stand was the intentional raspy/husky voice by the narrator/Dr Walker (Terence Crawford).  He only used this voice when narrating while using his natural voice during scenes as the doctor.

The show brought up memories of my mother, born in 1926, who lived throughout The Great Depression in Daylesford.  Her mother, my grandmother died in childbirth, both not surviving in November 1933 - the same era as this show.  I was reminded of the many images of my mother's stories and how she must have felt as a child during these times.  These emotions were captured, with rawness and honoured those who suffered, and those who rallied together for support during 1934 by this BRILLIANT cast.  Thank you for honouring Bob Dylan’s lyrics and music, and honouring the battlers from The Great Depression.

MOVEMENT:

Lucy Hind, the Movement Director, has designed and choreographed the movement and dance sequences.  It is not your splashy or usual Broadway dance musical.  The closest recent equivalent would be “Come From Away” with movement sequences and staging.  

The movements rely on folk and country dance styles with an added dimension of a sophisticated vocabulary of gestured choreography.  Gestural dance reminded me of choreography by Pina Bausch, Twyla Tharp and Ted Shawn.  Ted Shawn was a pioneer in this area of dance.

The movement is gesture based, which is appropriate and pays homage to Ted Shawn who had been a dance pioneer in the 1933 to 1940 period with his wife Ruth St Dennis.  He had a male dance troupe in the 1930’s.  Ted Shawn’s book “Every Little Movement” is based on the work of Francois Delsarte and gestures.

Mrs Nielsen played brilliantly by Christina O’Neill had a hiccough with the use of the walking stick in one of the final scenes: she relied on the walking stick, then she wasn’t, then she was.  I am forgiving her as some people, for example Multiple Sclerosis sufferers have good and bad days with their mobility.  I am thinking and hoping Mrs Neilson was having a good mobility day!

Elias wearing a white suit sings “Duquesne Whistle” as if a spiritual homecoming.  This showstopper was full of so much sadness counterpointed with so much joy.  The gestural “dance” had so much depth of meaning with movements referencing respect, ceremony, religions, memories, remembrance, love, compassion and “touch” (both physical and metaphysical).  Wow - I wish I could see it again just to take notes of every gesture from this showstopper, as not one movement was wasted as they had significance that really stirred my inner being.

https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/bob-dylan-musical-duquesne-whistle-performance-1176624/

SOUND:

Sound Design by Simon Baker was natural and I did not feel bombarded by any sound levels.  He captured the “fly-on-wall” voyeurism requisite as we watched and had to carefully listen to the dialogue.  I was so grateful for not having any sound issues with screeching microphones or other annoying sounds.

SCENIC AND COSTUME DESIGN:

Scenic and Costume Designs by Rae Smith were appropriate.  I like the physical set pieces of tables, chairs etc being carried on and off by the cast as it highlighted the era whereby everyone chipped in to help their family, friends and neighbours with chores, crops, food, and sharing resources.

The use of the projections and the black curtain allowed for silhouettes to be created by the ensemble.  At times the ensemble, a Greek Chorus would become part of the set as if trees or bodies in the background.

The see-through large screens also highlighted our sense of voyeurism - peering into the privacy of this motley crew of residents.

Historically, I found some of the shoes and stockings were too new.  Yes, these people had pride but the shoes in particular needed to have been more weather-beaten and used.  Some people could not afford shoes, wore hand-me-downs, or no shoes at all.

The same with some of the women’s costumes.  Plus any stockings would have been a luxury.  Many women used to use different approaches to tan their legs.  In WW11 they used to draw a line up the back of their legs as if wearing stockings.

LIGHTING:

Lighting Design by Mark Henderson had the same appropriate quality as per the sound design.  Here, the lighting design captured that consistent “fly-on-wall” voyeurism requisite as we watched and had to carefully listen to the dialogue.  The lighting gently steered us where to focus rather than creating sharp, jarring lighting changes.  Any sudden changes of lighting had a different purpose that reflected the appropriate mood shift.

The final slow fade-out allowed us, the audience, to relish in our gratitude that we do not live in their circumstances.  It gave us time to remember this moment.  This final fade made my heart swell as tears filled my eyes for these characters.  The final minute paid homage to and reminded me of Brian Friel’s play “Dancing At Lughnasa” where the Northern Ireland characters swayed gently.  I had the same inner glow with the finale of “Girl from the North Country”.

Andrew Ross led the five piece band who central to the show as they are characters witnessing the events and provide both the soundscape and the background music. Some of the actors also play the drums, or piano (if ever so briefly) within the show.  In particular Helen Dallimore and Greg Stone play the drums.  Again “that” microphone came out at the drum kit which again, on reflection highlights the angels and voyeuristic nature of the show.

Again the director used the image of the angel with a trumpet (or microphone) representing Judgement Day or Resurrection.  Oh how appropriate with at least one scene that I will not spoil.

Below are links to angels with trumpet images:

https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/652575

https://www.cityofgroveok.gov/building/page/angel-blowing-trumpet

The following link is of a statue on a national tour and reminded me of the movement sequence of the “susso” of soup kitchen lines.

https://thecentralminnesotacatholic.org/angels-unawares-sculpture-comes-to-minneapolis-in-august/

CAST:

The cast is a true ensemble with each actor having significance to the story either as a named character with a journey, or as an a support to a story line, or as an atmospheric foundation to support the other performers.  This is one of the finest pieces of Michael Chekhov “atmosphere” works I have seen.  Every ensemble member and the band worked together to create the various atmospheres for each scene.

The singing was heartfelt and deep in emotional connection to the material.  The harmonies were gentle that resonated the simplicity of 1934.  The crackly wireless sounds added to the image of the microphone stands -  as if we were guests in a radio station watching the performers sing live for their radio audience.

I cannot fault any of the singing because any crack (and they were rare) in a voice emphasised the emotion behind each and every song.  The singing was not forced and with a sincerity that I have rarely seen in my 57 years of going to the theatre (since 1965).

There are too many stand out performances to list.  By doing so would spoil some of the action.

I have been lucky to have seen Lisa McCune in at least six musicals and other television shows.  This is easily her finest work as Elizabeth Laine.  Do not get in the way of her character as she is on a mission.  Lisa McCune pays respect and homage to every dementia patient and their families with her realistic performance. Then she slips comfortably and unobtrusively into becoming an ensemble member.

I have also been lucky to see many plays with Greg Stone, Peter Carroll, Helen Dallimore and Peter Kowitz.  Again, what a joy to see such talent all together.  By not mentioning every actor does not in any way diminish their contribution.  Without each and every member of the cast, band, and backstage and front-of-house crews this show would not work.  It is one of the most significant ensemble pieces since “Come From Away" and is up there with the ensemble works that I have seen by the master Peter Brook.

See:  https://www.britannica.com/biography/Peter-Brook

What an ensemble of fine talent and an experience to remember!

SCRIPT/BOOK:

I cringed at the use of the words “gay” and “fuck”.  Yes, historically “gay” changed meaning over time, but it felt wrong in the context.  It was said with the right scornful intent but another disparaging word from 1934 would have had more impact.    For example, faggot, nance, Nancy, nancy-boy or others. Plus, from what I have heard many older people talk about with expletives - the use of  “fuck” would have had your mouth not only washed out with soap but used the washboard to de-scale your tongue!  I understand about updating the language for modern audiences but again each time this expletive was used jarred.

Also refer to the “The Big Book of Filth” by Johnathon Green pages 242.

https://grammar.yourdictionary.com/slang/1930s-slang.html

http://www.unhingedhistorian.com/2013/01/top-ten-awesome-victorian-swear-words.html

The following article states that ‘gay” was used in the USA from 1955. “The Big Book of Filth” says the 1950s.

http://www.todayifoundout.com/index.php/2010/02/how-gay-came-to-mean-homosexual/

Refer washing out your mouth with soap:

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Washing_out_the_mouth_with_soap

The programme at $25 was a bit expensive for 28 pages that includes some good background information and cast/creative biographies.  Thankfully, there were only two full paged advertisements.  I would have liked to have the list of understudies or swings.  I enjoyed guessing which actor was the cover/understudy or swing for the lead characters as the list was missing from the programme.

I repeat I wish I could see the show again.

Conor McPherson has written a wonderful story and directed a masterful production and deserves all of its Tony Award nominations.

I gave the show a 7/10 as I wish I knew the lyrics better, and I can appreciate why my partner gave it an 8.5/10.  If I knew these lyrics it would have added to the context and the emotional journey/arc for each character and sub plot - the show may have received a 9/10 or higher.

My score is irrelevant for it is truly a wonderful show.

The Australian website for tickets and information is below:

https://www.northcountry.com.au

Barnum, Comedy Theatre, Thursday May 30th 2019

Barnum, Comedy Theatre, Thursday May 30th 2019

"Barnum" was presented at the Comedy Theatre on Thursday May 30th 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.

"Barnum" starring Todd McKenney was presented at the Comedy Theatre on Thursday May 30th 2019.  

Todd McKenney was the major draw card and for most of the show was better than Reg Livermore in the 1982 original Australian production.  Though, Reg performed more sophisticated tricks on the tightrope than just walking, or attempting to cross the high wire once.

Todd's portrayal of P.T. Barnum was commanding and at times he broke the fourth wall with comments and asides to keep the show from being so dated.

Direction by Tyran Parke created a production with 14 instead of about 28 performers.  At times this worked to its benefit as the staging was more contained in a circus themed central ring with the grand stands ever present on the sides.

Overall, I preferred this production but with some reservations.

Namely, three performers were not of the calibre of the originals playing Tom Thumb, Jenny Lind and the oldest woman in the world.  Who will ever forget Wayne Scott Kermond, Mona Richardson and Deborah Winterburn playing these roles more effectively?

Set and Costume Designs by Dann Barber were terrific as they captured the tone of the show and era.  This was one of the best set designs that I have seen that was fully utilised.

Mostly the choreography by Kelly Aykers worked.  Though, I felt the opening number was not as dynamic as the original.  I preferred the finale here with less performers and more focused staging.  Kelly Aykers has utilised the skills of the circus performers to their maximum and thus created a wonderful circus atmosphere.

The opening prologue scene with the voice overs and hub-bub of noise and announcements was one of the best for creating atmosphere to a production.

The opening number then was a little bit of a letdown as it did not live up to the original 1982 production.

"There's A Sucker Born Every Minute" showcased Todd was better than Reg Livermore vocally, and acting and movement.

"Thank God, I'm Old" was well staged but not as slick as Mona Richardson.  The performances did not have the historical nuances that Mona delivered.

"One Brick At A Time" used a simpler set and had more effective staging with the use of the four roll-in-staircases.  The smaller stage looked fuller with less cast, than the emptiness of Her Majesty's Theatre with a grander set.

The "Museum Song" was fun and well staged, with terrific use of the building blocks to create the museum.

"I Like Your Style" was a lovely duet for Charity played by Rachel Beck and Barnum, Todd McKenney.  Rachel Beck was as good as Gaye MacFarlene in the original.  In fact, Rachel Beck and Todd McKenney created a more honest rapport and relationship than the original, with their chemistry and ability to listen to each other.

"Bigger Isn't Better" was too long and the performer struggled with some of the choreography and did not have the command of Wayne Scott Kermond as the original Australian Tom Thumb.  This 2019 Tom Thumb sequence went way too long and showed its age.  It could have been cut or added more staging to enhance the number.  The use of the wagon turned on its side to create Jumbo the elephant was clever and reminiscent of the era's "humbug".

Jenny Lind played by Suzie Mathers was adequate in the role in her rendition of "Love Makes Such Fools of All of Us".  At times this number was a little cringe worthy and showed the tiredness and age of the show.

Act One Finale had Todd attempting the tight rope walk four to five times.  He did not perform the more difficult tricks that Reg Livermore had performed.  For proof, see the inside jacket of the Original Australian Cast album of "Barnum".

Act Two opened with a warm-up act by two clowns and was superb in capturing both era and the essence of comedy to gain an audience's attention.  I loved this prologue as it was staged as pure circus.  The young group of people (teenagers) sitting behind us were mesmerised and laughed in pure engagement of the antics.

This group of young people were so well behaved and congratulations to them all for the respect of others and ensuring mobile phones were turned off.  They were a credit to their school or club or association - whatever that is.

"Come Follow The Band" opened Act Two proper.  The chorus sing was the most melodic for the whole cast.

The staging of "Black and White" was sensational on the fold down stage that reminded me of "Carnivale" and the side shows.  This was one of the better numbers, though I longed for Mona Richardson in the role.

"The Colors of My Life" (Reprise) was beautifully and poignantly staged.  It was lovely to hear the youth behind me emotionally connected to Charity's death scene.  This scene also doubly emphasised the relationship between Todd McKenney and Rachel Beck had more electricity than the original cast in 1982.

Todd's rendition of "The Prince of Humbug" was introspective and honest.  He was not as flashy as Reg and captured my attention.

I loved the "Join The Circus" with superior staging with only 14 people!  They held my attention and I could not take my eyes of them all.  Whereas, in 1982, so much was happening I did not know where to look and it was over-produced.  It was a different era.

The finale had a timing mishap when Rachel Beck tried to dress Todd in his finale jacket.  He made an aside "We were so close to the ending" he cried disappointed that he had let us down.  Maybe it was staged?  But from production photos, I think not.  He threw the jacket off to the stage left wings.  He held and demanded our attention, to the cheers from the audience.  What a showman!

The show is a bit dated but Tyran Parke, the cast and the production crew are all to be congratulated on a good production.

Overall,  "Barnum" obtained a respectable 7.5/10.

Madiba The Musical, Comedy Theatre, Tuesday October 9th 2018

Madiba The Musical, Comedy Theatre, Tuesday October 9th 2018

"Madiba The Musical" was presented at the Comedy Theatre by producers - The Prestige Presents, You Prod and Broadway Mad on Tuesday October 9th 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.

Arriving at the Comedy Theatre at 6.20 pm for the 7.00 pm show I did not expect to be able to buy a programme.  They were not available in the foyer at 6.28 pm and the concession stand was behind the closed doors as is often the case on Broadway.  I like to be able to read the programme prior to seeing a show.  Not having a programme available reduces the likelihood of patrons buying a copy.  I was told by the two ushers "that they will be available in a minute".  I went back a few minutes later, and still the programmes were not available.

I asked to give them the money to buy one for me on the other side of the glass door.  Again - declined.  At this time - I am not amused.

Finally the doors opened at 6.40 pm and I could buy one - but I had to have my ticket scanned.  The inside of the theatre is too dark to read, and I wanted to read the programme in the light.

The programme is good value with the detailed notes though some standard credits such as lighting, set and costume design are missing on page three.  The fuller credits are located at the back of the programme.  There are two pages of advertisements compared to some programmes that are full of advertisements.  The use of the South African flag's colours was appealing and relevant for the show.  Spell checking was needed for the occasional error before publication.

I must say the magnets are better value at $5.00 Australian compared to $10 USD on Broadway for other shows.

The show began at about 7.03 pm, but it was a false start as the producer Neil Croker made an announcement about the perils of live theatre as one actress had lost her voice, and this was to be the 7th performance!  He explained that Ruva Ngwenya would sing this role from the wings but the actress would be on stage doing the moves.  This heightened the audience's anticipation for the show.  Plus, this makes it an even more special event to be be able to "say we were there the night when... happened."

I can deal with that - as I have seen some great performances by understudies, or people with a script in hand, injured and many other examples.  So my radar and expectations were buzzing with anticipation - as I know how the cast must be feeling a range of emotions - excited, nervous, or scared.

The good news is the replacement voice had no major impact on the show.  In fact, Ruva Ngwenya did a marvellous job filling in, and also performing her own role of Winnie Mandela.

Sadly there was no pre-show announcement about the use of phones and recording etc.

"Madiba The Musical" has been co-adapted into English by Dylan Hadida and Dennis Watkins from the original French production by Jean-Pierre Hadida and Alicia Sebrien.

Directed by Pierre-Yves Duschesne and Dennis Watkins they deliver a show that has more focus on the effects and impact of Nelson Mandela, rather than on getting inside the man himself.

The opening number was lively and set the scene, though towards the end of this routine there were a few of the cast bumped into each other.  I can forgive this as the cast were on high alert to deliver a good show under the circumstances.

The Sound Design by I assume is The Head of Sound, Evan Drill needs to ensure the clunk-i-ness of turning microphones on and off is fixed urgently.  The actual sound quality is awful at the best of times, for example a performer would enter and begin speaking and then their microphone was turned either on. or, up in volume.

Singing by the cast was tuneful and melodic, but it should be been inspiring.   The size of the three piece band needs to be expanded to give a richer and more dynamic sound to the musical score. The score needs re-orchestrating with a larger band to bring out more African flavours.

The Lighting Design was very ordinary with a lack of focus on characters or location.  There were so many missed opportunities to create a unified production with all departments.  The ending with the South African coloured spots could have resonated more to create a final South African flag.

The first act is a mish-mash of chronological events that you blink and you nearly miss them.  At the 53 minute mark I felt the first inkling of compassion and emotion and it was with the secondary story line of Helena Van Leden played by Madeline Perrone and William Xulu played by Barry Conrad.

Act Two delivers the next slice of an emotional roller coaster during Scene 4 where Helena Van Leden played by Madeline Perrone and William Xulu played by Barry Conrad are in a park in Johannesburg with a park bench clearly marked "Whites only".  

Helena's reunion with her father in Scene 8 is the highlight of the show.  This is clearly where the impact of Nelson Mandela bears fruit.    The trio "It's Time Now To Forgive" was the most stirring song in the show.  For this the price of my ticket was worth it.

Helena's father, Peter Van Leden was played with sincerity and conviction by Blake Erickson. His South African accent did not waver, nor did his resolve in his character's work.  Blake Erickson showed us an emotional and reflective struggle for his character's journey.  Playing the father Peter and his relationship with both Helena and William made seeing the show worthwhile.

I understand the historical significance of Nelson Mandela and admire him for his humanity and leadership.  Oddly enough and surprisingly, I felt more compassion for the secondary story line of Helena, William and Peter.

I think the book needs reworking to heighten the focus on Nelson Mandela and to increase the drama for this young couple with more potential consequences that were brushed over in act one.

The staging at times is very clunky.  The visuals projecting the years onto the cyclorama are flashed too quickly - blink and you will miss them.  The minimum five second rule for visual needs serious consideration to frame the time/year or location.

Segues between scenes needed more direction and coordination of lighting, sound and choreography to create a unified and cohesive production.  Many times our focus was drawn to the the entrance and exit of the sets rather than the story or the characters.

During Act Two, Scene Seven where Nelson Mandela is released from prison, there is a lack of theatrical co-ordination in the emotional thread of the story.  We, as the audience, wanted to relish in this emotional and historic moment, were denied this historical moment with the clunky staging of the sliding of two prison gates joining together and the cast walking on from the wings with Nelson Mandela.  Whew - this was awful.  Then it became corny with the dancers breaking through the gates to dance in gumboots.

Maybe Nelson Mandela could have made a slow walk of freedom in a tunnel of side lights would have made more of an emotional impact.  Then bring the two jail gate trucks together to see him to walk through.  Or bring the trucks together and have him walk to them slowly with the waiting crowd downstage to greet him.  But NOT - just all walk on together - as it looked like another high school production moment. More thought was needed to make the audience feel some emotional connection.

Refer to Lindsay Kemp and his famous "Flowers" walk, or the entrance by Helen Buday as Eliza in the 1988 production of "My Fair Lady".  However the choose to stage Nelson Mandela's release from prison - please re-stage this scene!

Costumes by Sabrina Gomis Vallee were not fitted for some performers.  The worst example was when Riley Sutton wore a jacket that was too long and baggy and swam on his body.  I appreciate the coat covered up his previous costume but this just looked ridiculous as if in a high school production.

Choreography by Johan Nus varied in tone for different scenes.  There did not seem to be a cohesive framework to suit the show.  Some performers were not able to accurately replicate the steps.  I understand the various abilities and skills, but when there is an ensemble number for all performers - they must be drilled accordingly to be able to execute the choreography.  The slapping gumboot dance reminded me of a mix between German Schuhplattler dance and the big production number from "Mary Poppins" the musical.

The choreography during two solos distracted from the lyrics of the songs.  Maybe the dancers could have been further upstage or in silhouette to frame, but not draw focus away from the songs.

There were some good solid performances but not outstanding enough to enrich the soul.  Of note was Tim "Timomatic' Omaji as Sam Onotou for his enthusiastic performance, while the reserved and understated performance of Perci Moeketsi not only played, but channelled the role of Nelson Mandela.  The Narrator played by David Denis gave a solid performance as if he were a fly-on-the-wall recounting events.

Overall the show was amateurish at times and requires work.

"Madiba The Musical" obtained a generous 6.5/10 from me and a 6/10 from my partner.

American Idiot, Comedy Theatre, Thursday March 1st 2018

American Idiot, Comedy Theatre, Thursday March 1st 2018

"American Idiot" presented by shake & stir theatre co and Queensland Performing Arts Centre at the  Comedy Theatre, Thursday March 1st 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.

"American Idiot" presented by shake & stir theatre co and Queensland Performing Arts Centre at the  Comedy Theatre, Thursday March 1st 2018.

Direction by Craig Ilott scraped the bare essentials from the show.  The emotional journey of each character was lost on the audience as the main performers were not secure in their characterisations. The relationships between characters were nearly nonexistent. The staging was well done and sadly the performances did not elicit the emotion from the material.  The audience barely applauded during the show.  I remember crying my eyes out on two occasions as the Broadway performers brought out so much angst and truth from the material.  Sadly this depth was lacking in this production.

Interestingly I think the show worked better during the Obama years to counter point the messages, rather than the in your face Trump years.  The show has blandness and seems like the "Me Too" equivalent for satirising Trump. It lacks any protest.

The choreography by Lucas Newland captures the essence of the show, but sadly the execution of the choreography was very questionable - with some performers walking the moves.  We were in the front row and did not miss a trick.  For example: when the new recruits lined up in their white underwear for inspection; the military officer lacked authority in his gait.  Then the performers marched off in various modes of carelessness.  The costume change for Tunny could also have been choreographed better to allow for his jacket to be prepared rather than him swinging the coat around.  Feed him the jacket so that he can slide his arms into it!

I look forward to seeing more of Lucas Newland's choreography in the future.

Only one performer was consistently hitting the moves - she was wearing a black short skirt with stripped socks in the opening sequence.  I think this was Erin Clare who displayed consistent angst and depth of any characterisation.  

The other performer who shone was Connor Crawford as Tunny who showed us a glimpse of what this show is about.

Vocally the show was very average with only the finale capturing the rich vocals and harmonies that were so missing throughout.

Lighting Design by Matthew Marshall was slick, clean and sharp as it created defined spaces,

Video Design by Craig Wilkinson was effective to create moods and atmospheres.

Set Design by Josh McIntosh was a variation of the Broadway set and was very effective with the video screens housed into the set.  The trolleys were too clean for their purpose.

The band was easily the best part of the show.  So congratulations to the Music Director Glenn Moorhouse and the Sound Designer Julian Spink.

The performers seemed to be on edge or cautious.  They seemed to be holding back.  Whether this has anything to with after effects of the recent sacking is anyone's guess.  But I witnessed a very lacklustre show with barely any applause.

My partner described the performances as shocking!

"American Idiot" obtained a 6.5/10.