In their latest production, Ghostlight League bring the worlds of William Shakespeare and Quentin Tarantino together with William Shakespeare's Reservoir Dogs. It's not a combination you would normally expect, but this retelling of one of Tarantino's best movies moved into the Victorian era is thoughtfully composed with a few surprises along the way.
Steven Hopley has done wonderful work in "translating" Tarantino's script, with notable scenes cleverly but accurately recreated to great effect. The opening scene where the group discuss Madonna and "Like A Virgin" appropriately sets the tone and the accompaniment of a live band playing period specific covers of the film's soundtrack enhances both genres.
The violence from the film correctly leans more into the humorous side with this adaptation, including its depiction of the infamous ear cutting sequence and in having its characters battling it out with knives and swords instead of guns. While the script remains loyal to its text, its misstep is in an additional scene to the ending, which slows down the momentum and minimises the climax of Reservoir Dogs' finale.
The ensemble share an admirable energy and enthusiasm, with Rik Brown as Sir Pink and Cassandra Hart as Sir White delivering highly memorable performances. Everyone is clearly having a fun time on stage and do some impressive works with their English accents. However, the accents are so honed in, that when combined with the language style, it becomes a challenge to understand what is being said and, for those not very familiar with the film, quite challenging to follow the plot.
The costumes by Donna Prince, Rob Lloyd (also serving as director) and Hart, is another example of the thought that has gone into this, with characters wearing clothing that take the style from the film and re-imagine it to its current era, the standout being Nice Guy Eddie's (now Pleasant Fellow Edward) purple and blue tracksuit jacket.
Combining these two genres would undeniably attract some concern regarding success, but the team does a clever job of honouring Shakespeare and Tarantino. While Reservoir Dogs is the final installment of the Ghostlight League's Shakespeare/Pop-Culture Mash-up Trilogy behind Aliens and Ghostbusters, like all good franchises, hopefully they find a reason to return with a fourth.
SHOW DETAILS
Venue: Irene Mitchell Studio, 44 St Martins Lane, South Yarra
Season: until 2 November | 8:00pm
Duration: 80 mins
Tickets: $44 Full | $39 Conc
Bookings: St Martins Youth Art Centre
Image credit: Tom Noble
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