It's been 34 years since playwright Michael Frayn penned his farcical comedy Noises Off and I have patiently waited decades to see this production on the stage. As part of its 2017 season, Melbourne Theatre Company has fulfilled my wish and the production does not disappoint with this wild and witty play-within-a-play.
While this is a fast-paced farce, one of the strengths of Frayn's script is that we are still provided time to get to know the characters and understand the relationships between them all. Once these are established, the laughs begin to build until the absurd and ridiculous circumstances the cast get themselves into hit peak hilarity. The second act where we are privy to the goings on behind the scenes are the most entertaining of the show, as the actors struggle to separate the drama of their personal lives with the drama happening on stage.
Most people would find it very difficult to switch off from the
demands of the day and take the time to reflect and think about
themselves for a while. Fortunately, The Boon Companions seem to be all too aware of this and with their new immersive and interactive live art event ‘The You Pilgrimage‘, have provided people with an opportunity to have a break from the craziness of life.
This was the third event by The Boon Companions which I have attended and while their silent party and their 1920s literary themed event
were highly memorable, The You Pilgrimage surpassed all these with the
truly unique and entertaining opportunities of self-love and
self-reflection experienced during our excursion through Fitzroy.
Circus doesn’t come as bare as One Fell Swoop’s By A Thread.
Presented at Gasworks Arts Park, the entire show consists of one prop: a 30
metre piece of rope held up by two pulleys. The way in which the rope is used
throughout the show, in both a literal sense and a metaphorical
one, leaves audiences thoroughly entertained with the
opportunity to consider the relationships in their life and what trust means to
them.
The spool of rope is used as a representation of
trust; trust that the performers place in each other and the trust that we
place in people in our own lives. The seven emerging circus artists (Jonathan
Morgan, Charice Rust, Sarah Berrell, Ryan Darwin, Ela Bartilomo, Hamish Norris,
and Jordan O’Brien from Melbourne’s National Institute of Circus Arts)
completely and utterly depend on each other to execute their routines as they
are constantly being flung into the air, spun around and dropping into each other’s
arms.
The ensemble work confidently as a cohesive team who are able to communicate
with each other by just a glance and know exactly where each of them are at any
given time. Their amusing and playful acts include an imaginative
interpretation of pass the parcel and a brilliant see-saw routine that
showcases their immense flexibility, agility and strength. There is a strong
feeling of innocence and openness flowing throughout the show but there are
numerous times where more complex thoughts are explored.
Any show created by Moira Finucane is going to be visually arresting and have people in awe by what they have witnessed. Her new show, The Rapture, is no exception as she grapples with the themes of art, extinction and the space in between through a variety of storytelling, live art performances and a whole lot of heart.
Finucane's strong storytelling skills are evident as she has us hanging of her every word. It's a shame however that the sound was not always up to scratch, with moments where we are unable to hear what Finucane is saying. Her recollections of her time in Chile and France are fascinating and linked in well with the performances. "A Sunny Afternoon" is a breathtaking act, and a personal favourite, where Finucane makes a powerful statement about our expectations and idealisation of beauty and women in society. This non-verbal piece is paired with U2’s hit song "With or Without You" and its gradual fierce impact is easily felt throughout the audience.
Set inside the Aurora
Spiegeltent, Strut & Fret’s Blanc de
Blanc is the newest blend of cabaret, circus and burlesque to make its way to
Melbourne. A stream of scantily-clad men and women present a variety of acts
intended to titillate and dazzle, and while there are some thrilling moments,
this is unfortunately rarely the case. As such, the show ultimately comes across as a
relatively mediocre variety night of dance and clowning, which over two hours begins
to feel repetitive and tiresome.
Spencer Novich is absolutely
hilarious as the right hand man to maitre d’ Monsieur Romeo. His clowning and
physicality kept the entire audience bellowing with laughter and his mime montage
of various sound bytes all thrown together was the highlight of the evening.
His later pairing with J’aiMime for a second dose of this was even more
impressive. Unfortunately the same cannot be said for his Romeo, whose entire
presence throughout the show felt awkward and at times unnecessary.
