Review - Faith Healer

Melbourne Theatre Company

Presents

Faith Healer

By Brian Freil

Directed by Judy Davis

Set Designer – Brian Thomson

Costume Designer – Tess Schofield

Lighting Designer – Verity Hampson

Composer and Sound Designer – Paul Charlier

Stage Manager – Whitney McNamara

Cast:

Teddy – Paul Blackwell

Frank – Colin Friels

Grace – Alison Whyte

Southbank Theatre, The Sumner

4 March – 8 April 2017

Director and, actors all of extraordinary caliber, offer audiences a perfectly stripped back yet marvelously nuanced Belvoir Street production of Brian Friel’s Faith Healer at The Sumner Theatre until April 8.

Considered to be Irish writer Friel’s masterpiece it is made up of four rich and complex monologues that hinge on that ‘slippery fish’ memory. 

Colin Freils as Francis Hardy - Photo Jeff Busby

Colin Friels embodies the cunning, calculated yet disarmingly sincere character Francis Hardy – Frank the Faith Healer of the title.  As the work opens he launches into a deeply intriguing and mysterious monologue, riddled with self-reflection, about aspects of his life and particularly work as a ‘Healer’.  With costuming (Tess Schofield) reminiscent of a tramp from a Samuel Becket text, a comfortable demeanor and enthusiasm to inform, Friel engages us through many marvelously descriptive passages.  Like a transient Artist dependent on a fleeting and unreliable muse, Frank’s life has been colourful and full of risk, by nature of the vicissitudes and unpredictability of his profession.  

Alison Whyte as Grace - Photo Jeff Busby

Alyson Whyte as the fragile more unsettling character of Grace, Frank’s partner then takes the stage.  Never to be Frank’s wife, but shamefully, his devoted mistress Grace tells her version of the same events.  In doing so she exposes some of his glaring weaknesses.  Grace appears to be caught in the web of Frank’s illusions that pull asunder her relationship to her disapproving father.  She has little agency as a dependent and is devastatingly unable to achieve the elevated status of a mother.  All this aside she keeps returning to the familiarity of the damp mattress that is her bed with Frank.

Then Teddy, Frank’s manager played by Paul Blackwell, delivers his insights.   Teddy manages to put considerably more cheer into proceedings in the form of beer after beer and extraordinary anecdotes about ‘two dogs.’  Blackwell, one senses, could have us rolling in the isles in stitches if he chose.   Yet as consummate actor, he has the experience and restraint to briskly and most entertainingly convey his quirky characters side of the story.  Some of Teddy perceptions have a sort of ridiculous romanticism to them as he observes the tortured relationship between Frank and Grace with considerable tenderness.  This is what has empowered him to choose the anomalous soundtrack, for Frank’s healing proceedings, of Jerome Kern’s ‘Just The Way You Look Tonight.’  Teddy too, like all of us I guess, is at the very least a little delusional.   

Paul Blackwell as Teddy - Photo Jeff Busby

Blackwell infuses Teddy with a dignity that suggests he feels he is in a position to choose his circumstances.  Though in all likelihood, he is just as dependent on the benevolence of the very flawed Frank as Grace is. 

In the light of what the other characters have said, Colin Freils’s Frank, in his final monologue, comes across as a fairly wretched character – self-serving, repulsive but fascinating.  And yet each audience member’s perception of him will be dependent on individual sympathies, understanding and compassion as well as how this organic production melds together on any given night.  

The set by Brian Thompson is also pared back to a cloudy sky scape that becomes darker and more enveloping.   Light (Verity Hampson) and projection work magically together.   Sound (Paul Charlier) often a redolent drumming, when there, is usually placed just under the action. 

The Direction by Judy Davies exhibits clarity, precision and an infinite fascination and respect for the intricate complexity of what it is to be human.

Through this metaphysical work about the messy fringes of life one feels challenged, revealed and enlightened.

As a footnote I need to say Faith Healer is strong and intense and likely to polarize audiences.  I found it to be an immensely satisfying, intricate and stunningly handled production that I highly recommend and would gladly see again.

Marvelous Theatre.

Suzanne Sandow

(For Stage Whispers)

Review - Dancing with Death

Asia Topa presents:

Dancing with Death

Pichet Klunchun Dance Company

Choreographer, Director and Set Designer – Pichet Klunchun

Lighting Designer – Asako Miura

Sound Designer – Hiroshi Iguchi

Costume Designer – Piyaporn Bhongse-tong

Dramaturg – Lim How Ngean

Dancers:

Pichet Kluchun

Porramet Maneerat

Padung Jumpan

Kornkarn Rungsawang

Julaluck Eakwattanapun

Pavida Watchirapanyaporn

Arts Centre – State Theatre

2-4 March 2017

Dancing with Death is rarified theatrical adventure and immersive journey through the medium of and extremely unique form of modern dance. 

Creator, Pichet Klunchun is a highly regarded Thai dancer and choreographer of international renown.  He first worked with traditional Thai dance and then went on to study in America and subsequently has participated in intercultural performing arts programs in Asia, North America and Europe.  This work has been commissioned through our Government’s funding of Asia TOPA’s commissioning program. 

It is not often that an audience is seated on a stage, behind the curtain.  But the State Theatre Stage is the perfect space for this unique piece.  The house lights are stage lights illuminating and, in a way, implicating the audience.

As we ascend to the stage - lively, cheeky, masked bird-like creatures greet us.  These revelers who are clad in fluorescent garb could have come from an Aztec tribe of antiquity.  As other worldly creatures they twirl and cavort like joyful mystics in a hypnotic trance.

Then one by one all six dancers, simply dressed in white day clothes, ritualistically enter the elevated stage space designed by choreographer Pichet Kluchun to represent a kind of limbo that souls go to.  This design is reminiscent of the infinity symbol.  From thence we get the chance to watch six superb dancers take on a weird demeanors usually in a focused disassociated way.  The first of these is created through the legs pushing forward, from the knees, away from the torso.   

There are many subtle choreographic surprises in each individual dancer’s opus, some murky moments and beautiful extensions that transcend.  At times much seems to be generated from the hands and arms - as one would expect from a Thai work.  But this is far from conventional and entrancing to watch.

The sound (Hiroshi Iguchi) is just marvelous.   In the early stages - to support the masked creatures it is of a fairly naturalistic earthy drumming.   However once the dancers rise to the more unearthly elevated space it morphs into white noise.  Gradually it changes several times and becomes more hypnotic and mysterious to the point of perhaps mimicking words.

The lighting by Asako Miura superbly endorses dancers contortions and maintains the otherworldly feel throughout.

With a desperately short season – getting there could require immediate action.

A unique treat.

Suzanne Sandow

Review - Tao Dance Theater

The Arts Centre Presents

TAO DANCE THEATER

Choreographer – Tao Ye

Music – Xiao He

Lighting Design – Ellen Ruge

Executive Lighting – Ma Yue (‘6’ and ‘8’) Ma Yue (‘8)

Costume Design – Tao Ye, Li Min (‘6’) Tao Ye, Duan Ni (‘8’)

Rehearsal Director – Duan Ni

Dancers:  Fu Liwei, Mao Xue, Li Shunjie, Yu Jinying, Haung Li,  Ming Da (‘6’ and ‘8’) Hu Jin, Yan Yulin (‘8)

Arts Centre – Playhouse

22 – 24 January 2017

Melbournians are so privileged to have this new tri-annual Asian Performance Arts Festival Asia Topa in Melbourne;  ‘A festival celebrating Australia’s connections with contemporary Asia’.

From China we are honored to experience Tao Dance Theater’s works ‘6’ and ‘8’ performed for us by a marvelous troupe of young Chinese dancers.

As a truly exceptional and unusual experience hopefully all Melbourne’s young dancers and choreographers will be/have been able to catch a performance.

‘6’ premiered in Sweden in 2014.  Its costumes are dark and dancers hold a blanket or cape like piece of material in front of themselves rendering their arms fairly static.  The lighting is low which provokes longing to see it illuminate faces.  This marvelously hypnotic work just pulls us in.  I imagine it is not dissimilar to watching Sufi Whirling Dervishes.

‘8’ is performed solely on the floor.  Initially it presents some confusion as to whether the bodies are placed facing up or down.  The costumes are a kind of dusty grey, or appear to be dusty grey under Tao Ye and Ma Yue’s integrated lighting design.  Watching the weight of the bodies being lifted and falling on the floor moving from the front to the back of the stage is truly fascinating.  Initially I was reminded of the floppy cuddly dacron filled dolls my sisters had when we were kids.  This is a darker and more troubling work and not as hypnotic as ‘6’.   There is, at times, a sense of desperation in the oppression of the dancers bodies remaining on the floor.

It is extraordinary watching dancers rigidly perform such uniform work.   Yet as both works progress and bodies function in a more fluid and hypnotic way a beguiling essence of individuality emerges from the dancers.

Both the piano music in ‘8’ and electric strings of ‘6’, credited to Xiao He are superb.

A unique and rare opportunity.

Suzanne Sandow

(Suzanne Sandow)

Review - All This Living

All This Living

Written and performed by Camilla Blunden

Director – Rochelle Whyte

Sound Designer – Kimmo Vennonen

Lighting Design – Gillian Schwab

Dramaturg – Peter Matheson

Stage Manager/Operator – Lea Collins

All this Living is a complex rich work that touches on the difficult subject of aging.  It is particularly relevant to the older woman.  Full marks to Camilla Blunden for engaging with focus groups of older women to bring their experience and voices out into the light through this very personal medium of a one-woman performance.  All this Living is a fabulous vehicle to open up the subject area and broaden awareness with divergent audiences.  It is nothing if not worthy. 

Ms. Blunden is an excellent performer she is attractive, clear and engaging and thoroughly committed to her very pertinent well written material.  Her incorporation of Myth and Legend weaves in a deeper and richer more universal relevance to the personal. 

The Butterfly Club, as fantastic atmospheric venue, doesn’t seem to be the right fit for this work or Ms. Blunden’s target audience.  A torn red velvet curtain is a very limited backdrop – literally. 

It feels like a ‘work in progress’ that would generate better understandings and broaden perspectives on female aging through audience discussion and questions.  It does not feel like a finished polished piece of Theatre that fully serves the material or indeed Ms. Blunden.

The use of voice over is a clever device and mostly successful, I would imagine in particularly keeping the work on track.  But it got me wondering how the material would develop and grow through the incorporation of another performer.

The staging could be much more supportive of the performer.   A stage scattered with saucepans, calico cloths, a pen and notepad just looks cluttered and messy and at times renders movement ungainly.  As for the Kangaroo suit costume its intended semiotic meaning completely evaded me.   However this could be my fault as I arrived slightly late.   

I imagine All this Living works as a touring piece for Health and Community Centres and possibly even Schools.  But it would pack a much stronger and worthwhile punch if it was refreshed and renewed with crisp, clear and defined direction and a more consolidated design.  

It is a bit like an old still very serviceable couch that urgently needs to be overhauled and re-upholstered.  It would be wonderful if the whole creative team could get back together to remake the somewhat battered staging.

Suzanne Sandow

(For Stage Whispers)