'Two Weeks with the Queen' at Roo

I was fortunate enough to have this Saturday off work, and made my way to the Roo Theatre in Shellharbour to see Two Weeks with the Queen, the comedy based off Morris Gleitzman's novel of the same name. It was a small cast -- only nine on stage -- and the directorial debut of Daniel Stefanovski (working alongside veteran Roo director Nick Higgins), and it was a thought-provoking, funny, genuine show from start to finish.

The plot revolves around a young Australian boy, Colin Mudford (Aaron Arvela), and his trip to England following his brother Luke's diagnosis with cancer. Colin struggles with the very grown-up world into which he's suddenly been thrust, having to learn to cope with bigotry and loss before making his own decision to return home to spend what time he can with Luke.

The structure of the piece is very much designed for the original written media; the sheer number of scenes and seemingly endless transitions can be jarring at first, not giving the audience enough time with any of the characters to develop real bonds. After Colin's plane ride to England though... well, some things just need to be experienced. The intelligent, liberal application of set pieces never leaves the audience guessing where they are or what's going on. The sheer scale of the set is ambitious, certainly, and in other space it probably wouldn't have worked. The stage at Roo is so deep, however, that much of it could be used as storage space for the pieces that weren't needed for whichever scene was running.

The quality of acting on display was everything I've come to expect from Roo over the years and more. Everyone in the cast had their moments to shine, and moved the audience from laughter to tears and back again without missing a beat. Of particular note were lead Aaron Arvela and Juran Jones, who played Colin's cousin Alistair. Aaron took one breath at the start of the show and then didn't seem to stop talking until the end. He flawlessly captured Colin's childish naivety and inquisitiveness, and his incessant babbling provided the perfect catalyst to propel the plot along at breakneck pace. Juran was provided with the perfect opportunity to display his versatility as an actor, playing both the coddled, stuffy cousin Alistair and Colin's blokey father. Alistair's awkward demeanour quickly established him as an audience favourite, an engaging foil for Colin's natural charisma and a bumbling sidekick for his outrageous schemes.

James Poole and David Rienits as Ted and Grif, respectively, also deserve special mention for the treatment of their characters, but I don't want to spoil that subplot for anyone. Even though their situation becomes clear almost as soon as they're introduced, the payoff is delivered so beautifully that it would be wrong of me to steal that from anyone. The entire cast has clearly worked hard to produce a show of this calibre, and it's a shame that they couldn't have been miked;  I think everyone was guilty of losing at least one line by not projecting, and this could be a problem if you're sitting further back.

All in all, it's a fantastic show that honestly deserves much more attention than it's getting. This afternoon's matinee was cancelled due to low attendance, which is quite simply tragic given the effort that's gone into it. I imagine that most people reading this would know how much work it takes for a cast to get a show going in community theatre, and to have to abandon a performance because of a lack of interest is nothing short of devastating. I fully encourage you to get down to Shellharbour to see the show and judge it for yourself; I, for one, am hoping for another night off work to get to see it again.

The remaining show dates are:

Wednesday, 2nd May, 8pm

Friday, 4th May, 8pm

Saturday, 5th May, 2pm and 8pm

Friday, 11th May, 8pm

Saturday, 12th May, 2pm and 8pm

For more information or to book tickets see the Roo Theatre website at www.roo-theatre.com.au

(My apologies if anything funky is happening with this post, I'm afraid I exceeded my monthly downloads and am stuck on sub-dial up speeds. I... I can't even see pictures. :( )

2011 CAT Award Nominations

The 2011 Canberra Area Theatre Awards have announced their nominations for this year. Congratulations to all those who made the cut, especially to the local Illawarra productions!

Nominated Illawarra shows include:

Minefields and Miniskirts (Roo)

• Best ensemble in a play

Jesus Christ Superstar (WHSPA)

• Best lighting designer (Austin Cox and Adam Loughlin)
• Best orchestra for a school or youth musical
• Best youth actor in a featured role in a musical (Jack Dawson)
• Best youth actor in a leading role in a musical (Anthony Rule)
• Best youth actress in a leading role in a musical (Chloe Dobbs)
• Best musical director for a school or youth musical (Ruth Waters)
• Best director of a school or youth musical (Janet Cunningham)
• Best production of a school or youth musical

Noises Off (Roo)

• Best costume designer for a play (Glenda Stares)
• John Thomson Magic Moment of Theatre
• Best ensemble in a play
• Best director of a play (Steve Warwick)
• Best production of a play

Grease (SHYAC)

• Best youth actress in a featured role in a musical (Demi Turner)
• Best actress in a featured role in a musical (Melissa McShane)
• Best actress in a featured role in a musical (Monique Bastin)
• Best choreographer (Kelly Duroy)
• Best director for a school or youth musical (Adam Fisher)
• Best production of a school or youth musical

The full list of nominations can be found here.

The Gala Awards Night will be held on Saturday the 25th of February at the Llewllyn Hall, ANU, Canberra, starting at 7:00pm. Tickets are $49.60 for adults or $39.60 for children. For more information, see the CAT awards site.

'Little Women' at Arcadian's

Christopher Columbus! What a fantastic night was had at the opening of Arcadian's latest musical production 'Little Women'.

The show is an adaptation of the novel by Louisa May Alcott, following the lives of four sisters as they grow up during the American Civil War. As such, it's an appropriate family show with something for everyone thrown in. The play itself is a well-written condensation of the novel that perhaps omits more than Alcott purists would prefer, but the emotional core remains intact through the music.

The band (lead by Tim Verdon) was hidden from view, but did justice to the sizable score. It sounded like a small group working phenomenally hard, but unfortunately I didn't get a program (100% my bad for being late like a chump!) and can only say with any certainty that the sound coming from them was absolutely charming; a real treat. The volume in some of the quieter songs sometimes overpowered the cast, who were relying on drop mics for their sound, but the few times this happened didn't detract from the overall product.

The cast themselves were just phenomenal. The singing, acting, and dancing were top grade from everyone involved, and choreographer Greg Shand, MD Adam Vujic and most of all director Malcolm White deserve special praise for their treatment of the piece. Every line was delivered with clarity and meaning, cues were sharp, and it flowed flawlessly from start to finish. I really don't want to pull any one cast member out for special mention (even though I will); everyone was so exuberant and enthusiastic, and it was clear they had all worked so hard to make this piece shine as much as it did. Each did their part with absolute conviction, and it was just... good! That's what it boils down to. It was just genuinely so, so good, and I'd like to thank them all for a fantastic night at the theatre.

It's a testament to how good they were that I reread the paragraph above and feel like I haven't done justice to how strong the performance actually was, so I will just single out Lauren Kenyon (who played Jo) as an example. Jo is the second eldest of the March sisters, a fiery tomboy who loves to read and write. It's a diverse role ranging from headstrong determination to tears and grieving, and every second of Lauren's performance felt real and natural. She was a delight to watch on stage as Jo struggled with the realities of coming of age, and her strength as an actress provided the rest of the show with a focal point around which to revolve.

Finally, I'd like to mention the set. It's been my personal opinion for some time now that the major distinction between community and professional theatre is largely in the set design. The gap in talent is only very slight, if it's even present at all. The difference, then, is in the amount of money the professional shows have to throw into their sets (and costumes, but they're usually emulated fairly well), and therefore whether or not the show looks professional. 'Little Women', however, had everything it needed and more. Downstage of the curtain was split into the attic on stage right and Mrs. Kirke's boarding house on stage left, and it wasn't until a few songs in that the curtains opened to reveal the March's house. It was very cleverly done, and the set itself looked incredible.

All things considered, if you're a fan of the novel then you have no excuse not to see the Arcadian's production of the musical (unless it sells out). It's funny, it's touching, and above all it's beautifully, charmingly human. In a word: "astonishing"!

'Little Women' will be on at the Arcadian's Miner's Lamp Theatre, 141 Princes Highway, Corrimal, until Saturday the 3rd of December. Tickets can be purchased on 4284 8348 or online. The remaining dates are:

Saturday, 19th November - 2pm and 8pm

Friday,25th of November - 8pm

Saturday, 26th of November - 2pm and 8pm

Sunday, 27th of November - 2pm

Friday, 2nd of December - 8pm

Saturday, 3rd of December - 2pm and 8pm

Tickets are $23 for adults, $20 concession, or $12 for children (under eighteen). Additional information is available on the Facebook event page.

Merrigong Website Down

Some of you have probably already noticed that the Merrigong website is currently experiencing technical difficulties. This means that anyone looking to buy tickets for superb & broken, the Circus Monoxide show this weekend, should ring IPAC on 4224 5999 rather than trying to do it online.

Also a quick reminder that the Clown for the Theatre workshop is on at IPAC this Friday, Saturday and Sunday. It's $150 for a three day course on developing clown characters and looking at the hierarchy of humour and clown families. Jo Turner, who's running the workshop, has graduated L'Ecole Internationale de Theatre Jacques Lecoq and has taught throughout Australia and Europe, including at NIDA. You can contact Clare Spillman on 4224 5947 for more information, or refer to the Merrigong page once it's restored. Tickets are available on the IPAC number above.

The last IPAC show for October is the Sydney Theatre Company's annual Wharf Revue. A spot of political satire is always good fun, and there's a good reason the Wharf Revue gets the funding to come back each year.

Opening Night at Roo Theatre's 'Grease'

Seeing two different company's productions of Grease three times in four weeks sounds like the sort of thing most people would try to avoid, but the Grease experience is yet to grow stale with opening night at the Roo Theatre last night being an absolute blast.

The set design captures the bright atmosphere of the piece with a rainbow motif that leads nicely into the lives and times of Rydell's Class of 1959 with which we're all already familiar. At times even the massive stage of the Harbour Theatre seemed full to the brim with the dances of the talented ensemble, though at other times during the quieter scenes there seemed to be a lot of empty room around.  Sharp lighting design by Roo's resident guru Ray Clegg, executed by Leonie Smith, helped to focus the attention and keep the energy from dispersing from the action, however.

The action itself, was, of course, everything I've come to expect from the Roo Theatre Company over the years. It was funny, it was powerful, and seeing such a young enthusiastic cast out there having a ball makes for a genuinely entertaining and enjoyable evening. The four leads -- Josh Rugiano as Danny, Juliette McGowan as Sandy, Adam O'Brien as Kenickie and Charlotte Kerr as Rizzo -- pushed and pulled the piece along nicely, with O'Brien's energy really being a highlight of the night. He lead the T-Birds like a sheepdog, keeping them in line with his electric movements and strong voice. The contrast between himself and Kerr as sarcastic, dry-humoured Rizzo was fantastic, and the two really worked together as a couple. The chemistry between Rugiano and McGowan was more subtle, and I've always found it a fault of the script that all the real romance between Danny and Sandy happens offstage -- on the beach during those "Summer Nights", and mentions of phone calls later on; it's a real testament to the ability of both of them as actors that their young love doesn't just seem entirely out of place. Especial mention must be made of Josh Rugiano, who made his stage debut last night. Performing is difficult at the best of times, but Rugiano has really been thrown in the deep end with such a difficult role in such a well-known musical. He handles the role coolly and pulls it off without a hitch, and is sure to be worth watching in the future.

Also Juliette -- as well as putting on an incredible performance, as usual -- looked amazing in her tight black number at the end; it's a memory I will gladly take with me to the grave. Moving right along!

The majority of the other roles are dual cast, allowing the glory to be spread around, and of the cast I saw last night, not one of them could be faulted. Jan (played by Perri Rugg) quickly established herself as a crowd favourite, and Frenchy (Noelletta Toole) and Doody (James Rueda) were just adorable together. The two of them also had some of the strongest voices in the cast; how Toole produces such an enormous sound from such a small frame is beyond me. The scenes between Eugene and Cha-Cha, played by Lachlan O'Dea and Rosie Goderie, respectively, had me in stitches; the couple had a certain something else, a tightness in their acting and dialogue together that was the sacrifice the rest of the split cast paid as they seemed at times to struggle with having different people play different roles.

It's my personal opinion that splitting the cast like this was the sole detraction that stopped a really good show from being a great show. The alternate cast didn't really have any chances to shine, and it felt at times like half of the talent was just being cast aside, as they didn't always get to participate in ensemble numbers. Admittedly, this is something that initially bugged me -- that the quality of the show would be cut down like that -- but at the end of the day it's still a good show. I imagine that most of the audience will just have a great time having a great time, and if you enjoy having a great time, then I sincerely recommend this show to you. Sure, maybe it's not a good a show as it could have been, but when the audience walks away with smiles on their faces and words of praise, and more people in the cast get the chance to shine, to grow as actors and to expand their confidence as people, it was the right decision to make. In the long run, what's going to matter more; that an amateur theatre show wasn't as 100% good as it could have been, or that these young adults get a chance to express themselves and contribute to their community more? I may disagree with it on an artistic and technical level, but when a community theatre is able to engage and draw in more members of its community like this, then that's what really matters.

Okay so I totally had more to say about how much I really enjoyed the show but I just had some delicious barbecued chicken for dinner and got legit distracted. I know I wanted to mention the band, lead by MD "Big Dave" Wassink on the ivories. It may have been bareboned (with only four membes) but the sound they produced was remarkable, and it was fabulous being able to watch them on stage. I really wish more local productions had their bands visible like this; it was suitable to the style and feel of the show and honestly added so much. The accompanying Shoop-Shoop Girls (Rhiannon Perry, Mahlah Hoffman and Alycia Walton) were to die for, and their harmonies were pitch perfect thanks to vocal coach Jess Soden. A certain actor in a surprise cameo appearance as the Teen Angel also stole the show at the appropriate moment, and was a delight to watch onstage.

Choreography by Lauren Thrift was executed by an enthusiastic ensemble; it was a shame that there were only three gentlemen in it, but such is the way with amateur theatre, and it really didn't detract from the experience at all.

Finally, I want to praise the entire production team. I've mentioned Dave Wassink, Jess Soden and Lauren Thrift specifically already, but also amongst their ranks were assistant choreographer Alyse Downey, costume coordinator Sheridan Downey, assistant director Josif Jovanovski, producer Chris Micallef and -- drum roll please -- director Nick Higgins. As I went into in a bit more depth than I initially intended, a lot of the decisions that were made for Roo's Grease aren't ones that I necessarily would have made myself; but having seen them executed so well, I can't stress enough how impressed and enthused I am that this production was done the way it was.

Cast(s) of Grease, you can be sure I'll be back to see you again.

Grease is playing at the Roo Theatre's Harbour Theatre, on the corner of Addison and some other street in Shellharbour. I'm sure you have a Navman, or at least access to Google Maps. Tickets can be purchased on 4297 2891.

Remaining show dates are:

Wednesday, 26th of October - 8pm

Friday, 28th of October - 8pm

Saturday, 29th of October - 2pm and 8pm

Wednesday, 2nd of November - 8pm

Friday, 4th of November - 8pm

Saturday, 5th of November - 2pm and 8pm

Tickets are $30 adult or $25 concession, and additional information can be found on the Roo website or on the Facebook event page.

Opening Night at SHYAC's 'Grease'

Grease was the first live show I ever saw, as an arena spectacular at the Sydney Entertainment Centre in 1998. It seems fitting, then, that it should not only be the first show I review on this blog, but that it itself is the first 'senior' musical production put on by the Southern Highlands Youth Arts Council.

This, to me, is incredible; the energy, enthusiasm and professionalism that was displayed by the entire young (13-25yo) cast was phenomenal -- and that's an understatement. Together, they presented a fun, funny, and at times genuinely touching romp through Rydell High.

The focal point of this whirlwind of '50s teen culture was head greaser Danny Zuko, played by Brett Johnson. Johnson's slick movements and powerful voice were the perfect catalyst to propel the show forwards, and the energy never once flagged or failed with him on stage. His lovably goofy antics created a character more flawed, human, and ridiculously, hilariously proud than the standard John Travolta performance with which most are familiar, and the entire show benefitted as a result of it.

Similarly, his opposite Sandy Dumbrowski (Amanda Aitkin) was a gutsier, stronger interpretation, with a gutsier, stronger voice to match. Well known ballad 'Hopelessly Devoted to You' stood out as an example of her more mature voice, which served to present Sandy as a more mature young lady who had made her own decisions of how to run her life, rather than a timid daddy's girl who had had her decisions made for her. It was a refreshing, powerful performance, and every moment of her stage time was a joy.

Likewise, their respective gangs, the T-Birds (Burger Palace Boys? I always get confused as to what to call them in which version) and Pink Ladies contained memorable personas reinforced by strong characterisation. Each performer had their time to shine, and each knew when to let their peers take the spotlight. The Pink Ladies in particular were strongly differentiated from one another (sorry fellas), simply by virtue of the script giving them more individual nuances. I honestly want to list you each by name and go on at length about how amazing every single one of you was, but there simply isn't that much room on the internet.

Along the same vein, though, Melissa McShane did an outstanding job of turning annoying cheerleader Patty Simcox into someone I could believe existed, and Matthew Flaus as Eugene... I mean this as a compliment to his characterisation, but even I wanted to punch him in the face and steal his lunch money.

All of his lunch money.

These brilliant performances were supported and enhanced by one of the more intelligent set designs I've seen in recent years; a minimalist white space with a hefty lighting grid transforming a corner of the Mittagong RSL club into... well, just about anything. White blocks created cars, chairs, tables, beds, and Greased Lightnin' herself was a sight to behold.

The entire creative team should be patting themselves on the back; director Adam Fisher is no stranger to bringing out the best in a young cast, and the band lead by MD Michael Cooper was flawless. The music just sounded good; it sounds simple, but there's no other way to succinctly describe it. It was just so good, and perhaps more importantly, true to the show and to the era. By the way, band, your bow ties looked magnificent.

I've saved my most praiseworthy comments for last, though; the choreography by Kelly Duroy. An explosion of colourful costumes enhanced by simple but effective (and in many instances complex and mindblowing -- I'm looking at you, Cha-Cha, a.k.a. Demi Turner) movements turned the ensemble into a well-greased (pun always intended) musical machine. The dancing was just so tight and well done, you had to look closely to try to determine who was a trained dancer and who had just thrown themselves into the moment.

As always on opening night, there were a few glitches present, but a couple of hiccups from mic feedback weren't enough to hold this explosive cast back from showing all present why, all these years later, Grease is still the word.

Grease is playing at the Mittagong RSL Club. Tickets can be purchased by phoning 4872 6700 or online from their website.
Remaining show dates are:
Saturday, 15th of October - 8pm
Sunday, 16th of October - 2pm
Friday, 21st of October - 8pm
Saturday, 22nd of October - 2pm and 8pm
Sunday, 23rd of October - 2pm

Additional information is available on the Facebook event page.