Review - The Woman Tamer

Replay Presents

The Woman Tamer

By Louis Esson

Directed by Rob Reid

Cast

Tom Molyneux

Clara Pagone

Jack Beeby

Kate Brennan

Assistant Direction and Chorography Kate Brennan

The Owl and the Pussycat

21 – 25 May

Rob Reid is nothing if not courageous. So often one hears it said that real Art is born of taking risks.  Couched in ambiguity this fascinating production risks being rebuffed tor being obscure.

As an adapted version of a short insightful piece about Melbourne’s underworld by Louis Esson, written in 1910, it is like a puzzle and will be read by each audience member according to his or her knowledge, or lack of, about theatre, rehearsal techniques, old Australian vernacular and the works, life and times of Louis Esson.  It is reminiscent of his much longer work The Bride of Gospel Place - first performed in 1926.

This reviewer experienced The Woman Tamer as a rare confusing and provocative cerebral treat.  That is not to say, it is not a visceral experience because it is, most particularly in the repetitive dressing and undressing of Kate Brennan that infers unquestioning monotonous sexual compliance.

The Woman Tamer commences in the small foyer of The Owl and the Pussy Cat with the ukulele backed melodic harmonic singing of Clara Pegone and Jack Beeby then moves into the performance space. Thereafter Tom Molyneux and Chopsey the character he is playing becomes the main focus of attention.  The other three actors work strongly around, and in response, to him - portraying a number of characters using almost all the words of the original text. 

As actors, with the possible exception of Molyneux, none fully integrate their characters, but rather, in a Brechtian manner are both themselves and the characters they are interpreting.

The sum total reads as a sort of Abstract or sub-text and proffers a strange revelation - that could be interpreted as, displaying the troubled mechanics of the writers mind.  Though the Director’s program notes suggest that it is the mental health of the main protagonist Chopsey that is being explored in relation to his poor sense of his own masculinity.

This is one of those productions where you are at liberty to make up your own mind about what is going on.   But you will have to catch it first, in its very short run at the, public transport friendly, Owl and the Pussycat just opposite the Richmond Station in Swan Street.

(For Stage Whispers)

Review - Beached - MTC

Melbourne Theatre Company

Beached

By

Melissa Bubnic

Director – Petra Kalive, Set Designer – Andrew Bailey, Costume Designer – Kat Chan, Sound Designer – Robert Jordan, Animator – Rebecca Hayes.  Cast: Producer – Anthony Ahern, JoJo – Susie Dee, Louise Fanny Hanusin and Arty Damien Sunners.

Lawler Theatre

22 April – 10 May

Beached is refreshing and engaging and will certainly delight Secondary School audiences with some of the outrageous shocks embedded in the writing, particularly in regard to the use of ‘language’.  It is a fun romp written by a young writer that will be becoming even funnier as it tightens up through consecutive runs.

Arty (Damien Sunners) is over fed and pampered by his suffocating mother JoJo (Suzie Dee).  He sits in a sedentary position on a couch, part human part foam rubber, and eats almost more than is humanly possible.  The reality television program Shocking Fat Stories lays claim to Arty’s story and in doing so attempts to doctor the story for maximum effect and revulsion factor.

But that is not all, there is more to the story as the work touches on a number if social issues with startling and liberating political ‘incorrectness’ at times.

Suzie Dee’s mother character JoJo initially seemingly grounded in clown is a strongly realized, complex and convincingly dogged woman.  Anthony Ahern serves the production well as the producer and delightfully in a number of small video roles.

Although over written and just a bit too long and sometimes calling out for changes in the physical rhythms of the staging the direction is deftly and comfortable handled by Petra Kalive.

Beached is a real gift to Teachers as it touches on many complex issues and MTC have comprehensive and useful teacher notes online.  

Highly recommended!

Suzanne Sandow
(For Stage Whispers)

Review - Song - Ranters Theatre

Song

By Ranters Theatre

Concept/Director - Adriano Cortese Visual Concept/Designer Laura Lima, Songwriter/Performer - James Tyson,

Image Production and Lighting Design - Stephen Hennessy, Sound Designer -

David Franzke, Perfumer - George Kara, Performers - Paul Lum and Patrick Moffatt, Text - Raimondo Cortese, Producer - Sara Austin, Adriano Cortese,

Production Management - Geordie Baker & Govin Ruben from Rubix Cube

Arts House – North Melbourne

12 April – 21 April

This ‘sense around’ experience can be enjoyed against the wall, on a stool, or, on your own piece of astroturf placed anywhere on the beautifully polished Town Hall floor.   It is a very individual experience that doubtless many participants have reveled or will revel in, in the next few days.

It is so often what frame of mind one brings to theatre, that colours the experience, and can enhance with piquancy and assist in the suspension disbelief.  Exhausted at the end of a long week I was looking forward to something immersive and magical.  And, initially, I responded to Song with as much generosity as I could muster to find myself strangely transported to my sometime, misspent youth – imbuing me with the feeling of being totally stoned and lying heavily on the grass with a heightened awareness to my natural surroundings. 

A solid and interesting starting point I thought.  But sadly not a place I was able to freely maneuver from with the limited resources at my disposal. 

Song is an intense experience that makes weighty demands on its audience as it separates out the senses.  What one has most to work with is sound (David Franzke), sounds from nature as well as songs simply sung with a guitar and then piano (James Tyson).  There are also smells (Perfumer – George Kara) and air movement and a large round white object and some falling water.    Although initial smells are light and pleasant they are almost all somehow synthetic, and, except perhaps in the early stages, do not necessarily relate to the sounds.

Overall there is little to look at, other than other audience members.  To start with this is unmediated and not particularly comfortable though as the event moves on lighting (Stephen Hennessy) states change.   I was expecting projected images.  In a world that is so dominated and informed by the image it feels strange to do without them.  And for me the strongest messages from Song are just how dependent I have become on visual stimuli and how discomforting and disconcerting it can be to separate out and isolate ones own senses.

A worthwhile adventure in theatre making and interesting journey as participant but it did seem to give me a headache.

Suzanne Sandow
(For Stage Whispers)