Review - The Dumb Waiter

What’s On?  Production company Presents -

The Dumb Waiter

by 

Harold Pinter

Directed by Paul Watson

Lighting Design – Jason Bovaird

Set Michael Watson

Cast 

Ben – John Wood

Gus – Don Bridges

Chapel off Chapel

5 – 9 September 2018

This is an excellent opportunity to catch two consummate actors perform in a skillfully produced, short, clever theatre classic by Harold Pinter. 

On a washed out greyish set, by Michael Watson, of a sort of nasty basement hotel room - Ben (John Wood) and Gus (Don Bridges) interact over discussions about the mysterious endeavor they have been contracted to perform, and the more mundane difficulties of making a cup of tea.  Eventually they find themselves literally interacting with a dumb waiter.

Absurd measured and menacing - The Dumb Waiteris an intriguing riveting mystery that makes shocking sense in the last few seconds on stage.

Gus the more lively and perhaps naïve character moves around a lot and appears to be somewhat irritating to the sedate calm and confident Ben whom John Wood embodies with cool control.  As always Wood exudes charisma and is enigmatic and engaging to watch. 

Director Paul Watson delivers a clean clear production with both actors comfortable in their character’s skins.  The environment and atmosphere, he has had created, serves them well.

Sound is, appropriately, pretty much limited to the ticking of a clock.  The lighting is strong and imbues some effective dramatic changes.  However I, personally, would like to see lighting and the ticking sound subtly manipulated, as the piece progresses, to create a more destabilizing ambience.   

The Dumb Waiteris a great little work - and if you are thinking of catching its last couple of performances – do!  Perhaps it is being geared up to tour Regionally – if so - keep a look out for it.

Finally, audiences are given the chance to support the Actors Benevolent Fund a very important and worthwhile charity.  Take some cash with you.

Suzanne Sandow

(For Stage Whispers)

Blasted - Review

Blasted

by Sarah Kane

Direction – Anne-Louise Sarks

Cast:  Fayssal Bazzi, Eloise Mignon and David Woods

Set and Costume – Marg Horwell

Lighting Design – Paul Jackson

Sound Design and Composition – Jethro Woodward

Design Associate – Romanie Harper

Cinematography – Sky Davies

Gaffer – Jared Fish

Colourist – Nicholas Hower

Stage Manager – Lyndie Li Wan Po

Malthouse Theatre – The Merlyn

24 August to 16 September

If you love or hate or are completely overwhelmed by it there is no doubting that Blastedis an astonishing production of an extraordinary play.  The text by once ‘enfant terrible’ of British Theatre Sarah Kane had its first production at the Royal Court Theatre in 1995.   

This particular rendition boasts a stunning set by Marg Horwell and is directed with exquisite finesse by Anne Marie Sarks 

On opening night it took a while for the ‘shell shocked’ audience to clap - but once we started we did so with great enthusiasm.  What amazed me was that no one walked out during the show shouting ‘depraved.’  Blasted‘takes no prisoners!’  It is very powerful and pervading theatre.  It is the type of work that one mulls over for days and days because it offers rich perceptions and startling insights.

Opening as a two hander, seemingly based in naturalism. We watch a tortured dysfunctional relationship that activates concerns about abuse and domestic violence.   Two helplessly mismatched individuals, a young woman played by Eloise Mignon and older man by David Woods, spend time together in an upmarket hotel room.  There is little joy and considerable miscommunication.  It would seem that the relationship really only exists due to the neediness of the bloke (David Wood) who appears to be more like a hit man than a jaded and ill journalist.  Emotional blackmail, psychological manipulation and violence reign.  And we, as audience, just want to better understand why these two are actually together in the ‘tinderbox’ of a generic hotel room.

As the work progresses it becomes a vastly more extensive study of ‘man’s inhumanity to man.’   Nothing is sacred and it speaks of deep primitive masculine drives towards brutal sexual violence.  

Kane seems to be trying to investigate the masculine need (of some men) to sexually abuse.  Through this play we see just how perceptive she was and how she is able to shed light on dark and irrevocably entangled behavior.  She was extraordinary in her capacity to delve into the deep and subliminal and bring it up, into the light, to be examined.

One must pay homage to Eloise Mignon, David Wood and Fayssal Bazzi.  Their capacity and courage, as actors, to work with the intimacy and trust required to truthfully communicate their characters experiences is astonishing.

Sound by Jethro Woodward is superb, particularly in the very early stages when it is melodic and bell like and when silenced; it leaves in its wake an aching sense of palpable yearning. 

This is one of those gems of theatre that we so often hope to find but very seldom do.

Five stars from me!

Suzanne Sandow

(For Stage Whispers)

The Fall - Review

The Fall

All Rhodes Lead to Decolonisation

Cast 

Ameera Conrad, Oarabile Ditsele, Zandile Madiwa, Tankiso Mamabolo, Sizwesandile Mnisi, Sihle Mngwazana, Dleo Raatus

Cast Curators - Ameera Conrad and Thando Mangcu

Facilitator - Clare Stopford

Set Design - Marisa Steenkamp

Executive Producer - Lara Foot

Arts Centre Melbourne

Fairfax Theatre

August 28 to September 2

Coming to us from The Edinburgh Fringe Festival and presented by students who were directly involved in the action; The Fall is vital, vibrant, massively relevant to our multi-cultural modern world and totally worth catching.

It is a rousing, honest and reflective work of ‘docu drama’ by a group of young people, about a student revolution at Cape Town University that aimed to remove a statue of colonialist Cecil Rhodes – rhodesmustfall movement.  This campaign also sparked debate about removing a statue of Cecil Rhodes in Oxford.

The opening night in Melbourne was enthusiastically rewarded with a heartfelt, jubilant standing ovation.  

The clever, focused and energetic team of seven performers – through stirring and uplifting song, percussive sound, spoken word and enactment - describe how the lives of Black Africans are atrociously undervalued in Cape Town and presumably South Africa generally.  Even in the Tertiary Education System these young capable hardworking intellectual elite do not have the same social standing as their white counterparts.

The subtitle of this work  ‘All Rhodes lead to Decolonisation’, is a witty clever word play on the subject matter and a relevant call to action.   So hoping that many from our African communities get to catch this one.

The Fallis the perfect fare for VCE Drama Students and those working towards a collaborative style of making Verbatim Theatre.  It reminds us all of just how accessible, relevant and appealing political theatre can be if well handled.

Suzanne Sandow

(For Stage Whispers)