15 August. Kwinana. The journey southwards had proven largely uneventful though the carriage driver had insisted on stuffing my pockets with cloves of garlic and the howling of wolves was occasionally distracting. The castle, while well lit, was not as intimidating as I had expected, certainly not by English standards. There was even a piece of furniture strewn on the grounds. The villagers seemed eager to meet the Count as they thronged inside. There is a sense of anticipation in the air, along with plenty of fog and one or two bats. I do hope the Count is worth it. He seems such a lovely chap in our correspondence to date. I predict a most profitable arrangement though I do worry these endeavours shall drain the life out of me.
So wrote your intrepid reviewer in his *ahem* journal as he headed off to meet the Count. Said reviewer was prompted to remark further:
16 August. South Perth. Returned safely last night but only by the skin of my teeth. The Count is a most charming fellow though he seems to have a curious obsession with necks and a complete disdain for garlic. He also keeps the strangest hours. I must lie down now as I feel curiously lethargic and the early morning sunlight has cause to vex me.
Okay, enough with the allusions to one of the most famous of all gothic horror novels, Bram Stoker's Dracula, on which this comedy is based. We all know the names - Dracula, Van Helsing, Renfield, Jonathan Harker, Lucy (yes, alright, Mina too) Westfeldt... and Kitty. If I were to keep a journal these are the four observations I would make about the show:
1) The Power Of Laughter. Theatre can be many things - inspiring, thought provoking, educational, provocative. But there's also something to be said for a good, old-fashioned belly laugh. And laugh I did throughout this show as did the rest of the audience. Turn the source material into a British-style farce, add a pantomime Dame or two, ratchet up the absurdity and you have a very funny production. Did it illuminate the human condition? No. Was it silly? Yes. Did it make me laugh. Hell, yes!
2)
Dracula is truly immortal. Of all the supernatural tales and beasties, vampires are my favourite and Dracula is the granddaddy of all vampires. There is an enduring fascination with stories about an undead creature that seduces and beguiles. There have been numerous adaptations including Francis Ford Coppola's wonderfully atmospheric movie. Here it's played for laughs but the backbone of the story is so well ingrained in all of us that we know the tropes from wooden stakes to coffins filled with soil to the lack of reflection in mirrors. That knowledge allows the production to zip along without having to overly explain things.
3) The Actor's Voice. What a powerful tool the voice is in any actor's arsenal. To project, to modulate, to startle, to command attention. There will be much talk about the rapid fire costume changes and hilarious wig work but the element that grabbed my attention was the extraordinary vocal performances. There's no dodgy Keanu Reeves accent here! Matthew Jones is at the forefront of this as Mina and Van Helsing. These characters, especially Mina, are dialled up to 11 but his vocal command and variation is exceptional and drove a lot of the comedy. The best transition was a vocal one as Jamie Jewell's Renfield 'falls' out of a window at the rear of the stage and reappears stage left as Dr Wallace Westfeldt with fading screams of terror seamlessly blending into the doctor's first word. Fabulous.
4)
Execution. This may be a comedy spoof but the level of execution is extremely high. Once it found its rhythm this clatters along with, literally, dizzying costume changes as four of the cast play multiple characters with Matthew Walford the one constant as Count Dracula. The 'montage sequence' towards the end of the play is a cheeky poke at movie transitions; Tatum Stafford's Lucy attempting to console the cleverly staged wig of her afflicted sister is wonderfully daft as is her bawdy boots n' all scene with a revitalised Jonathan (Nathan Breedt). There's even some excellent puppet work by Breedt as Lucy's former suitors appear and quickly disparage poor Mina.
Walford makes for a sensual Dracula with a touch of Frank-N-Furter and a dash of rock star swagger. Breedt is the straight man in all the craziness as the milquetoast Harker until he's not in an eye-catching transformation. Stafford imbues Lucy with an earnestness that is tested by the wiles of Dracula but also a fortitude and sense of adventure that her fiancé Jonathan lacks. Jewell is upstanding as Dr Westfeldt and not quite so upright as the manic Renfield. While Jones is simply arresting in drag as the lustful Mina and girl power icon Van Helsing.
Director Christopher Alvaro embraces the farce with glee and there's a manic energy to the whole production. He's well supported with excellent lighting design by Chloe Palliser which leans into the over-the-top theatricality of the material but there are also a couple of startling character reveals as Jones materialises out of darkness. Alvaro's own sound design effectively gives us all the expected tropes from howling wolves to organ music to creaking doors and windswept ships. Yvette Drager Wetherilt excels yet again with an array of wigs, some of which are nearly characters in their own right. Costume Design by Cherie Alvaro provides the stylised gothic look while Peter "Pear" Carr and Alvaro's simple set design allows the cast plenty of room to cavort and roam.
I had a lot of fun with this production down at the Koorliny Arts Castl-- um, Centre and there are two more shows remaining on 16 & 17 August.
Photos by Outatime Pictures
No comments:
Post a Comment