Adapted by
Carolyn Burns – Directed by Simon Phillips
Lighting
designed by Nick Schlieper – Set designed by Simon Phillips and Nick Schlieper
Costumes
designed by Esther Marie Hayes – Composer and soundscape by Ian McDonald
Audio visual
design by Josh Burns – Associate Director: Jessica Burns.
Lyric
Theatre, Sydney until 3rd April.
Performance
on 26th March reviewed by Bill Stephens.
 |
| Amber McMahon (Eve Kendall) - David Campbell (Roger O. Thornhill) |
With the
opening of the brilliant Handa Opera on Sydney Harbour production of “Phantom
of the Opera” this week, Sydney audiences have the opportunity to see two
examples of the work of Director, Simon Phillips and Lighting designer, Nick
Schlieper.
Originally devised
for presentation during the Melbourne Theatre Company’s 2015 season, this
clever stage adaptation of the 1959 classic Alfred Hitchcock American spy film,
“North by Northwest”, directed by Simon Phillips with lighting design by Nick
Schlieper and stage setting designed by both Phillips and Schlieper, proved so
popular with audiences that it was revived for an encore Melbourne season in
2016.
The
production attracted the attention of British company, Theatre Royal Bath
Productions, and was remounted with a British cast as part of the 2017 Summer
Season in Bath, following which it travelled to Toronto for a six-week season
at the Royal Alexandra Theatre.
 |
| Kaeng Chan - David Campbell - Dorge Swallow |
In 2018 and
2019, it was presented for limited seasons in Brisbane and Adelaide, with a
cast of British and Australian actors. Now it has finally reached Sydney, again
remounted and looking as shiny as a new pin, for this very limited run in the
Lyric Theatre. This time with an entirely new cast led by David Campbell
playing Roger O Thornhill, the role originated
by Cary Grant in the film.
Supporting Campbell
is an all-star cast including Amber
McMahon, perfect as the glamorous, femme-fatale double agent, Eve Kendall (and
others), Bert Labonte, suave and mysterious as the villainous Phillip Van Damm
(and others) with Genevieve Lemon, Sharon Millerchip, Tony Llewellyn-Jones,
Alex Rathgeber, Berynn Schwerdt, Dorje Swallow, Kaeng Chan, Lachlan Woods,
Nicholas Bell, Wadih Dona, Caroline Craig and Douglass Hansell, between them
swapping costumes, manipulating props and transforming the stage with the countless
other characters encountered in trains, airports, offices and hotel lobbies, necessary
for the fast-moving action demanded by the storyline.
 |
| A scene from "North by Northwest" |
Indeed, part
of the fun is trying to recognise which actor is portraying which of the myriad
of characters so convincingly that it comes
as a surprise in the end to discover that Campbell is the only actor in the show
who portrays only one character, such is
the finesse of the others.
Not that
Campbell is slacking. He’s quite brilliant as the focal point of the action capturing
a fascinating mix of amused savoie faire and steely confidence to convince that
he can cope with any of the unlikely situations in which he finds himself,
while taking the audience with him for the rapid-fire adventure.
 |
| Genevieve Lemon - David Campbell |
The
storyline follows the adventures of Roger O. Thornhill, a New York advertising executive
who is kidnapped by thugs who mistake him for a man named George Kaplan. They
refuse to believe that Thornhill is not Kaplan and try to kill him. When their attempt fails Thornhill finds
himself implicated in a murder, so decides to flee setting off a series of
dangerous escapes.
The complex,
sophisticated metal and glass setting allows the audience to share some of the secrets of the
special effects being created around the actors, as they re-create the
fast-moving, James Bond-style action,
which has Campbell’s character, Roger O Thornhill, narrowly escaping an
horrific collision, being menaced by a
low-flying crop-duster plane, and best of all, flirting with death while
rescuing the blonde and beautiful Eve Kendall by clambering down the famous Mount
Rushmore sculptures, hotly pursued by the villains.
 |
| Tony Llewellyn-Jones - David Campbell |
It’s all
ripping good fun and matters not a jot to the enjoyment of this production, that
you’ve never seen the Hitchcock film which inspired this brilliant homage. But if
you have, your appreciation of how cleverly the film has been re-imagined for
the stage will certainly be enhanced.
As presented
in this all-too-brief Sydney season, this production can be celebrated for what
it is; a thoroughly entertaining and brilliant piece of theatre-making by
world-class Australian creatives and actors. Try not to miss it.
Photos by Daniel Boud.
This review also published in AUSTRALIAN ARTS REVIEW. www.artsreview.com.au