JOYCE YANG - KALEIDOSCOPIC COLORS - Snow Concert Hall International Series & Piano +

Snow concert Hall, Canberra. 14th May 2024.

Reviewed by BILL STEPHENS.

What is it that lifts a piano player into the realm of greatness?

This was a quandary that came to mind when Joyce Yang completed her introduction to her program with the remark that like every great pianist she hoped her audience would enjoy her program.

Born in Korea Joyce Yang’s aptitude for the piano emerged early. When she was about to turn four her auntie decided that Joyce would be her first music student and persuaded her parents to buy her a piano for her fourth birthday.

By the time Joyce was 15, although too young to enter the Julliard pre-college Concerto Competition, she nevertheless set herself the task of learning the assigned repertoire: Grieg’s Piano Concerto.

By age 19, as the youngest competitor in the 12th Van Cliburn International Piano Competition, Joyce began to attract international attention by winning not only the silver medal but two other awards as well.

In the 19 years since, Joyce Yang has travelled the world forging her career and cementing her reputation as an extraordinarily talented concert pianist, performing with the most prestigious symphony orchestras and earning herself a Grammy nomination along the way.

For this concert, which she performed in the Snow Concert Hall prior to her performances with the Sydney Symphony Orchestra, Yang chose a program of works by Russian composers, Tchaikovsky, Rachmaninoff, Stravinsky and Mussorgsky.

By delightful happenstance, she performed on the Snow Concert Hall’s newly acquired Steinway Model D Concert Grand. Known as “The Olley”, this piano was originally purchased brand new for the Sydney Conservatorium in 2005, the year Yang won her silver medal at the Van Cliburn International Piano Competition.

Yang opened her program with six short piano pieces selected from a series of twelve, written by Tchaikovsky under the title of The Seasons Op.37a. Tchaikovsky composed these pieces on commission for an innovative magazine editor who had promised his readers a different Tchaikovsky composition each month. He wrote these twelve pieces at the same time as he was also composing Swan Lake.

From the twelve works Yang chose No.1 January: By the Fireside, No.2 February: Carnival, No. 4 April: Snowdrop, No.5 May: May Nights, No.6: June: Barcarolle and No 8. August: Harvest.

As the titles suggest each of these little piano sketches represented a different season or inspiration. They’ve achieved popularity among recitalists as encores. For For Yang however they provided a charming introduction, allowing her to demonstrate her impressive technical prowess and emotional connection with the music, while introducing her to her audience and allowing her to explore ‘the Olley’.

Following the Seasons she deepened the mood with three Rachmaninoff preludes selected from his 13 Preludes Op.32 and 10 Preludes Op.23. Producing a warm bold sound with dramatic extended pauses and rich voicings she explored the lustrous sonority of the instrument, before letting loose the fireworks with a dazzling performance of three movements from Stravinsky’s The Firebird.

It was in The Firebird that Yang’s virtuosic technique was on full display. Despite the obvious complexities of the work with its crashing dissonant chording, Yang appeared in complete control, demanding and receiving from her instrument a huge, clearly defined sound with which to fill the Snow Concert Hall. It was a thrilling performance which received thunderous recognition from her excited audience.

Following a short interval Yang performed Mussorgsky’s Pictures at an Exhibition which like the Tchaikovsky allowed her to demonstrate the full range of the effortless technique for which she is justly celebrated.

But demonstrating technique was not Yang’s interest. She obviously takes her technique for granted, for as she worked through her program she appeared serene, allowing herself the occasional gentle smile, even finishing a piece with a flourish.

By selecting such a wide-ranging program Yang’s purpose was to put her technique to the service of the music to enable each member of her audience to discover what it was that each composer wanted them to experience while listening to their music.

In that she certainly succeeded, and rewarded herself by pleasuring her audience with an encore by one of her favourite composers; a gentle nocturne by Grieg.

After this performance, was there anyone present who would disagree that Joyce Yang should be labelled a great pianist?

                                                  Image by K.T.Kim


       This review also published in Australian Arts Review. www.artsreview.com.au

.

GASLIGHT

 

Written by Patrick Hamilton

Adapted by Johnna Wright and Patty Jamieson

Directed by Lee Lewis

Presented by Rodney Rigby and Queensland Theatre

Canberra Theatre, Canberra Theatre Centre to 19 May

 

Reviewed by Len Power 15 May 2024

 

“Gaslight” was, first of all, a British play of 1938 called “Gas Light” by Patrick Hamilton. The play had a long run on Broadway in 1942, re-titled “Angel Street”, and was made into two movies, both called “Gaslight”. There was a 1940 British film and the more famous American film of 1944 that starred Ingrid Bergman and Charles Boyer. This current adaptation by Johnna Wright and Patty Jamieson, premiered at Canada’s 2022 Shaw Festival.

While there are variations in the different versions, they are all about a husband trying to drive his wife insane, with theft as the motivation.  While the term, “gaslighting” is not used in any of the versions, the play’s plot inspired the modern use of the term as a verb to describe the manipulation of people in a similar way to that of the wife in the play.

The performances of the cast of four were excellent. Geraldine Hakewill as Bella, the wife, gave a fine study of a nervy woman doubting herself at the start of the play and growing subtly stronger as the play progresses. Toby Schmitz was very effective as the evil husband, Jack, and Kate Fitzpatrick brought an impressive depth to her role as the stern housekeeper, Elizabeth. Courtney Cavallaro maintained a fine air of mystery in her role as the new maid, Nancy.

It’s certainly an expensive-looking period production with a substantial and detailed set and costumes designed by Renée Mulder. Amongst the impressive aspects of a generally clever sound design by Paul Charlier was the atmospheric sound of gas lamps being turned on and burning. However, the mysterious sounds from rooms above, that no-one but the wife can hear, sounded like a heavy locomotive being moved around. It was unbelievable that no-one else could hear it.

The play has a strong first act that plays very well with a particularly clever and startling moment just before the end. Unfortunately, the second act is not as effective, with a loss of tension and strange character motivations as well as dialogue near the end that is just laughable. The director, Lee Lewis, has staged it well but a good director cannot overcome script problems.

This adaptation of the play has been promoted in the media as “liberating” and “re-imagined”. It implies that the original play is somehow faulty, outdated or needed fixing. A quality amateur production of the original play was performed here by Canberra REP in 2015. It played much better than this misguided effort.

 

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/ .

 

GASLIGHT

 

Gaslight

Written by Patrick Hamilton and adapted by Johnna Wright and Patty Jameison. Directed by Lee Lewis. Set and costume design Renee Mulder. Lighting design Paul Jackson. Original music and sound design Paul Charlier. Casting director Lauren Wiley. Technical Direction Daniel Maddison and David Worthy Voice and dialect coach Gabrielle Rogers. Movement and intimacy Nigel Poulton. Presented by Rodney Rigby, Queensland Theatre, Marriner Group and TEG. General management New Theatricals. Execurtive producer Ben Finn. Canberra Theatre Centre. Canberra Theatre. May 16-19 2024. Bookings: 6275 2700 or canberratheatrecentre.com.au.

Reviewed by Peter Wilkins

 

Geraldine Hakewill as Bella and Toby Schmitz as Jack
in Patrick Hamilton's GASLIGHT

 A sinister tension hangs in the air as the curtain rises on Renee Mulder’s lavish design of a London residence in the 1880s. Jack Manningham (Toby Schmitz) is concerned that his wife Bella (Geraldine Hakewill) is showing signs of delusion.  Unexplained events are shrouded in mystery.  A portrait of the previous owner, Alice Barlow is removed from the wall and hidden. Noises from the attic above torment the bewildered Bella. The gaslight inexplicably dims. Housemaid Elizabeth (Kate Fitzpatrick) and maid Nancy (Courtney Cavallaro) are falsely accused of stealing Bella’s mother’s pearl necklace. Bella is terrified when husband Jack leaves her alone at night. Is Bella losing her mind? Or is she the victim, tormented by deliberate deception for some ominous purpose?

Geraldine Hakewill, Kate Fitzpatrick as Elizabeth, and Toby Schmitz 

Patrick Hamilton’s 1938 psychological thriller Gaslight is a timely lesson in the fearful practice of coercion. Johnna Wright and Pattie Jamieson’s adaptation of Hamilton’s play focuses on the insidious nature of suggestive manipulation, casting Bella into a world of self-doubt in which she is forced to question her sanity. Director Lee Lewis charts the suspense with insightful command of the thriller genre. She is assisted by Paul Charlier’s original music and sound design, varying the instrumentation to suggest the repetitive torment to the confused brain or the sudden shock of the storm. The atmosphere is riveting, heart-stopping in its tension and intriguing in its depiction of coercive control.  

Lewis directs an outstanding cast in this gripping revival of the play that gave us the term gaslighting. Schmitz’s Manningham oozes sincerity in his concern for Bella’s welfare while insinuating unsettling accusation. Hakewill gives a magnificent performance as Bella, struggling on the precipice of insanity, at times collapsing in despair until a chance twist in events reveals her innate strength. Schmitz and Hakewill are strongly supported by Fitzpatrick’s perfect depiction of the austere Victorian housemaid Elizabeth, dressed in black and echoing the Gothic spirit of the loyal servant harbouring a private trauma. Cavallaro capitalizes on the feisty and opportunistic character of the chambermaid Nancy as she seeks the opportunity to lift her above the circumstances of her class.

Toby Schmitz as Jack Manningham

At a time when domestic violence and coercion are high on the political agenda it is imperative that Hamilton’s 1938 thriller should provide opportunity and hope for a society concerned with the issue of gaslighting. It is significant that Bella’s chance discovery of evidence of deception at the end of the first act should give rise to her inner strength as a catalyst for empowerment. The tables turn in a triumph of good over evil. However, Hamilton’s Gaslight, intelligently adapted by Wright and Jamieson is not a Victorian melodrama. Though true to the era in style and design, this touring production shines a light on a social issue that dare not be ignored. Lee Lewis’s staging of Patrick Hamilton’s Gaslight is a highly polished and professional production that will have you sitting on the edge of your seat, your heart thumping and your mind whirling. This is a work not to be missed, not only because it is so highly entertaining in the Gothic and film noir tradition, but because it casts a contemporary light upon a society grappling with the impact of coercion and the role that society and government can play to provide support and empowerment to those affected by all forms of psychological abuse.

Gaslight is playing for a limited season only at the Canberra Theatre. Be sure to catch this revitalized revival before the curtain falls on this excellent production. 

The Trojan War . A Slightly Isolated Dog. Directed by Leo Gene Peters. The Q Theatre. May 14-15. 

New Zealand’s A Slightly Isolated Dog came through a couple of years ago with Don Juan and Jekyll and Hyde. Their forte is funny, anarchical stuff, slightly creepy and with a feeling of improvisation brought up to concert pitch. They do it all in French accents and oddly Gothic costumes. There’s singing and music and many sound effects. They are Susie Berry, Jack Buchanan, Andrew Paterson, Johnathan Price and Comfrey Sanders.

They are adept at co opting audience into speaking roles with the adroit use of cue cards. Given the size of the Trojan War story and that there are only five in the cast that’s real assistance in retelling a massive multi character epic. The first night’s audience was more than happy to oblige.

Parts are played by whoever is available at a given moment, audience or actors. Props and costumes are lashed together out of oddments  with some particularly gorgeous recreations of ancient helmets. The Trojan Horse is a visual triumph made out of cardboard boxes. And Helen of Troy, no matter who plays her,  evokes deep beauty with a crown, a veil and a handheld torch. 

In fact despite the general insanity of the playing and the bursting into song it would not be a bad introduction to Homer and this fundamental Western legend.  There’s much stopping to explain what you might have forgotten and who is who, from Helen to Paris to Hector to Achilles. A Slightly Isolated Dog make sure you never get lost. 

They are back in Queanbeyan but only briefly. But it was a welcome return for this audience manipulating bunch. Give them a full house tonight. 

Alanna Maclean

THE TROJAN WAR

 

The Trojan War.  A Slightly Isolated Dog production.

Directed by Leo Gene Peters.Tour producer Nicholas Clark. Performers Susie Berry, Jack Buchanan, Andrew Paterson, Jonathan Price and Comfrey Sanders. Production photos Brig Bee Photo. The Q. Queanbeyan Performing Arts Centre.Queanbeyan-Palarang Council. May 14 and 15 2024. Bookings 62856290

Reviewed by Peter Wilkins

 

History lessons were never this much fun. But then the stories of old weren’t told with such hilarity by that hysterically madcap troupe of Kiwis from across the sea. A Slightly Isolated Dog that last brought their version of Don Juan to The Q have returned with their take on the Trojan War. It’s the perfect choice for this zany and anarchic group of performers who hurl convention to the wind and embark on an odyssey of mayhem and side-splitting entertainment.

With their special brand of audience participation, quick witted adlibbing and improvisation, A Slightly Isolated Dog weave the story of the Trojan War through discourse on Fate, dissertation on marriage, reference to the Light Rail and contemporary references. Audience members assume the roles of Gods Zeus and Athena, or are brought from the audience to play minor characters or operate the sea during Odysseus’ struggle with the Cyclops and the Sirens on his epic journey to Troy. This is history and not everything may ring true. King Aaron (another enthusiastic audience member and reading his prompt cards with feeling), did not win the hand of Helen. Luke threw himself into the fray with gusto to help Achilles battle the Trojans. But then there is enough in A Slightly Isolated Dog’s version  of the tale of King Priam, Helen of Troy, Hector and Achilles and Paris and their fate on which to hang some semblance of truth in the story of the Trojan War and the wooden horse .

It would be simplistic to claim that The Trojan War is A Slightly Isolated Dog’s manic or shambolic romp through ancient history and myth.  At times it is manic, but there is nothing shambolic about this tightly produced  and cleverly conceived interactive piece of highly skilled physical theatre. This is a company at the top of its idiosyncratic game. From the moment the actors greet the audience in the foyer before the show to the interaction with unsuspecting audience members who play along with the gag to the doubling up and the fracturing of the fourth wall, the timing is perfect, the energy is through the roof, the musical numbers rock and the curing is slick, aided by excellent lighting and sound design and operation.

A Slightly Isolated Dog recalls the tradition of the strolling players. Their set is simple – cardboard boxes that can represent battlements or be converted into a wooden horse. The large swathe of blue material emerges from an old suitcase to become the ocean. A makeshift cardboard mask becomes the great Achilles’ helmet. Weapons are mimed and the battle becomes a run-around of assault at each other and the audience.  It is high octane theatre created and presented by an ensemble of performers who keep the audience transfixed and in fits of laughter.

On their last visit A Slightly Isolated Dog promised that their production of Don Juan would offer “comedy, chaos, participation and delight”. . It’s a promise they have kept with The Trojan War.

 

  

REVERIE CHAMBER CLASSICS

 

Canberra Symphony Orchestra's Chamber Ensemble

CSO Chamber Ensemble

Albert Hall, Yarralumla May 12

 

Reviewed by Len Power

 

On a chilly autumn afternoon, Canberra Symphony Orchestra’s Chamber Ensemble presented a warming program of string quartets by Joseph Haydn and Edvard Grieg.

The Chamber Ensemble, consisting of Kirsten Williams, violin, Pip Thompson, violin, Lucy Carrigy-Ryan, viola, and Patrick Suthers, cello, began with Haydn’s String Quartet in F major, Op.50, No.5 The Dream.

Composed in 1787, it is one of 6 quartets of his Opus 50. Four of the quartets, including The Dream were lost for centuries until they turned up in a shopping bag in Melbourne in the 1980s. The find was a revelation to Haydn scholars.

This gorgeous work began brightly, surging along with energy and an underlying tension. It was followed by the serene second movement that earned this quartet the nickname The Dream. The ensemble’s playing of this part was exceptionally clear and quite moving.

The third movement, a minuet with dark undertones, was also given a fine performance leading into the finale, the playing of which was full of energy and sparkle.

The second item on the program was Grieg’s String Quartet No. 1 in G minor, Op. 27. It was the second of three string quartets written by the composer – the first is now lost. It was written in 1877-78.

Setting a dark tone at the beginning of the first movement, the richness of Grieg’s music carried through the whole quartet. His beloved Norwegian folk music informs the work throughout. It was given a colourful performance by the ensemble through all four movements. Their playing of the melodious second movement and the stirring finale was particularly enjoyable.

Right on cue, the sun streamed in through the large windows of the Albert Hall as the audience showed their appreciation for this charming concert.

 

Photos by Martin Ollmann

This review was first published by Canberra CityNews digital edition on 13 May 2024.

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/.

 

 

 

ESME' QUARTET - Llewellyn Hall, Canberra

 

The Esme' Quartet.

Presented by Musica Viva

Performed by Wonhee Bae (violin 1), Yuna Ha (violin 2) Dimitri Murrath (viola) Yeeun Heo (cello).

Llewellyn Hall, Canberra, May 10th 2024.

Reviewed by BILL STEPHENS.

Wonhee Bae - Esme' Quartet

A particularly fascinating feature of this recital was that each composer was under 35 years of age when they composed the work featured. The ages of all four virtuosi who make up the Esme’ Quartet falls within this age range.

The three original female members of the Esme’ Quartet met and became friends when they were studying at the Hochschule fur Musik in Cologne, Germany. They formed the quartet in 2016, naming it the Esme’ from the old French word for ‘beloved’.

Wonhee Bae and Yuna Ha - Esme' Quartet

The four South Korean musicians immediately began to attract attention as a young, all-Asian female ensemble. But it was their First Prize win, along with swag of special prizes, at the 2018 International String Quartet Competition at London’s Wigmore Hall that provided their sensational launch into an international string quartet career.

They immediately embarked on a whirlwind year of concerts in North America, Hong Kong and Japan, and have since maintained a busy schedule of performances and recording engagements prior to this inaugural Australian tour for Musica Viva.

Dimitri Murrah - Yeeun Heo - Esme' Quartet

The metaphoric ugly duckling of the quartet, Belgian-American violist Dimitri Murrah, joined the Esme’ Quartet in April 2023, confiding at the ‘Meet the Artists” talk after the concert that having been asked to suggest a possible replacement for one of the original members, decided to recommend himself, and “from the first note playing together, it felt as if I had been playing with this group for many years”.

This is exactly as it sounded because from the very first notes of the only movement Webern wrote for Langsamer Satz, with which the quartet commenced its recital, the audience could sense that it was in for something special.

Apparently written by Webern at age 22, while on a hiking trip, as a love song to the woman he would later marry, Langsamer Satz, as offered by the Esme’ Quartet, was 9 minutes of exquisite romantic bliss, perfectly balanced and phrased, and a perfect entree to Mendelssohn’s more demanding String Quartet No.2 in A minor, Op.13.

Dimitri Murrath - Yeehun Heo - Esme' Quartet

Mendelssohn was just 18 when he wrote this quartet and still developing his compositional repertoire. The quartet contains those busy effervescent passages recognisable in many of Mendelssohn’s later compositions, offset by darker passages reflecting the young composer’s fascination with the compositions of Beethoven, all played with such attention to detail and balance that it was often difficult to define which instrument was producing which sound.

The most unusual, and therefore, perhaps the most interesting inclusion, was a composition by Australian composer, Jack Frerer who composed Spiral Sequences when he was just 23.

Determinedly abstract, the beginning required bowing so vigorous that Wonhee Bae was often bounced out of her chair. The captivating hypnotic slow section which finished the composition was played so quietly, with the bows barely touching the strings that the audience was reluctant to breathe.

The final work in the program was Debussy’s only string quartet, his String Quartet in G minor, Op. 10. Written when he was 31 years old, this demanding work requires a number of bowing and plucking techniques; challenges which this quartet appeared to relish and execute with considerable flair as they communicated nuances between each other with quiet smiles and glances of encouragement.

Whether it was the relative youthfulness of the musicians, or of the composers, the confident, stylish joie de vivre with which this concert was executed certainly inspired a rapturous reception from its audience. It’s reward was a encore offering of Korean classical music.

Images by Tony McDonough

This review also published in AUSTRALIAN ARTS REVIEW.  www.artsreview.com.au

FOURTEEN - Shake & Stir Theatre Co.

Ryan Hodson - Conor Leach in "Fourteen"

 

Directed by Nick Skubij – Set Design by Josh McIntosh

Costumes designed by Fabian Holford – Lighting designed by Trent Suidgeest

Sound designer and composer: Guy Webster – Choreographed by Dan Venz

Canberra Theatre Centre Playhouse 9^th – 11^th May 2024.

Performance on 9^th May reviewed by BILL STEPHENS

Karen Crone and Conor Leach in "Fourteen".

Shake & Stir Theatre Company can always be relied upon for its impressively mounted and performed productions. Fourteen will certainly rank among its best and most provocative.

Based on a best-selling memoir by Shannon Molloy, Fourteen tells the true story of a year of self- discovery for an effeminate year 9 student attending an all-boys school in the quiet Queensland beach community of Yeppoon.   

The audience is introduced to Shannon on his wedding day in 2019, but how he got to this happy place is not the concern of the play.  Rather its focus is on events that occurred 20 years earlier, when being different was a much harder path.

Shannon’s story is no romantic romcom, but neither is it dark tragedy. Many of the elements are familiar, but it is how Director Nick Skubij and his team of creatives at Shake & Stir tell this story that makes this production memorable.

Josh McIntosh’s versatile two-story setting successfully captures the ambiance of a small Queensland town. With its central revolve, wheeled staircases, furniture and dropdowns, it transforms easily into an endless variety of locales.

Colourful lighting design by Trent Suidgeest, a pumping 90’s soundtrack by Guy Webster, and delightful choreographic contributions by Dan Venz, provide an optimistic atmosphere to counter the shock of coarse language, a brutal bashing and self-harm scenes.

When the play finishes it comes as a shock to discover that all the characters who inhabit Shannon’s world are portrayed by just seven extraordinary actors whose lightning fast costume changes are enabled by witty costumes designed by Fabian Holford.

Only Conor Leach plays a single role, and he captivates with his cleverly nuanced portrayal of the resilient young Shannon Molloy struggling against forces which try to deny him the right to be the person he knows he really is. 

Judy Hainsworth- Conor Leach - Amy Ingram in "Fourteen"

Everyone else in Shannon’s life is played by Leon Cain, Karen Crone, Judy Hainsworth, Ryan Hudson, Amy Ingram and Steven Rooke who between them create a whole town-full of kooky, warm-hearted, brutal, funny, thoroughly entertaining and believable characters with whom to  laugh, empathise and even shed a tear.   

In telling his story, which is far from unique, Shannon Molloy has created a remarkable play which shines a spotlight on an all-too common situation. Shake & Stir has turned his play into a memorable production which happily will be seen widely during this tour. Don’t miss your chance to experience it.

                                                        Images by Joel Devereux

       This review first published in the digital edition of CITY NEWS on 11.05.24

FOURTEEN

 

Fourteen

Writer Shannon Molloy, Adapted by Nelle Lee, Nick Skubij with Shannon Molloy. Directed by Nick Skubij. Creative Producer Ross Balbuziente. Set Designer Josh McIntosh. Costume Designer Fabian Holford. Lighting Designer Trent Suidgeest.Sound Designer & Composer Guy Webster. Choreographer Dan Venz. Intimacy Director Michelle Miall. Fight Director Tim Dashwood

Featuring Leon Cain, Karen Crone, Judy Hainsworth, Ryan Hodson, Amy Ingram, Conor Leach as Shannon Molloy, and Steven Rooke. Shake&Stir Theatre Company. The Playhouse. Canberra Theatre Centre. May 9-11 2024. Bookings: canberratheatrecentre.com.au

Reviewed by Peter Wilkins

 

Shake&Stir ‘s excellent reputation exceeds all expectation with the company’s production of Shannon Molloy’s Fourteen. The year is 1999 and fourteen year old Shannon Molloy lives with his mother in the Queensland coastal town of Yepoon.  At one point during the play after having been bullied and beaten by classmates at his Christian Brother’s school  the terrified young boy says “How can things be so beautiful and so awful at the same time.” Young Shannon harbours a terrible secret. He is a pubescent teenager coming to grips with the fact that he is gay. At school he is the victim of vilification by homophobic students and an unsympathetic teacher. Only a handful of friends and his family offer support. Based on Molloy’s award winning novel, the stage adaptation is a powerfully visceral experience, performed with bristling vitality and courageous honesty.

Although Fourteen  recounts the experience of one young  boy , it reflects the torment of abuse and prejudice that so many young people face as they grapple with puberty and sexuality. As I watched Shake & Stir’s production unfold, I was struck both by its relevance to the community debate on domestic violence and, even after a gap of a quarter of a century, how disturbingly relevant Molloy’s story is. Fourteen is being lauded in theatres across the country, but it is also a powerful piece of theatre in education that should be seen by every student and their teachers across the country. It has the power to influence attitudes and change lives and give young people facing Molloy’s struggles resilience and eventual liberation. It affirms the love and support of family and friends and offers hope of a better future.

Amy Ingram as Rhonda. Conor Leach as Shannon

Shake & Stir’s production of Fourteen takes audiences on an emotional rollercoaster ride through the human experience.  Beautifully structured, the action of the play takes you through moments of sheer cruelty such as the beating scene to suddenly be relieved by a dynamically and funny routine to a piece of Nineties pop.  There is heart wrenching pain when Molloy is asked by an art teacher to recount incidents that made him sad, lonely or confused and as the revolve carries him in a circle of reflection, the haunting sound of Sarti’s music lends the scene pathos. This is then contrasted by the Yepoon Fashion Show auditions and the comical actions of friends Rhonda and Margo.  Director Nick Skubij leads the audience on a rollercoaster ride of mixed emotions from Dan Venz’s slick choreography to pounding pop music to the tender, awkward moment of Molloy’s first kiss to the distressing assault in the toilet block.  Josh McIntosh’s towering set design transports the audience from classroom to home to toilets to the community hall and spaces of intimacy, solitude and escape.

Conor Leach as Shannon Molloy in Fourteen

Central to the production is Conor Leach’s performance as the fourteen year old Molloy, struggling to survive in an antagonistic environment until self-determination and good fortune offer the opportunity for a new and successful life. Leach is superb in the role of Molloy, acting as narrator to his life story and the tormented gay boy grappling with his sexuality in the isolated town of Yepoon. He is wonderfully supported by an ensemble of actors who double up in various role and carry the action through with moments of exploding energy and sensitivity.

Shake&Stir remain true to their name, producing theatre of the highest quality that confronts in this instance an issue that is still centre stage in the community’s consciousness. After twenty five years, in spite of any progress, the plight of gay young teenagers seeking love and acceptance still prevails. Molloy is offered an exit card. In a moment that chokes in the throat, his mother turns and says “I love you” It is a powerful testimony to the power of love and acceptance.

Conor Leach and Karen Crone as Mother 

Shake&Stir’s Fourteen is not to be missed. It is riveting, highly professional theatre, but more than that it is a beacon to a society that still has a way to go to accept and support all those who may be regarded as different. Fourteen runs for 100 minutes without an interval and every minute offers a moment of   must see theatre.

Photos by Joel Deveraux

★★★★★

FOURTEEN

 

Writer: Shannon Molloy

Adaptors: Nelle Lee, Nick Skubij with Shannon Molloy

Directed by Nick Skubij

Shake & Stir Theatre Co.

The Playhouse, Canberra Theatre Centre to 11 May

 

Reviewed by Len Power 9 May 2024

 

You could be forgiven for thinking that a student’s homophobic experience involving gay-bashing, constant bullying and betrayal, must have occurred way back in the 1950s at least. In “Fourteen”, based on the best-selling memoir by award-winning journalist Shannon Molloy, it’s shocking that his story happened as recently as 1999.

Taking place at an all-boys rugby-mad Catholic school in Yeppoon, regional Queensland, where Molloy was a year 9 student, we follow him in a year of self-discovery set amidst this backdrop of homophobia – not just at the hands of his peers, but by the adults who were meant to protect him.

As much uplifting and funny as it is gut-wrenching and honest, this coming-of-age memoir is also a story of resilience, the fierce support of close friends and family, teenage hopes, dreams and the music of the time.

Shake & Stir Theatre Co. have transformed this story into a powerful theatrical production full of energy and imaginative staging. It’s a colourful, edgy entertainment that takes the audience on a whirlwind journey through this time in Molloy’s life.

Achieving an easy intimacy by speaking directly to the audience, Conor Leach plays Shannon Molloy with charm and strength. In spite of the madness around him, we sense that he will survive and be stronger for his experiences. It’s a highly-nuanced characterization.

Conor Leach as Shannon Molloy

The six other cast members, Leon Cain, Karen Crone, Judy Hainsworth, Ryan Hodson, Amy Ingram and Steven Rooke play multiple roles of the people in Molloy’s story. They are all effective and believable, creating a series of memorable characters.

Director, Nick Skubij, keeps the action moving at a break-neck speed. The level of his imaginative staging is breathtaking, utilising every part of the attractive and substantial multi-level set designed by Josh McIntosh.

Sound designer and composer, Guy Webster’s driving musical background of 90s hit songs adds immeasurably to the atmosphere of the time and the lighting design of Trent Suidgeest adds an appealing visual polish to the show.

Queensland’s Shake & Stir Theatre Co. have given us another highly original and memorable staging that is a raw and exciting entertainment.

 

Photos supplied by the production.

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/ .

 

 

FIVE WOMEN WEARING THE SAME DRESS

 

Five Women Wearing The Same |Dress

Written by Alan Ball. Directed by Steph Roberts. Assistant director Lachlan Houen. Producer, sound and lighting designer Nikki Fitzgerald. Stage Manager Lucy van Dooren. Set design Chris Zuber, Costume Design Fiona Leach. Photography Eva Schroeder (Promotional), Ben Appleton (Production) Everyman Theatre. ACT HUB. 16 pSinifex St. Kingston. May 8-18 2024. Bookings: ACTHUB.COM.AU

Reviewed by Peter Wilkins.

Dolly Parton’s signature song Working 9-5 immediately sets the scene for Alan Ball’s comedy Five Women Wearing The Same Dress.  In the town of Knoxville in the deep southern state of Tennessee five bridesmaids of bride to be Tracy gather in the upstairs bedroom of Tracy’s sister Meredith, while below guests gather for the ostentatious southern wedding. Each bridesmaid is very different from the rebellious pot smoking sister, Meredith to the sweet and innocent fundamentalist Christian Frances, the neurotic Georgeanne, the lesbian Mindy and Trisha the friend with the sleep around reputation. As the play progresses and the women reveal hidden secrets, unravel unexpected truths and expose darkest fears and confusions the bond between them becomes more apparent.

Winsome Ogilvie as Meredith

In the hands of an inexperienced  cast and creatives, Five Women Wearing the Same Dress could become another parade of drawling southern stereotypes. Director Steph Roberts’ production for Everyman Theatre at ACT HUB skillfully delves beneath the superficial to flesh out the characters of the five women. Each actor captures convincingly the individuality of their character while effectively expressing the attitudes and opinions that they share. The support that they give each other, in spite of differences and argument is poignant and touching. Playwright Alan Ball’s characters burst into life under Roberts’ tight and imaginative direction.  Hannah Lance’s feisty Meredith sensitively captures the pathos of her admission of molestation by her sister’s former fiance.  Charley Allanah lends Georgeanne an emotional fragility that is touching and revealing. Winsome Ogilvie’s Frances is the perfect foil to Kelly Roberts’ down to earth reality. Their debate on faith and Christian fundamental belief creates a chasm of opposing views which is resolved by Trisha doing Frances’s hair for the reception. Kristy Griffin’s Mindy injects a delightful touch of comedy while also capturing a sense of discrimination in her lesbian partner’s overlooked invitation. Ball’s play delivers surprises. What at the outset could appear to be another comical look at women’s business develops more profound moments of introspection. In an expression of sisterhood while on the gym equipment in the bedroom, Mindy expresses her attack against men, but not all men she hastily adds.

Charley Allanah as Georgeanne

Joel Horwood plays the only male character, usher Griffin Lyle Davenport the Third (better known as Tripp). Horwood gives a delightful rabbit caught in the headlights performance as he succumbs to Trisha’s cat and mouse game of sexual attraction. Roberts’ Trisha leaves little doubt as to who is the cat in this game of tease and who the mouse.

There is unity and conformity in Ball’s title. There is also individuality and uniqueness in the interaction between the characters and ultimately, in the final moment of the play as the group photo is taken there is solidarity. Fiona Leach’s carefully created dresses serve as a mockery of convention while Ball strips away the veneer to reveal a more diverse individuality. Roberts elicits excellent performances from her ensemble of actors. The result is an entertaining production played in the round in Chris Zuber’s  interesting hexagonal design.  

Don’t be fooled by expectation. There is more to Ball’s play than meets the eye. Director Roberts and her cast capture its subtlety and irony and while there is much hilarity there is also the touch of pathos that lurks beneath the surface. Everyman Theatre has produced an excellent piece of theatre that will entertain every man and every woman alike.   

FIVE WOMEN WEARING THE SAME DRESS

 

 

Five Women Wearing The Same |Dress

Written by Alan Ball. Directed by Steph Roberts. Assistant director Lachlan Houen. Producer, sound and lighting designer Nikki Fitzgerald. Stage Manager Lucy van Dooren. Set design Chris Zuber, Costume Design Fiona Leach. Photography Eva Schroeder (Promotional), Ben Appleton (Production) Everyman Theatre. ACT HUB. 16 Spinifex St. Kingston. May 8-18 2024. Bookings: ACTHUB.COM.AU

Reviewed by Peter Wilkins.

Dolly Parton’s signature song Working 9-5 immediately sets the scene for Alan Ball’s comedy Five Women Wearing The Same Dress.  In the town of Knoxville in the deep southern state of Tennessee five bridesmaids of bride to be Tracy gather in the upstairs bedroom of Tracy’s sister Meredith, while below guests gather for the ostentatious southern wedding. Each bridesmaid is very different from the rebellious pot smoking sister, Meredith to the sweet and innocent fundamentalist Christian Frances, the neurotic Georgeanne, the lesbian Mindy and Trisha the friend with the sleep around reputation. As the play progresses and the women reveal hidden secrets, unravel unexpected truths and expose darkest fears and confusions the bond between them becomes more apparent.

In the hands of an inexperienced cast and director, Five Women Wearing The Same Dress could become another parade of drawling southern stereotypes. Director Steph Roberts’ production for Everyman Theatre at ACT HUB skillfully delves beneath the superficial to flesh out the characters of the five women. Each actor captures convincingly the individuality of their character while effectively expressing the attitudes and opinions that they share. The support that they give each other, in spite of differences and argument is poignant and touching. Playwright Alan Ball’s characters burst into life under Roberts’ tight and imaginative direction.  Winsome Ogilvie'’s feisty Meredith sensitively captures the pathos of her admission of molestation by her sister’s former fiance.  Charley Allanah lends Georgeanne an emotional fragility that is touching and revealing. Hannah Lances’s Frances is the perfect foil to Kelly Roberts’ down to earth reality. Their debate on faith and Christian fundamental belief creates a chasm of opposing views which is resolved by Trisha doing Frances’s hair for the reception. Kristy Griffin’s Mindy injects a delightful touch of comedy while also capturing a sense of discrimination in her lesbian partner’s overlooked invitation. Ball’s play delivers surprises. What at the outset could appear to be another comical look at women’s business develops more profound moments of introspection. In an expression of sisterhood while on the gym equipment in the bedroom, Mindy expresses her attack against men, but not all men she hastily adds.

 Joel Horwood plays the only male character, usher Griffin Lyle Davenport the Third (better known as Tripp). Horwood gives a delightful rabbit caught in the headlights performance as he succumbs to Trisha’s cat and mouse game of sexual attraction. Roberts’ Trisha leaves little doubt as to who is the cat in this game of tease and who the mouse.

There is unity and conformity in Ball’s title. There is also individuality and uniqueness in the interaction between the characters and ultimately, in the final moment of the play as the group photo is taken there is solidarity. Fiona Leach’s carefully created dresses serve as a mockery of convention while Ball strips away the veneer to reveal a more diverse individuality. Roberts elicits excellent performances from her ensemble of actors. The result is an entertaining production played in the round in Chris Zuber’s  interesting hexagonal design.  

Don’t be fooled by expectation. There is more to Ball’s play than meets the eye. Director Roberts and her cast capture its subtlety and irony and while there is much hilarity there is also the touch of pathos that lurks beneath the surface. Everyman Theatre has produced an excellent piece of theatre that will entertain every man and every woman alike.