I've seen quite a few amazing shows this year, particularly over the last few months. Then, there are others that I caught last year as well, which were great too. Point is, I'm now trying to gather up a nice detailed list of theatre/art companies that I like, which is particularly difficult when brain memory is as useful as nerd glasses without lenses.
Very quickly, here they are:
Thyestes, The Hayloft Project
Winners (and deservedly so) of the 2010 Melbourne Fringe Festival Best Performance Award. The young theatre group also brought us Yuri Wells, but Thyestes, a contemporary remake of Seneca's Greek tragedy of the same name about two brothers, made me feel things no show has done in the long time - scratch that - ever. Is this necessarily a good thing? Yes, no - doesn't matter. The show tells the tale of brothers Thyestes and Atreus and explores fraternity, incest, rape, power, violence and betrayal set in modern times. The production was confrontational, unsettling, powerful, but also oddly beautiful in the way it visually, stylistically, musically enclosed such a heinous tragedy. It also sealed the Hayloft Project as a theatre group to be reckoned with and to watch closely, for who knows what they will come up with next.
(Season over)
I did not expect to like this show as much as I did. Starring Christie Whelan, written and produced by Dean Bryant with musical direction by Matthew Frank (Once We Lived Here, Virgins), the cabaret was hilarious (literally, in tears from laughing) but also remarkably poignant. It is always a worry when shows take on such overdone subject matters like Spears; the production could have easily been a just another parody, or a lesser version of Saturday Night Live, instead, it was (surprisingly) original, fresh and memorable, and one of those few shows you walk out off but want to watch again.
Venue: Chapel off Chapel, Melbourne
Dates: October 6 - 24
A Study in Scarlet (A Study Of...), Vicious Fish Theatre
Ordinarily, I would not have gone to watch a show like this. Firstly, they lost me at "CSI" (featured in blurb), and secondly, no sentiments of mine are (were) in any way drawn to Sir Arthur Conan Doyle or his little friend, Sherlock Holmes. But boy am I glad I went!
In this performance, we follow Robert Lloyd's multi-character one man show re-enact Doyle's debut Sherlock Holmes murder mystery with compelling anticipation.
I suppose, if I break it down to the bare minimum and ask what we look for in a show (minus the philosophical humdrum), then the answer to that would be simply: to be entertained. Being entertained can come in all shapes and forms, and in A Study in Scarlet (not sure about the name though) I supremely enjoyed Robert Lloyd's animated storytelling skills. It is no wonder he was a part of The Storytellers Club.
If I break it down further, I remember feeling less cynical than my usual self, and thus found Lloyd's passion/obsession for the adventures of Sherlock Holmes rather endearing. The show was chock full of anecdotal material with Lloyd segueing in out of a multitude of characters from Holmes, to Dr. Watson, to the villain, right back to himself again. Particular attention was taken to capture a string of British accents, and for that, I am grateful.
(Season over)
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