WILD THING (PLAY)

 

Written By Suzanne Hawley

Directed by Kim Hardwick

Di Smith In Association With Arts On Tour production

Q Theatre, Queanbeyan 28-29 April

 

Reviewed by Len Power 29 April 2023

 

If the rain kept people away from the short season of ‘Wild Thing’, it’s a pity because it was a very enjoyable and moving play and the audience clearly had a good time.

Suzanne Hawley’s play ‘Wild Thing’ concerns a group of four Australian women born in the early 1940s who form a lasting friendship that endures for many years.  We first see them at school aged about 13 in 1956 when the most they have to look forward to is a typing job and, with luck, a good marriage.

As the years pass, ‘The Four Musketeers’, as they call themselves, experience very different lives from their early expectations as Australia changes with them.  Sex, drugs and rock and roll play their part as do the social and cultural changes happening in the world in the 60s and 70s.  Through all of this, one thing remains constant – their friendship.

On a deceptively simple set designed by Tom Bannerman, episodes from the girls’ lives play out rather like a jumble of memories from various times.  The men they meet and form attachments with appear along the way but the focus is firmly on the group of four women.

Director, Kim Hardwick, has opted for a simple, well-paced staging with minimal props and strong character work from her cast of four women and two men.

As the women, Di Smith, Katrina Foster, Di Adams and Helen O’Connor give excellent performances that become truly endearing as the years progress.  They all bring their different characters alive with a notable intensity.  By the time of the finale, we feel a celebration too as they celebrate their long lives with each other.

The men in the cast, Lewis Fitz-Gerald and Tony Poli, play multiple roles of teachers, lovers and husbands, moving in and out of the girls’ lives as the years go on.  Both give deeply etched characterizations that matter to the girls’ stories.

This was a play as much about the culture of Australia and the times as about the women and men whose lives we observed over a large number of decades.  For many of us, there was the added pleasure of close identification with the times and the characters.

 

Len Power's reviews are also broadcast on Artsound FM 92.7 in the ‘Arts Cafe’ and ‘Arts About’ programs.

CRIMES OF THE HEART (PLAY)

Written By Beth Henley

Directed by Karen Vickery

Canberra REP production

Canberra REP Theatre, Acton to 13 May

 

Reviewed by Len Power 28 April 2023

 

Having a stroke is no laughing matter, but in Beth Henley’s play, ‘Crimes Of The Heart’, one of the funniest and most effective scenes has three sisters laughing uncontrollably because they have just been told their old Granddaddy has had another stroke and might die.

Everyone is together because one of them, Babe, has just shot and injured her husband.  Meg, a failed singer, has returned from Hollywood, California to support Babe, and Lenny admits to being lonely and afraid, having stayed home looking after Granddaddy, who is now in hospital.

As the play progresses, the sisters remember old rivalries and past resentments in a family with more than their share of past troubles.  Significantly, some time ago, their mother had mysteriously killed her cat and then herself.

Beth Henley’s tragicomedy won the 1981 Pulitzer Prize for Drama and had a good run on Broadway.  Set in the small city of Hazlehurst, Mississippi in 1974, it’s a family character study focussed on the three sisters.

On an attractively detailed living room and kitchen setting by Michael Sparks, Karen Vickery, the director, has obtained good performances from her entire cast.

Carmen King, plays Lenny, the sister who stayed in the family home.  King gives a strong performance with considerable depth as the no-nonsense sister who seems capable on the surface but is fearfully facing loneliness.

Ella Buckley as Babe, who has shot her husband, gives a very real study of a woman unable to understand the seriousness of the predicament she has found herself in.

Meaghan Stewart is their sister, Meg, the failed singer, who is loud and annoyingly self-centred.  Stewart is quite effective in her quieter moments when she reveals her character’s vulnerabilities but the loudness of her character becomes wearing.  More light and shade is needed for her performance of this aspect of her character.

The rest of the cast in smaller roles do very well with nicely judged performances of some depth.

The cast did their best with the difficult southern American accents but they were a bit uneven at times.

Karen Vickery has given this long show a good pace and clear character definition.  It’s a challenging show to stage and get the black comedy levels right.  This production does achieve that and it’s continually entertaining.

 

Len Power's reviews are also broadcast on Artsound FM 92.7 in the ‘Arts Cafe’ and ‘Arts About’ programs.

 

ÇANNAKALE - GALLIPOLI SONGS (CONCERT)

Ayşe Göknur Shanal, soprano

John Martin, piano

Orana Steiner School, Weston April 22

 

Reviewed by Len Power

 

It was an evening of highly affecting songs about Gallipoli, presented by the Turkish-Australian soprano, Ayşe Göknur Shanal, and pianist, John Martin.

Ayşe Göknur Shanal has won many prestigious awards and scholarships here in Australia and overseas. She has performed widely in the USA, UK, Europe and Asia including Opera Australia, Turkish State Opera and Opera Queensland.

The audience was taken on an emotional journey of folk songs, diary entries and letters of Australian, Turkish and New Zealand soldiers, set to music by composers Diana Blom, John Wayne Dixon, Eric Bogle and Henri Duparc.

The program commenced with “Hey Onbeşli”, a traditional Turkish song with words that are a tribute to the many 15 year-old youths who were enlisted when Turkey entered WW1 and who died at Gallipoli.  Shanal sang it with such beauty that the emotion in the song was clearly felt and understood.

“Two Songs For The Anzac Centenary – 1918 and 1945” by John Wayne Dixon followed. These songs about a mother’s grief for a child lost in war were sung with great sensitivity and warmth and John Martin gave them an expert accompaniment on piano.

John Martin and Ayşe Göknur Shanal

A.B. Patterson’s poem, “The Last Parade”, set to music by John Martin, was melodic and memorable, being beautifully sung and played.

The next item in the program was Henri Duparc’s exquisite “Au pays ou se fait le guerre” (To the Country Where War is Waged), sung by a woman whose lover has gone to war and she nervously waits for his return. The restrained emotion in this song was superbly captured by Shanal.

“Çanakkale Türküsü”, a Turkish folksong followed. This unaccompanied song of a young soldier lost in the war singing to his mother from beyond the grave was given a haunting rendition full of sentiment and longing.

Diana Blom’s “Remembrances Four” has words taken from letters and other communications of actual soldiers on both sides, collected by Harvey Broadbent. These affecting memories of enlisting, the landing in Gallipoli, the morning star seen from the trenches and the quiet end of the battle were sung with passion, drama and  simplicity.

The final song on the program, Eric Bogle’s “And The Band Played Waltzing Matilda”, written in 1972 at the height of the anti-war movement, proved to be the most affecting. The quiet, delicate singing of this highly emotive work was the perfect end to a remarkable concert by these excellent performers. 

 

Photo by Len Power

Len Power's reviews are also broadcast on Artsound FM 92.7 in the ‘Arts Cafe’ and ‘Arts About’ programs.

REASONS TO BE PRETTY (PLAY)

Written by Neil LaBute

Directed by Tim Sekuless

Shadow Director: Kim Beamish

Mill Theatre, Fyshwick to May 6

 

Reviewed by Len Power 19 April 2023

 

Written in 2008, ‘Reasons To Be Pretty’ by American writer, Neil LaBute, focusses on two working class couples in a small town.  The way they see the world, their arguments, hopes and dreams are difficult for us to relate to.  They seem petty and unrealistic, even uneducated.

 

At the beginning of the play, a furious argument erupts over a chance remark by Greg about his girlfriend’s physical appearance.  That leads to the breakdown of their relationship, although they retain deep feelings for each other.  The other couple are having their troubles, too.  Carly, pregnant, is worried that her boyfriend, Kent, is unfaithful.  Everyone seems obsessed with physical appearances and their dead-end lives in a small town.  That we find ourselves daring to judge them is at the heart of this play.

 

The four actors give fine performances. They handle the rapid fire, American-accented dialogue with clarity and a depth of understanding that is very impressive.

Rhys Hekimian (Greg) and Alana Denham-Preston (Steph)

Rhys Hekimian as Greg is a young man struggling to better himself by his choice of reading matter like Poe and Swift, amongst others.  Hekimian gives a warmth to the character that makes him very likeable but his appearance and character traits irritate his girlfriend, Steph, played with ferocious energy by Alana Denham-Preston.  The opening argument between Steph and Greg, is breath-takingly well done by the two actors.

Lexi Sekuless (Carly) and Ryan Erlandsen (Kent)

Lexi Sekuless as Carly, seems basically happy with her life and work until doubts and fears surface about her partner’s unfaithfulness.  Sekuless gives a nicely measured performance of a pregnant woman facing her worst fears and floundering in her response to them.  Her partner, Kent, played by Ryan Erlandsen, is fully believable as an initially roguish but ultimately unpleasant man with a shocking disregard for his girlfriend’s feelings as well as for Greg, his supposed best friend.

 

The director, Tim Sekuless, has obtained extraordinary performances from his cast in a production where the pace is fast and full of energy.  Several scene changes on the simple set of a few essential props have been well-choreographed.

 

This is a good play, well-directed and well-acted.  The sequel, ‘Reasons To Be Happy’, will be staged at the Mill Theatre next year

 

Photos by Dan Abroguena

Len Power's reviews are also broadcast on Artsound FM 92.7 in the ‘Arts Cafe’ and ‘Arts About’ programs and published in his blog 'Just Power Writing' at https://justpowerwriting.blogspot.com/.

 

MACBETH (PLAY)

Written By William Shakespeare

Directed by Peter Evans

Bell Shakespeare

Canberra Theatre Centre at the Playhouse to 22 April

 

Reviewed by Len Power 15 April 2023

 

One of the most well-known and often performed plays by William Shakespeare, ‘Macbeth’ has all the ingredients of a good horror movie.  Peter Evans’ new production offers plenty of chills as well with its clear concept, fine staging, technical expertise and good acting.

On a triangular acting area surrounded by looming curtains that give a sense of claustrophobia, this tragic story of greed, murder, guilt, self-delusion and finally insanity plays out to its thrilling conclusion.  We are left with a feeling of sadness that it was all for nothing.  The play is set in about 1920, a few years after the First World War, a deadly conflict, too, and for what?

 Hazem Shammas gives a fine performance as Macbeth.  He is an ordinary man out of his depth and ill at ease with the politics he is caught up in.  Tempted by the prophecy of the three witches that he will become king, he commences his murderous journey, full of nagging self-doubt while displaying a confidence he does not feel.  It ends inevitably with his destruction.  Hammas clearly shows all the facets of this man in a nicely-judged performance.

Lady Macbeth (Jessica Tovey) and Macbeth (Hazem Shammas)

 As Macbeth’s wife, Lady Macbeth, Jessica Tovey appears to be a sensuous, capable, no-nonsense kind of woman who encourages and helps her husband with his murderous plans.  That she descends into insanity is a surprise, making us realize that the guilt about her husband’s actions and her part in them had bothered her more than we thought and it has tipped her over the edge.  Tovey’s performance has a depth that is very satisfying.

The Three Witches scenes are given a startling and haunting technical staging with a descending fog and clever lighting that is highly atmospheric.  The performances by Rebecca Attanasio, Eleni Cassimatis and Isabel Burton as the Witches are memorable.

The Three Witches (Rebecca Attanasio, Eleni Cassimatis and Isabel Burton)

There is good work from Julia Billington as Banquo, especially with her reappearance after the murder as a ghost.  Jacob Warner is a fine Macduff, touching in his scene when he learns of the deaths of his wife and daughter, and commanding in his final conflict with Macbeth.

James Lugton is a regal Duncan and also gives an amusing performance as the Porter.  The rest of the cast play multiple roles and, remaining onstage through most of the action, their stylised presence as onlookers works very well.

The sound design by Max Lyandvert is particularly excellent throughout the show and it is complemented by the fine lighting design by Damien Cooper.  Anna Tregloan’s set and costumes give this ‘Macbeth’ its unique look.

Peter Evans’ concept for this production makes a very clear statement about the inevitable result of political violence as well providing an enjoyable and at times thrilling entertainment.

 

Photos by Brett Boardman

Len Power's reviews are also broadcast on Artsound FM 92.7 in the ‘Arts Cafe’ and ‘Arts About’ programs and published in his blog 'Just Power Writing' at https://justpowerwriting.blogspot.com/

 

  

TOUCHES OF SWEET HARMONY (CONCERT)

Christina Wilson, mezzo-soprano

Alan Hicks, piano

Art Song Canberra

Wesley Music Centre, Forrest, Sunday 2 April

 

Reviewed by Len Power

 

To a nearly full house, the popular mezzo-soprano, Christina Wilson, and her piano accompanist, Alan Hicks, gave a fine recital focussing on music set to the words of William Shakespeare.

‘Under the greenwood tree’ from the play, ‘As You Like It’, with music by Thomas Arne from the 18^th century, was a bright and appealing song that was immediately engaging.  Wilson’s, clear diction, beautiful voice and joyous interpretation, as well as Alan Hicks’ masterful accompaniment with its bird-like melodies, made this the perfect start.

In the first half of the program, there were also works by Percy Grainger, John Wilson, Camille Saint-Saёns, Johannes Brahms, Roger Quilter and Michael Head, ranging from the 16^th to 20^th centuries.

In Grainger’s 20^th Century ‘The Willow Song’ from ‘Othello’, Wilson captured the troubled character of Desdemona in a beautiful, melancholic and sincere interpretation.  ‘The Death Of Ophelia’, from ‘Hamlet’ by Saint-Saёns, was one of the highlights of the concert, superbly sung by Wilson.  The accompaniment by Alan Hicks was especially notable.

Five songs of Ophelia by Brahms followed and the changing emotions in the songs were well-captured.  Wilson’s interpretation of the fourth song was especially moving.  The Roger Quilter songs followed, with ‘Fear No More The Heat of the Sun’ from ‘Cymbeline’, a haunting, reflective highlight of this group.

The second part of the concert commenced with another version of ‘Under the greenwood tree’ by Ivor Gurney.  It was interesting to hear another composer’s take on this song and how the same words produced different emotions in the singing.

A fine song by Eric Korngold, ‘Blow blow blow, thou winter wind’, from ‘As You Like It’, then three of Shakespeare’s sonnets were heard with music by Claude Duboscq.  The third sonnet ‘No longer mourn for me when I am dead’ was the highlight of this group with Wilson’s dramatic interpretation and Hicks’ great accompaniment.

The final bracket of songs were mostly by Australian composers including Margaret Sutherland, Peter Sculthorpe, Henry Handel Richardson and Mirrie Hill.  All were of great interest, musically, and the various moods and emotions of the songs were nicely captured by Wilson.

The final work was the sonnet, ‘Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day’ by the Australian Frederick Septimus Kelly, who died in World War One.  The words are beautiful on their own but Kelly’s music gives them an emotional lift which Wilson and Hicks sang and played perfectly.  It was a memorable end to another fine Art Song Canberra concert.

 

Len Power's reviews are also broadcast on Artsound FM 92.7 in the ‘Arts Cafe’ and ‘Arts About’ programs.