LORD OF THE FLIES (PLAY)

Written by William Goulding

Adapted by Nigel Williams

Directed by Caitlin Baker & Lachlan Houen

Canberra REP at the Canberra REP Theatre, Acton to 10 August

 

Reviewed by Len Power 26 July 2024

 

First published in 1954, William Goulding’s “Lord Of The Flies” became a best-selling novel which has also been filmed. It’s long been a choice for reading in schools, and it remains a popular and well-known novel.

Stranded on a remote island after a plane crash, a group of English schoolboys try to govern themselves with disastrous results. The story challenges our ideas about civility and chaos as well as morality and the power of leadership.

Adapted for the stage by Nigel Williams, the play is a good choice for the dramatic opportunities it gives a young cast.

However, the decision by the directors to cast females to play male characters is distracting and confusing with most of these cast members struggling to find valid characterizations.

Only Winsome Oglivie convinced as schoolboy, Piggy. Her strong, thoughtful performance showed that gender changing can work if the actor is skilful enough to play the internal and external aspects required by the character.

Joshua James gave a good performance as Ralph, the schoolboy who tried to reason with democracy and kindness. His sensitive performance made the problems he faced more gripping and real as the play progressed.

Ty McKenzie as Jack began well but needed to find more ways to express anger as the frustration and aggression of his character grew. His continual shouting became tiresome. Characterizations of most of the cast needed more depth.

The atmospheric island set with its various acting levels and spaces, designed by Michael Sparks, should have given the directors plenty of choices for staging, but the action often seemed too restricted where it was played on the set, making it look unconvincing.

The continual drumming behind the action in the second act made it sound like an old Tarzan movie and you wondered if, maybe, there were other people on the island after all. If all the survivors were onstage, who was drumming?

The final scene with the appearance of the naval officer was melodramatic. It was never made clear when the action of the play took place and the 1950s-sounding authority of the naval officer barking commands, which the boys dutifully and silently obeyed, seemed unrealistic, producing unbelieving laughter from the audience.

This was not the strong and believable theatre experience it should have been.

 

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

MARY STUART (PLAY)

An adaptation by Kate Mulvaney after Friedrich Schiller

Directed by Luke Rogers

Chaika Theatre at the ACT Hub Theatre, Kingston to 3 August

 

Reviewed by Len Power 24 July 2024

 

The story of Mary, Queen Of Scots has been the subject of many books, films, plays and opera over the years. This version has been adapted by Kate Mulvaney from the 1800 play by the German author, Friedrich Schiller. Her version was staged in 2019 in Sydney.

The play starts towards the end of Mary Stuart’s long imprisonment in England. In the legendary rivalry between Elizabeth I and Mary Stuart, great forces are at play, with nations at stake and citizens ready to fight for the just cause. Mulvaney’s adaptation with its modern sensibility focusses on their personal conflict, finding a clever way to bring them dramatically together, even though they never actually met.

The large cast of ten bring this story vividly to life in director, Luke Rogers’ production. The production design by Kathleen Kershaw has the acting space in the form of a cross with the audience seated on both sides. This creates an intimacy between cast and onlookers, drawing us deeply into the play.

Performances by the cast members playing courtiers and others are effective, with especially fine work from Richard Manning as Burleigh, James McMahon as Mortimer, Cameron Thomas as Paulet and Jarrad West as Leicester.

Steph Roberts as Mary Stuart

In the leading roles of Queen Elizabeth and Mary Stuart, Karen Vickery and Steph Roberts are a great match for each other, giving their very different characters nobility, strength and colour as opposing queens while still appealing to us as troubled and real women.

Karen Vickery as Queen Elizabeth I

Mulvaney brings them together in a troubled, drunken dream by Elizabeth after a party. The dialogue in this long scene crackles with electricity and it’s the highlight of the play. Both actors give extraordinary performances in this key scene with never a false moment, making these women deeply human, not just dusty characters from history.

Costuming is a mix of modern day with a suggestion of the period and is quite effective. The sound design by Georgia Snudden provides a subtle soundscape with surprising, but apt, modern music for the party scene at the start of the second act.

Director, Luke Rogers, has brought all the elements of this handsome production together very well. It’s a great production like this that we always hope for when we go to the theatre.

Photos by Jane Duong 

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

 

ECHOED VOICES (CONCERT)

Siobhan Stagg, soprano

Nico de Villiers, piano

National Opera presentation

Albert Hall July 19

 

Reviewed by Len Power

 

Securing the right to host a recital with Australian star soprano, Siobhan Stagg and pianist Nico de Villiers, National Opera had good reason to be proud of themselves.

Born in Mildura, Victoria, Stagg joined the Deutsche Oper Berlin as a young artist, spending six years there as a principal soloist, singing Sophie in Der Rosenkavalier, Micaëla in Carmen, Gilda in Rigoletto, Marguerite in Les Huguenots, Musetta in La Boheme and Zerlina in Don Giovanni, to name just a few of her lead roles.

Even as a young artist, she stepped into serious roles elsewhere at short notice, notably Pamina in Mozart’s The Magic Flute at London’s Royal Opera House. Her US debut was as Cinderella in Massenet’s Cendrillon at the Lyric Opera of Chicago and, back at home, she sang Mélisande in Pelléas et Mélisande for Victorian Opera, winning her a 2019 Green Room Award.

Siobhan Stagg

South African pianist, coach and author Nico de Villiers holds degrees from the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama, the University of Michigan and the Guildhall School of Music and Drama.

He has performed as soloist, accompanist and chamber musician in many prestigious venues internationally. He has long been infatuated with the Dutch-American composer, Richard Hageman and has spent years promoting Hageman’s music.

Nico de Villiers

A Dutch-American composer, Hageman, after becoming an American citizen in 1925, famously conducted for the Metropolitan Opera and coached at the Curtis Institute. He even shared an Academy Award in Hollywood for his score to John Ford’s western movie, Stagecoach. He also acted on film as the conductor, Carlo Santi, in The Great Caruso.

This unusual recital, Echoed Voices, featured works by Richard Hageman, Richard Strauss and Henri Duparc. Educational as well as entertaining, Stagg sang many of Hageman’s songs along with others by Strauss and Duparc. Nico de Villiers explained and demonstrated in fascinating detail the influences of those two composers on Hageman’s work.

Nico de Villiers and Siobhan Stagg

To listen to Stagg singing is to realize you’re in the presence of a great and deservedly renowned singer. Her powerful voice soars effortlessly to the high notes which she then easily sustains. She displays a notable sensitivity in quieter moments of the songs and her ability to display emotions with her voice and body language showed that she is also a fine actress. It was impossible to choose any song as a highlight of the recital as they were all superbly sung.

Both artists showed that Richard Hageman’s work is worthy of greater recognition. Siobhan Stagg and Nico de Villiers made warm and down to earth connections with the audience by their friendly explanations of the songs. It gave an unusual intimacy to the evening.

 

Photos by Peter Hislop

This review was first published by Canberra CityNews digital edition on 20 July 2024.

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