Review - Twelfth Night

Essential Theatre Present:

Twelfth Night

By William Shakespeare

Director – Amanda LaBonte

Costume Designer – Amaya Vecellio

Production Manager – Sophie Lampel

Tour Manager – Grant Foulkes

Musical Arrangements – Tom Heath

Original Music – Kevin Hopkins

Fight Choreographer – Myles Tankle

Cast

Sharon Davis – Olivia

Jean Goodwin – Viola/Ceasrio

Jack Dixon Gunn – Sebastian/Valentine

Grant Foulkes - Malvolio/Sea Captain

Tom Heath – Orsino/Sir Andrew Aguecheek

Helen Hopkins – Fese/Antonia

Drew Tingwell – Sir Toby

Cariad Wallace – Maria

(Various vineyards – check website for details.)

What a treat; a delightful tight and fast paced production of Twelfth Night with all its surprises and vagaries.

Who wouldn’t want the opportunity to experience a truly unique relaxing evening with a group of friends and friendly acquaintances, in a vineyard with a picnic, some fine wine being entertained by a troupe of energetic and captivation actors.  Essential Theatre productions are worth searching out.  And this years offering is no exception.

Twelfth Night under the direction of Amanda LeBonte is acutely timed.  An excellent set of skilled performers delight the audience in a brisk show.  As with most Shakespeare, this tricky little story, should be ‘read up on’ by the uninitiated.  Of course - if you already know the tale you can just sit back and delight in this particular rendition that, according to its director, is about the experience of love.  And yes #loveislove.  However it also highlights the potentially funny and devastating effects manipulation and bullying can produce by reducing a person to a laughing stock.   Another pertinent issue for our times.

Jean Goodwin’s Viola, the character the narrative pretty much pivots around is very solid and appropriately engaging.  Sharon Davis almost lifts from the ground in her enthusiastic passion for Viola disguised as a young gentleman.  Ms. Davis feminine physicality is entrancing and feeds beautifully into her character’s climax of meeting and throwing herself at Sebastian (Jack Dixon Gunn).

Tom Heath presents a lovely straight sensitive Orsino and contrasts this delightfully with a wacky self obsessed Sir Andrew Aguecheek.  Meanwhile Grant Foulkes as the rather viciously tormented Malvolio is fabulously silly in his obsessive dedication to his is Lady Olivia.

Maria played by Cariad Wallace is bright, lively energetic and uncomplicated naively unkind character.   Ah the vicissitudes of youth!

Helen Hopkins always inspires the sense of confidence that emanates from her as an experienced and well-tuned actor.    Her characters and characterization serve the piece to a T.  Her beautiful singing voice seems to set the note and tune for the other performers.

Drew Tingwell in the guise of the company elder introduces the company and, in the instance of the evening at Rowanstan (winery) on the Track at Glenhope, explains how they will deal with the possibility of inclement weather.  Very fortunately we are not rained out and Mr. Tingwell is able to delight us with that old rascal Sir Toby who is always in his cups but never out of control.

Costume design (Amaya Vecellio) in varying shades of black and white and grey works a treat.  The only use of vivid colour is in Malvolio’s gaudy yellow tights.  However I have to say that I would love to see Helen Hopkins’ jester character also adorned in a more flamboyant multi-coloured garment.

Great show – highly recommended.

I’ll be back next year for Midsummer Nights Dream.

Suzanne Sandow

(For Stage Whispers)

Review - The Girls In Grey

The Girls in Grey

By Carolyn Bock and Helen Hopkins

Presented by The Shift Theatre in association with Theatre Works

Directed by Karen Martin, Cast: Grace – Carolyn Bock, Elsie - Olivia Connolly, Alice – Helen Hopkins, Syd, Harry, Len, Soldier – Lee Mason, Lighting Design – Nick Merrylees, Sound Design – Nick Van Cuylenberg, Set Design – Alexander Hiller, Costume Design – Lyn Wilson

 Theatre Works - April 25 to May 13

The Girls in Grey is an amalgam of experiences of Australian Army Nurses serving in World War One. Much of the text comes from diary entries and letters. It is a work that ‘tells it like it really was’ through the sensibilities of the women of the era.

It is written by Helen Hopkins and Carolyn Bock over two years of research and creative development.  Real-life experience is adapted for performance without being reinterpreted to satisfy contemporary insights or expectations.  And as such The Girls in Grey is a noteworthy historical document that offers significant insight into social expectations through how these women expressed themselves whilst living under great duress.

In this meaningful actor’s vehicle, all performers, and most particularly Helen Hopkins and Carolyn Bock, excel in conveying the social mores of the time through their well-honed expressive skills and clear well-modulated voices.  They are amply assisted by excellent costumes designed by Lyn Wilson. Both Bock and Hopkins convey moments of strong and moving emotional revelation.

As an insightful historical text it is no surprise that The Girls in Grey is on the VCE Drama list.  It would make an excellent touring show that would delight members of Historical Societies.

Director Karen Martin displays deep respect for the material and the skill of her actors by staging the whole in an uncomplicated fluid manner.  The set (Alexandra Hiller) is a wooden rostrum with a backdrop of a symbolic trench.

However the work is worthy of a more complex and subtle lighting design (Nick Merrylees) that specifically and atmospherically signify environments.  The sound scape (Nick Van Cuylenberg) is heavy handed and lacks nuance at times.

Perhaps startling affects could be incorporated to jolt an audience into vivid and visceral experiences of the horrors of war.  However the depth of empathy and understanding as expressed by the actors, most particularly in moments of heightened emotional experience, is elucidating and convincing.

As the season continues this troupe of talented actors will sense opportunities for defining environments, enhancing atmospheres and add touches of believability.

In all, The Girls in Grey is a sensible, well-constructed, interpreted and presented testimony of experiences of our nurses working by the side of our soldiers in WWI.

  

It will move and please many people.

(For Stage Whispers)