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| The Return to the Forbidden Planet ensemble Photo: Rebecca Doyle |
Queanbeyan
Players
The Q,
Queanbeyan Performing Arts Centre - 7 – 22nd
June
Reviewed by
Bill Stephens
Despite a
terrific light-show, a fresh young cast, colourful costumes, and a score of
familiar songs, this musical, set in a space ship and based very loosely on
Shakespeare’s “The Tempest”, takes a long time to actually take flight. Following an over-long audience participation
opening, followed by a couple of well-staged ensemble routines, the show
settles into a series of solos, delivered centre-stage by various of the
principal characters.
There is
little of Stephen Pike’s usual inventive direction in evidence, and for much of
the show the ensemble just sit around watching the principals come and go. Most
of these principals struggle to find a cohesive delivery style for the faux -Shakespearean
dialogue losing many of the jokes through dropped cues and insecure delivery.
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| Ruth Albertson-Kill as Miranda Photo : Rebecca Doyle |
However
there are good performances from Dave Evans as Captain Tempest, Veronica
Thwaites-Brown as the Science Officer, and John Kelly as Ariel the Robot. Both Ruth
Albertson-Kill as the winsome Miranda, and Lachlan Whan whose manic solo in the
second act provides one of the highlights, will be even more effective as they finesse
their roles. Alicia Da Costa impressed
in a small role as Navigation Officer.
Nicholas
Griffin leads the excellent band, and though it needs more bells and whistles
to convince as the inside of a space-ship, Thompson Quan Wing’ s set is attractive and functional. It’s not there
yet, but a couple of performances may be all it takes for this production to
become the hilarious romp intended.