The
Zoo Story by Edward Albee | directed by Sam Phillips
A couple of benches, a scattering of leaves, an intellectual well-dressed hotty with an old book in central park, this is how I dream of meeting the love of my life. Instead, I meet a sensitive, patient father of two who is willing to listen to the stories of a bewildering, intriguing young man who has been to the zoo. This piece displays the desired outcome of every time you decide that this time you really will say that cautious hello to someone waiting beside you at the bus stop. This script, tenderly handled by both leads, speaks to the tiny tragedies of everyday life, the small mysteries and charming universalities. The leads play off each other’s energy beautifully, bringing this potentially dull script to life, and although occasionally unlit or looping the stage in awkward blocking, both perpetuate the story honestly and earnestly. The energy was vibrant, the acting magnificent, and my major criticism of the piece is that I wanted the second half straight away. Bravo.
A couple of benches, a scattering of leaves, an intellectual well-dressed hotty with an old book in central park, this is how I dream of meeting the love of my life. Instead, I meet a sensitive, patient father of two who is willing to listen to the stories of a bewildering, intriguing young man who has been to the zoo. This piece displays the desired outcome of every time you decide that this time you really will say that cautious hello to someone waiting beside you at the bus stop. This script, tenderly handled by both leads, speaks to the tiny tragedies of everyday life, the small mysteries and charming universalities. The leads play off each other’s energy beautifully, bringing this potentially dull script to life, and although occasionally unlit or looping the stage in awkward blocking, both perpetuate the story honestly and earnestly. The energy was vibrant, the acting magnificent, and my major criticism of the piece is that I wanted the second half straight away. Bravo.
Ohio
Impromptu + Rough for Theatre 1 by Samuel Beckett | directed by Jonathan Price
A
page is turned. Silence. Strikingly reminiscent of ‘Waiting for Godot’, the
beautiful opening image of the play combined with the thick, delicious dialogue
and the stillness of the actors made for a hypnotic beginning. The
loneliness and intensity of these men was striking, and I was a little saddened to witness
the book being finished, as these two disparate characters became one, and then passed into oblivion together with a long exhalation and the line “Nothing is left to tell...”
And
then came the awakening. A gentle crescendo of action, two tragic tales finding
solace in mutual misery. The set, versatile and industrial, made for the
perfect backdrop to this strange enthralling story, and talcum powder has never
been so delicately employed as here (, in every other performance I have seen
using chalk it has become an element in itself and a gimmick). The play between
actors was invigorating and beautiful, and sustained the energy throughout
while the power plays, accents and moments of hilarity created a wonderful
feeling of challenge and elation.
Fold by Jo Randerson | directed by Bronwyn Cheyne
Energized.
Terrifying. Insane. Offensive. Bewildering. Manic. Sick. Absurd. Scary. These
are the elements of ‘Fold’. Effectively acted, we see blank canvas actors
portraying 100% happy, (to the point of discomfort,) as we are introduced to what
one audience member called a “cross between the future and a toga party”. The
monologues throughout see mundane scripting made interesting, by the directing
style and the ferocity of the actor’s joy. There is nothing natural about the
forced vibrancy of the piece, and it’s mannered, polished standard implies a
great deal of preparation and practice. We come away liking only one character,
John, as he is pushed from the group of maniacs due to having real world
problems, and not joining in with quite as much vivacity as everyone else as
they roar with laughter at truly awful jokes regarding rape, race, alcoholism,
suicide, refugees and religion. The repetitive laughter, head movements and
underwear swaps help us find moments of grounding within the craziness of the
show, which creates a great platform structure for the actors to work off of,
and they all did incredibly well maintaining the energy and bizarre nature of
the piece. Overall, this was an incredibly well handled, shocking show.
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