Glengarry Glen Ross

It was certainly "different" to see one of the actors on stage in an MTC performance with the script in his hand.    This occurred at MTC's Glengarry Glen Ross when we saw it on the Saturday after it had opened on the Thursday - and last minute substitute John McTernan was still easing into the part of Shelly.   At least the show went on, and in all the circumstances, he gave a pretty creditable performance.    It must take a lot of courage to take a part in a play just before it opens and to get up to speed with a cast who have been rehearsing together since the outset.

The play itself, by David Mamet, won the Pulitzer Prize in 1984 and is about the cut-throat, fast-talking, obscenity-ridden and deceptive world of Chicago real estate salesmen.

As with The Speechmaker, MTC had again dispensed with an interval, so it was all over in  90 minutes.  I'm beginning to wonder if intervals are so "yesterday"?

There's the "old school" sales guy in the "new era", and it's all unrelenting.  There are some insights, too, such as, " You don't sell one car to a guy, you sell him 5 cars over fifteen years".    Some salesmen get it, some don't, but it's tough and competitive, with no room for even a moment's humour.   MTC have done it as well as can be expected in the circumstances, and it can only improve as John McTernan gets more performances under his belt.

Update:   I see that it has now been reviewed.

The Speechmaker

We had to change our booking for MTC's The Speechmaker, but on attempting to do so, we were told it was fully booked.   There was only one future performance at which two seats were available, and they weren't together.  We took the seats and had no regrets because we quite enjoyed it, but we were able to see for ourselves why there has been a lack of critical acclaim.

It's a satire with some good one-liners, although perhaps overly-reliant on Australian clichés about the US, and the outcome has a sense of inevitability about it.   Not far beneath the surface is a serious theme about the power exercised by the United States security agencies.

It's been created by the Melbourne-based Working Dog team, and presumably it is this connection that resulted in the production being sold out before opening night.

Many of the reviews haven't been complimentary, such as the Herald Sun, which was critical of the lack of depth and rather frantic movements at times (such as, does the revolving stage really have to be used so much?).  Other reviews are here. and here.

Perhaps the best description came from a friend who has also seen the play, who suggested that there was sufficient content for an enjoyable 30 minute TV satire, rather than the 90 minutes (no interval) that are it actually takes.

Neighbourhood Watch

The set is stark (as one reviewer put it, there's not much to distract the eye) and the flashbacks are disconcerting at times.   MTC's Neighbourhood Watch is basically about two very different women dealing with aspects of their respective pasts and involves a mixture of humour and confrontation. Apparently, the play was written with Robyn Nevin in mind and she certainly carries it well.  In fact, the entire cast was good (a few quick changes, too), save that Bella, the dog, didn't put in an appearance even though she's pictured in the publicity (we only heard her).

I guess the issue for me is that "confronting demons" just isn't my scene.  So, it's issue of "it's me, not the performance", with the result that I was left a little cool by the play.

Edit - In thinking a little more about the play's lack of appeal, I guess the issue is that most of the play is taken up in identifying just what the "demons" are.   They gradually emerge, bit by bit.  Once the issues have been identified, there's not much more that can occur, and the outcomes were, perhaps, inevitable. 

Private Lives

Noel Coward's Private Lives is a witty comedy, enjoyable because of the sharp dialogue and farcical story-line.  Of course, it's all very light-hearted and 1930s-ish, but there's nothing wrong with that.

MTC's production has great sets making full use of the revolving stage.  It includes a little music and singing.  The different personalities of each the characters shine through - as do the traits that (it turns out) they share!

A good night out.

The Mountaintop

MTC's The Mountaintop is a bit surreal at times although the acting by the two person cast is great. It's a vision of Martin Luther King’s last night before his assassination, set in a motel room.   Camae - the bold young woman who brings his room service - forces him to confront his own fears and desires. The play assumes a basic knowledge of Martin Luther King, which I guess all Americans would have and as presumably anyone who is likely to attend an Australian production would also have.  Nevertheless, in spite of his fame, I understand that King was a private person behind his well-known rhetoric so of necessity the play is completely imaginary. 

Here's one review of it.  The performance we attended was followed by an open forum with the director and the actors.  One aspect of the discussion that struck a chord with me was a question about the "Americanism" of the play.   This is reflected in Woodhead's review, who refers to that fact that "it's a shade strong on US triumphalism and self-absorption".   The response to this was along the lines that it's an American play, and so that's the way it's been presented.  Fair enough;  on reflection, I don't think there would have been any alternative.

Just for the record, the gunshot that most of the audience were expecting doesn't occur!  However, the play does seek to exhort the audience to "carry the baton" in relation to a whole range of issues, in keeping with King's own work which extended over and beyond his civil rights campaigns.  I think I even recall a reference to "boat people".   Although the exhortation was impressive, the response from the audience was, well, muted.   In the discussion, LaBonté said something to the effect that on different nights, audiences had reacted differently.  There may have been pockets of enthusiastic response on the night we were there, but on the whole the response was fairly subdued.   Notwithstanding that a more enthusiastic result may have been "politically correct", I think it's unlikely that an Australian audience in a theatre would ever rise in their seats in the way that an American civil rights rally might have done!

A Murder is Announced

Agatha Christie's play, A Murder is Announced, now on at the Comedy Theatre, has a few twists and turns, but we enjoyed this light-hearted and competently produced play.   Of course it's "entertainment" rather than "great theatre", and its appeal probably lies at the......errr.... "more senior" end of the demographic range (no "coarse" language, hem lines all below the knees!).   It builds on the success of The Mousetrap, but has a bigger tangle of  personal backgrounds, shifting identities, and possible motives for murder.   And that's after leaving out a number of the twists (and one of the murders) that Agathe Christie had in the original book!
 
The venue, too, is pleasant.  It's been many years since I've been to the Comedy, but even though not much seems to have changed over the years, it still has a nice feel to it.  And there are lots of bars, too!

Carousel

I had never seen Carousel, so was unaware of the story line, hence when we saw it at Babirra, it was all new to me.  I'm still coming to grips with the story which "deals with domestic violence, death, regret, life-altering decisions and hope for the future",   but of course the songs are good and some of them are excellent.    And, as someone said, you don't go to a musical in order to think about the deep and meaningful.  You go to enjoy the show, and in this respect,  as in the past, the Babirra production was just terrific.

The cast of 34, plus orchestra, was great.  The singing was strong (especially, I thought, Allie Sutherland as Julie Jordan), the choreography seemed to be spot on and costumes were wonderful.  

Rupert

We had seen the 7.30 segment dealing with David Williamson's play Rupert, so when we saw the play at MTC, we had a general idea of what to expect.  In the interview with Leigh Sales, Williamson made no secret of his dislike of Rupert Murdoch, so I guess it wasn't surprising that the ABC saw fit to give the play a plug!

Obviously to compress events covering a (very busy) lifetime into a little over two hours requires that the play move at a fast pace, and doubtless there has been much simplification.   The actors (with the exception of the "old" and "young" Murdochs) change roles repeatedly, often before your eyes.  Yes, Murdoch comes across as quite driven, but in a way, Dean O'Shea's performance portrays him, if not as likeable, then as somewhat captivating.  In fact, Sir Frank Packer and his sons (Clyde and Kerry), and Bob Hawke (although just a cameo appearance) fare worse at Williamson's hands than Murdoch.  In one review the point was made that Williamson leaves it to the audience to make up their own mind about Murdoch, but in the Age,  Rebecca Harkins-Cross  accuses Williamson of pulling his punches!    No doubt there's no love lost at Fairfax for Murdoch, but this seems an odd sort of comment.  Does the reviewer really have more information or is she suggesting that Williamson ought to have dug deeper (or made something up)?  

From 7.30

As I've said, it's fast-moving, so a pre-requisite to appreciating it is to have at least a basic knowledge of Murdoch's life.   But it's good to see Williamson breaking out from his familiar style, and the full house at the performance we attended appeared to like what they saw.

The Cherry Orchard at MTC

The theme of Chekhov's The Cherry Orchard translates very well from the 1880s to the 21st Century, namely, the encroachment of suburbia onto traditional farming land.  At MTC,  Simon Stone has taken the script and has done a great job of updating it. The flyer says it's a "boldly original interpretation", but I think Chekhov would have approved and at least one reviewer has. Comparing the play with Chekhov's text, my impression is that Stone has retained the vast majority of it, including Chekhov's meanderings (very Russian?) - or are these "complexities"?    True, the references to trains have been updated to planes, and it's a pity that Stone couldn't find room to retain the references to serfs (the developer, instead of being a serf's son, is the grocer's son), but at least he has retained the decadent Russina aristocracy.

Pamela Rabe plays the lead role, and  is certainly "full on", but it's a role which it would be impossible to over-act.

The set for much of the time is a stark three sided white box - very modern - and there's not a cherry blossom to be seen for the whole performance.  It wasn't really to my taste, but it didn't detract from my enjoyment.  There was a full house on the night we went although inexplicably the couple next to us didn't return after the interval.   I think they really missed out.

Solomon and Marion

The themes in MTC's production of Solomon and Marion (which we saw recently) are reminiscent of the work of J M Coetzee - or is it just that racial relations and related aspects flow through South African literature?    But the fact that Marion's daughter was said to have moved to Australia (mirroring Coetzee's own move to Adelaide) and the specific reference to him as one point in the dialogue certainly brought him to the mind of the audience.

The blurb states that this is the story of two injured souls searching for redemption in fragile, post-apartheid South Africa, and it certainly is a powerful and moving script complemented by equally strong performances by the two actors.   The production in the Fairfax Studio - a nice venue - allows for an interesting, creative set.

The Great Gatsby

I always associate the The Great Gatsby movie which came out in 1974 with 20s style music.  However, the latest version of movie has definitely moved on!    In this production, the flamboyant 1920s party scenes, by way of the director's effort to demonstrate the excesses of the period, come close to creating an over-the-top visual and acoustic overload.  Likewise, the car scenes take on the thunderous intensity of a Grand Prix (including the crossings on the Queensboro Bridge).  Gatsby's repetitious use of the expression, "Old chap" is in the same vein (even if it is authentic, having regard to the book, which I haven't checked).  Even the "valley of ashes" is portrayed in a larger-than life way.  Incidentally, I see that the Flushing Meadows tennis complex (where US Open tennis is played) was later built in this area!

Cashing in on the style?   In a local shop window

Just the same, I found the latest movie fascinating and absorbing!

I read one review which stated, "Perhaps it's telling of the strength of the source material and cast that the human element shines through despite [director] Luhrmann's excesses."    I think this sums it up well.

Annie

We went to see Babirra's production of Annie.   At the time we booked, the series was nearly sold out and we managed to get tickets only when an extra performance was scheduled.  And, no wonder, this performance was right up there to the same high standard as the previous one we saw. Hello Dolly.
To add to the challenges, Annie includes in the cast Annie herself who appears to have been played by a young teenager (actually, it seems there are two Annies, who presumably share the 9 performances), 8 other orphans, at least one of whom appeared to be only 11 or 12 years old (no nights off for any of these, it appears), and Sandy the dog who won everyone's heart.

At times the rendition seemed to be a little "shrill", but apart from this, we were impressed with the singing, the choreography and the orchestra, and we certainly enjoyed the night. 

One Man, Two Guvnors

The full house at the Playhouse obviously enjoyed One Man, Two Guvnors .....but is it a play?   Perhaps "circus" or "pantomime" might be equally apt descriptions.   The blurb describes it as a "unique, laugh-out-loud mix of satire, songs, slapstick and sparkling one-liners".    Yeah, maybe.....

The British cast of 17 (11 main roles and an ensemble of 6) plus a band of 4 don't miss a beat in a well choreographed, fast moving production, the band was terrific and the humour didn't overdo the slapstick (my tolerance of  this is limited).   There is some audience interaction (although not as much as it seems at first, when one of the selected "members" of the audience turns out to have been planted).


Not exactly "comic perfection" (this quote is attributed to the Daily Telegraph), but certainly, all in all, an enjoyable night, watching something a little different from MTC's usual offerings.

True Minds

There was a full house, and the audience enjoyed the humour.  But we thought True Minds at MTC was a series of one-liners in search of a plot!

As usual, we hadn't searched out the reviews before we saw it (well, what's the point, the tickets were booked months ago), but in retrospect, this one is pretty much on the money.  Yes, it was all funny enough - there are lots of laughs as the play makes fun of just about everyone.  The leftie, the right winger, the grown-old hippie, the social climber, the substance abuser, you name it, they're all there.

But at the end of the day, we thought the News review hit it on the head:  the characters and the story are fairly two-dimensional, and the drama seems to get lost in the flurry of arguments that often turn into shouting matches or drunken rants.

Other Desert Cities

Ho-hum.  We saw Other Desert Cities at MTC.  Essentially, this play revolves around the clash between generations, in the context of the daughter's plan to write a "tell-all" book about an incident that changed the lives of each member of the family.  The play is pretty unsympathetic to the Palm Springs/Republican orientation of the parents, but the roles of the son as the producer of a reality TV show and of the daughter, a leftist author who has had a nervous break-down, come in for some examination as well.

The cast, including  Robyn Nevin, are all good, but the set left me a bit cold.  Most of the second half of the play is performed behind the glass doors of the parents' Palm Springs home, clearly designed to create the impression that the audience is on the outside  observing the action, and perhaps also that the family is trapped within.    However, the audience is left with a sense of being removed from the action, so this does restrict the audience's engagement.

Apparently the MTC production is the first time this play has appeared outside the US.   Most of the US reviews, and the one review that I could find of the MTC production, are pretty good, but we weren't swept off our feet.   Yes, there's some interesting character development and the climax (when we get to it) is dramatic and probably few would expect it, but I was left wondering if there's enough content here to justify a full-length play?    The theatre wasn't full the night we attended, and I notice that the listing of the play in the Sunday Age offers a 10% discount on tickets.   I wonder if there's a message there somewhere?

Underbelly

We headed off to Williamstown to catch up with D and D over a pleasant lunch - but when walking down the footpath we almost stumbled into a crew filming parts of a new Underbelly series.   We were politely diverted by a marshal before we interrupted anything!
Later, the crew had moved to a different location, and we again paused to watch.

Although we were on the other side of the street, once again we were politely asked to move (this time, not by a mere marshal but by a person who seemed to be quite significant in the scheme of things) on the basis that our reflections might be seen in the gleaming (but old) cars, and would we please stand in the shade!
 


 
 It certainly appears to take quite a team to put these productions together, and there is obviously a lot of attention to detail.

Both the scenes that we witnessed were quite short, but we can reveal that somewhere in the series there will be a scene where a man with a pistol confronts a couple on a footpath in front of some shops, and another where a man makes the acquaintance of his new neighbour from outside the front fence, but warns her that "she hasn't seen anything" after which he gets into his car!   

Elling

It wasn't quite what I expected, as the promotional material had used the expression, "laugh-wrenching hit comedy".   Well, no.  True, there were some funny bits (one segment seemed to be more designed to inject some humour than to contribute to the story), but a better description of MTC's production of Elling might be "quirky".  It's all about two mentally ill Norwegians who are provided with a flat to live in, so that they can adapt to living "normal" lives.

The play explores, in a fairly light-hearted way, the issues that they are faced with and how each of them responds to these.  I guess it also acknowledges that we each have different views as to just what is "normal".   The set is quite interesting - steps, windows and skylights appear as the play progresses, and it all becomes a bigger mess as the characters become more "normal".

As I have found with a couple of other recent plays, I wasn't too sure about this play for much of the first half.   Obviously, it's a bit "different", and dealing with mental disabilities is challenging, although here it's handled pretty gently.   But by the end, I was fine with it.

Hello Dolly

We were a little apprehensive when we headed out to the Whitehorse Centre at Nunawading for a "non-professional" production of Hello Dolly.   But our fears were totally unfounded.   The production by Babirra Music Theatre (see  http://www.babirra.org.au/html/home.htm) was excellent in every respect:  the costumes, the standard of the singing and especially the choreography.  While of course some performances were a little stronger than others, there was no-one in the large cast who wasn't up to the task.   Perhaps we were too absorbed in the witty dialogue, catchy melodies and vibrant colours, but we didn't notice a single mis-step (and some of the dancing seemed very challenging) or anything even resembling a wrong note.

Although this company describes itself as "non-professional", it's clear from the CVs in the program that some of the actors have trained and/or worked professionally.   But obviously, others of them are just talented.   It really was great to see so many  dedicated people (including the orchestra) who clearly enjoy the challenges of the theatre getting together to present such a great production .

I was of course aware that there are a number of non-professional theatre companies around Melbourne.   We regularly attend productions by the Malvern Theatre Company (mostly straight drama) but I was not aware of the extent of the musical theatre scene  in Melbourne.  I knew about the Gilbert & Sullivan Society (see http://www.gilbertandsullivan.org.au/index.php?option=com_content&view=frontpage&Itemid=498) because I attended quite a few of their performances when younger.  But in the musical drama space, besides Babirra, I now see that the Whitehorse Centre is also used by NOVA (see  http://www.novamusictheatre.com.au/).  In addition, there's  CLOC (http://www.cloc.org.au/) who use the National Theatre at St Kilda and Whitehorse Musical Theatre (http://www.whitehorsemusicaltheatre.websyte.com.au/) who perform in Burwood  [EDIT - but see comment below].   It's apparent from the profiles in the program that the actors cross over between these various groups.  We're certainly planning on getting out and seeing a few more productions.

His Girl Friday

The reviews of MTC's production of His Girl Friday have been good, but one description refers to it as a "screwball comedy".   If you like this type of thing, fine.    I have to say, plays tending towards slapstick with Chicago accents are not at the top of the list of things that I usually find entertaining, but even I enjoyed it because it's very well done, the timing is mostly excellent, there's lots of energy and much of the dialogue is very witty as well as being of relevance 70+ years on (although at least a passing knowledge of the world scene as it unfolded during 1939 is helpful).

This satire of tabloid journalism was apparently first produced as The Front Page and then as a film His Girl Friday. The current play is said to be a combination of the two.  It's set in the press office of Chicago's criminal courts in 1939, the day before the  hanging of "cop killer" Earl Holub .  His crime is a case of bad timing, as the the Mayor is up for re-election and wants to be seen as the person who gets rid of a terrorist, thus distracting attention from a number of grimy issues.  In the meantime, top reporter Hildy Johnson is trying to move on from the Chicago newspaper scene.

Pamela Rabe and Philip Quast play the leading roles.  They don't miss a beat and are well supported by the rest of the cast.

Gladioli for Melbourne

We were on our way to see the Napoleon exhibition (more about this in a future blog), and we saw another line up of photographers.  They were in front of an enormous bunch of gladioli on the lawn at the Arts Centre!   We were aware that Barry Humphries was in town from this post:

http://bicyleblog.blogspot.com.au/2012/07/a-seniors-sunday-matinee.html








And - between the photographers and the gladioli - there he was!    We missed the speech, but we saw him unveil the plaque on front of the flowers, which I have subsequently learned is to celebrate the reopening of Hamer Hall in a couple of days time.  On the ABC news, it was mentioned that the flowers were a gift from him!