Review - The Boys

The Boys

By Gordon Graham

Directed by Luci Klendo

Co-Producers – Linda Cookson Zilinskas and Vlady T

Production Manager and Lighting Design – Rebecca Fortuna

Cast:

Michelle – Rebecca Fortuna

Brett – Michael Shanahan

Sandra – Linda Cookson

Glen – Ben Taylor

Jackie – Heidi Lupprian

Steve – Malachi Grimsley

Nola – Lucy Orr

Gasworks 90 Graham Street Albert Park

10 – 20 February – playing Wednesday to Saturday at 8pm

This extraordinarily perceptive text by Gordon Graham is being thoroughly honored by Nice Productions exemplary staging in the comfortable Studio Theatre at Gas Works.

As a rare and illuminating opportunity, to see what Stephen Sewell based his remarkable screenplay for the powerful and haunting (1998) film The Boys, on, it is not to be missed.    

All characters are well cast and the troupe of actors works as a well-oiled ensemble.  Direction (Luci Klendo) is probing and displays an honest clarity that allows for gritty truths to be framed and therefore satisfyingly observed. 

It is partly a domestic drama set in the home - a family house and garden.  This particular staging allows for really smooth transitions. 

On one level the story is about a Mother, her three sons and their girlfriends.  But really it is a very telling exploration of the frightening sociopathic black heart of misogyny that is ever present in our community.

All actors embody their characters.  Linda Cookson as Sandra the mother exudes a cloying controlling maternal love.  As Stevie’s new, naive and pregnant addition to the clan, Nola (Lucy Orr), is a haunting presence.  Malachi Grimsley as a trained dancer creates a jerky wonderfully physically realized Stevie.

As the long suffering Michelle, Brett’s girlfriend, who seems to be able to hang in there no matter what (probably in a large part due to Sandra’s vigilant support) Rebecca Fortuna brings a lovely energy and vitality.  Michael Shanahan displays the volatile pent up hate and craziness required to the pivotal character of Brett who has just been released from prison.

Ben Taylor is a strong handsome stoic presence as Glenn who is really working overtime to satisfy the conflicting expectations of his girlfriend Jackie and his brothers Brett and Stevie.  For me there is just that extra little edge of sharpness in Heidi Lupprian’s work as the vulnerable yet smart Jackie.

This is a short season – closing on the 20^th of January.  I was surprised that the opening night wasn’t papered and full.  If it had been, I reckon, word of mouth would have filled the studio on ensuing nights.

Suzanne Sandow

(For Stage Whispers)

Review - Inferno

Inferno a double bill

4^th to 14 February 2016

Crestfall

by Mark O’Rowe

Directed by Jayde Kirchert

Cast:

Freya Pragt as Olive Day

Marissa O’Reilly as Alison Ellis

Marissa Bennett as Tilly McQuarie

Lighting – Peter Amesbury

Sound Design – Chris O'Neill

Purgatorio

by Ariel Dorfman

Directed by Celeste Cody

Cast:

Woman – Freya Pragt

Man – Jason Cavanagh

Other members of the production team deserve complements:  Jade Kirchert as producer, Janel Gibson – Stage Manager, Fiona Spitzkowsky – Production Manager for Purgatorio and the two interns Stephanie Clare-Clover and Alexandra Suttie.

Masterful theatre; both works in Inferno, Crestfall and Purgatorio are beautifully and skillfully produced by Citizen Theatre.  These strong offerings are the culmination of carefully considered work by skilled, hardworking theatre practitioners.  The upshot is very polished ‘poor’ theatre of high quality.

For the audience the atmosphere created at is welcoming and comfortable.

However the material is rich and confronting:

Crestfall is made up of three monologues from three female characters describing aspects of their unfortunate, troubled, tormented and harsh intertwined lives.  The heightened poetic language and imagery describes their dissolute and difficult existences.  At times it is reminiscent of Patricia Cornelius’s perceptive and confronting play Slut.

Frey Pragt and her strong bold character Olive Day open this piece.   She describes the difficult events in her brutal life with urgency.  She is a delight to watch and listen to as she immerses herself in the trials and torments of a proud but compromised woman fighting for survival.

The language used is very strong and descriptions of sex and violence extremely graphic.  Mastering this material is no mean feat and Pragt does an exemplary job.

Sound by Chris O'Neill is very subtle.

She is followed by Marissa O’Reilly as Alison Ellis whose energy and commitment to role and character beautifully endorses and extends what has been set up.  The last monologue is the culmination of the story.  Finally Tilly McQuarrie played by Marissa Bennett experiences the most positive outcome.  She receives something of a windfall.  Or perhaps she is just younger, fitter and fresher than the other downtrodden spirits.  The material is fascinating and bemusing and performances are highly engaging.  Although Marissa Bennett (an interesting and charismatic performer) would do well to attend some intensive vocal workshops to further enhance her skill base.

In Purgatorio Frey Pragt and Jason Cavanagh are a well-matched pair of actors.  Both are acutely focused and wholly engaged and able to work with nuance and subtlety in response to each-other.  

Before watching this work it would probably helpful to acquaint or re-acquaint ones-self with the story of Medea and Jason as Purgatorio is about the unresolved torment in the damage done through their cruel treatment of each other.  More and more we are hearing reports of infanticide happening around us and there always seems to be a production of Medea popping up somewhere, not surprisingly.

There is a rich humanity in this work – it attempts to extrude some reason from Medea’s horrifying actions. 

I can’t really recommend Inferno highly enough as the work of dedicated, truly talented, inspiring theatre makers who have the capacity and energy to work on a ‘shoe-string’ budget to produce rich rewarding outcomes!

Very strong material indeed.

Suzanne Sandow

(For Stage Whispers)