WAAPA Showcase (3 November 2017)

From Stephen Sondheim to David Mamet; Kander & Ebb to Peter Shaffer; Jason Robert Brown to Patrick Marber... you're unlikely to see as diverse a selection of acting excerpts and musical theatre numbers in two hours as you do at WAAPA's annual Showcase.

The W.A.A.P.A. Friends Of The Academy Showcase night is one of my favourite dates on the Perth theatre calendar as we get to say goodbye and celebrate the graduating musical theatre and acting students. I actually find it inspirational to witness the talent on display after three gruelling years of study and knowing that this marks the transition point from student to professional career.

As always that talent is across the board excellent. Congratulations to each and every one of you and all the best for your future endeavours and careers.

If I may offer a limited selection of favourites from the night...

Acting Showreel scenes:

A delightfully quirky scene featuring Katherine Pearson as an unusual theatre patron encountering Martin Quinn's somewhat bewildered director after the premiere of his play.

Spider-Man meets Catwoman in a very well written scene that highlighted the talents of Jack Scott and Laura McDonald with a nice array of emotions and underlying message. The writing was so perfectly suited to the actors' strengths I was delighted to discover Scott himself had written it.

Acting scenes:

An oft encountered pairing who have excellent onstage chemistry, Roy Joseph and Laura McDonald, in an excerpt from John Patrick Shanley's Danny and the Deep Blue Sea. I loved the physicality of the scene, their accent work, and the clear, crisp action changes. Many other scenes saw blocking where the actors were too far apart in key dramatic and/or emotional moments. Here, Joseph and McDonald were literally in each other's face which heightened the potency of the scene. 

Sasha Simon's fierce performance playing opposite Mitchell Bourke in a scene from People, Places and Things by Duncan Macmillan. The focus is squarely on Simon as her character fights for help on her own terms. A smart decision therefore to have Bourke (who sets the table nicely) sitting angled away from the audience so that she was featured.

Musical Theatre numbers:

One of my absolute joys at the theatre is being surprised. That is often the case when someone who maybe hasn't been featured as much in the last couple of years blows you away in a jaw-on-the-floor moment. Here it was Chloe Bremner's performance of Behind These Walls which was superb.

Finn Alexander taking a song written for a female character - Sondheim's Losing My Mind from Follies - and making it his own in an exquisite performance. Brave choice, excellent execution that paid off in spades.

I have to also mention the musical accompaniment on piano from WAAPA's own Kohan van Sambeeck that was a non-stop, hour long tour de force.

In the days to come agents and managers and talent scouts and all sorts of other people will make decisons based on what they see at the final Showcase in Perth tomorrow night and then in Sydney and Melbourne. On the evidence of tonight I look forward to reading of agent signings and then casting announcements, both screen and stage, from here on in.  

WAAPA Showcase - Perth (3 November 2014)

At the end of the musical theatre section of Monday night’s Showcase the screen at the rear of the stage showed all the performers in a line, looking fabulous and in high spirits. As the camera pans across them it stops abruptly and 2014’s graduating class all look over their shoulder… at a Centrelink sign. It received a big laugh from the audience but there’s a sobering message underneath the humour. Things are about to get real and the stakes are high. On Saturday 18 actors and 20 MT performers will leave for the eastern states and two Showcase performances, one in Melbourne, one in Sydney. Agents and professional careers await. 

On the evidence of this performance the prospects are very good that all of them will find representation and be gracing our screens, both small and large, and stages throughout the world for years to come.

This gives me a moment of pause as I can’t possibly do justice to an evening that featured 21 pieces for the actors with another 23 musical theatre acts after intermission. However, I have decided to give general impressions and then list some of my personal highlights. Others will be making far more significant determinations in the coming days so my apologies in advance for the omissions. Let me say this though, it has been an absolute pleasure watching both classes throughout the year and this special Showcase performance for the Friends of the Academy was a fitting send off. I look forward to seeing your work in the coming years.

Okay, enough first act exposition! The evening was held at the Geoff Gibbs Theatre and I was fortunate to have a seat in the front row. The acting class was up first and their program was a mix of showreel scenes played on the big screen and live performances. The other aspect for both classes was individually filmed introductions for each actor/performer that were quirky and amusing to give a real sense of personality.    

The showreel scenes were directed by Andrew Lewis himself and looked terrific. My favourite was a beautifully nuanced piece between Holly Dyroff and Aleks Mikic who conveyed the subtext between their housemate characters superbly. Felicity McKay and Jane Watt had a fun scene that went in an unexpected direction involving a bathtub and, well, let’s just say, unusual interruptions. Joel Horwood and Harriet Davies were in a lovely ‘walk and talk’ scene that was understated and quite philosophical. What struck me through all the filmed scenes was the natural screen presence the actors had with Adam Sollis, Alexis Lane, Liam Maguire, Alex Malone and Emma Diaz also impressing.

Of the live pieces, Jane Watt gave a memorable performance as an over-eager participant in a fox hunt (Decadence); Holly Dyroff started proceedings with a bang in a scene from Venus in Furs with Jonny Hawkins; while Henry Hammersla and Felicity McKay attacked an excerpt from Enron in great style. There were a couple of 'classics’ thrown in with Stephanie Tsindos and Emma Diaz giving a new take on The Odd Couple while Joel Horwood and Alex Malone had fun with some Woody Allen style neuroses from Annie Hall. Aleks Mikic gave a really physical turn with a piece called Road. The riskiest act was written and performed by Adam Sollis and Jonny Hawkins who had a little fun with the whole showcase concept in a performance piece called We Are Acting that was amusing and clever.

Then it was all over. Friends and family were waiting in the foyer and there was a sense of relief and excitement. I congratulated those unencumbered by well-wishers and had a brief chat with Jonny who is always generous with his time.

Next up was the musical theatre class and there was a real Chicago vibe going on from Suzie Melloy featuring in Roxie to Jessica Voivenel’s Can’t Do It Alone and ensemble work to Overture/All That Jazz, Cell Block Tango and Hot Honey Rag. That suited me just fine! Sondheim also had a work out with Sophie Cheeseman giving a wonderfully moving rendition of Not A Day Goes By and Ben Adams reprising his star turn in Merrily We Roll Along with Franklin Shepard Inc. Daniel Berini was very strong with Finishing the Hat and Ashleigh Rubenach charming as she sang On The Steps of The Palace from Into the Woods.

Other highlights included William Groucutt’s crowd pleasing Boyband which is such a well-executed showcase of his talents. Similarly, Max Bimbi’s The Plane (is Going Down) always gets a laugh but is a demanding piece that he does very well. Rounding out the quirky quotient was Nick Eynaud’s To Excess which features quite disturbing lyrics if you stop to think about it but is presented with such goofy charm that we laugh anyway.

Perhaps my favourite piece was Lyndon Watts’ Le Jazz Hot, a stirring exhibition of his singing and dancing skills. It was very slick and yes, very hot. Du Toit Bredenkamp gave a stirring rendition of The Streets of Dublin then there was Rebecca Hetherington’s powerful No One Will Bruise where she didn’t miss a beat with the only blemish on the night – the woman next to me whose mobile starting ringing - come on people, it’s not that fucking difficult, turn the damn thing off or put it on silent! I very much liked Shannen Alyce’s With You and Sophie Stokes ended the evening with a terrific performance of On My Way. I should also mention the excellent work on piano by Kohan van Sambeeck while Groucutt and Bredenkamp provided occasional musical assistance.

Afterwards I had conversations with Suzie, Ashleigh, Sophie, Daniel, Nick, and Rebecca and again what strikes me is how generous they are with their time and how genuinely lovely they are. Interestingly, many expressed how much more nervous they were performing in front of their peers that afternoon. For many this is also their last week in Perth so it is a massive time of change and future prospects.

In all, an excellent night with some two hours of entertainment that is the culmination of three years of hard work, talent, and dedication that I can only but admire.

To the acting class of Julio Cesar, Harriet Davies, Emma Diaz, Holly Dyroff, Alexander Frank, Henry Hammersla, Jonny Hawkins, Joel Horwood, Alexis Lane, Liam Maguire, Alex Malone, Kristy Marillier, Felicity McKay, Aleks Mikic, Harry Richardson, Adam Sollis, Stephanie Tsindos, and Jane Watt; and the musical theatre class of Ben Adams, Shannen Alyce, Daniel Berini, Max Bimbi, Du Toit Bredenkamp, Eloise Cassidy, Sophie Cheeseman, Nick Eynaud, William Groucutt, Rebecca Hetherington, Miranda Macpherson, Stephen Madsen, Suzie Melloy, Ashleigh Rubenach, Sophie Stokes, Jack Van Staveren, Jessica Voivenel, Lyndon Watts, Patrick Whitbread, and Chloe Wilson I wish you all the best for the eastern states’ Showcases and your future careers!

Shows reviewed from this year:

Acting: Festen, Realism, Great Expectations, and Choice Cuts

Musical Theatre: Hair, West Side Story, Merrily We Roll Along, and Best Bits

WAAPA Open Day (10 August 2014)

A shining jewel in this State’s Arts sector is, without a doubt, the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts. It is one of the leading academies in the world and there was much excitement recently when perhaps its most famous alum, Hugh Jackman, announced the Jackman-Furness Foundation to provide much needed financial support.

I joined the Friends of the Academy this year and have already seen five productions with another four booked. The talent on display has been nothing less than exceptional. Not only the performances on stage but the quality of the sets, props, costumes, lighting, sound, musicianship, the whole experience.

In this regard WAAPA’s reputation is truly deserved. As a screenwriter I know quite a few actors and, for many, getting in to WAAPA is an all-consuming goal. To say it is competitive is an understatement. I’ve known talented performers forced to look elsewhere after the heartbreak of getting so close but not close enough to gain one of those prized offers, whether it be in acting, musical theatre, dance, or any of the other disciplines available.

So when WAAPA opens its doors to the public it’s a big thing. Hopefuls with big dreams and wide eyes come to glean information on how to make their goals come true. Their parents, knowing how much a placement here means, are just as eager. For me, it’s a chance to glimpse behind the curtain and see how the magic is made…

I arrived early and what a glorious morning it was – sunny and crisp with people setting up stalls and refreshments stands. Inside, I check in at the main foyer and ask a few questions about locations having already worked out what I’d like to see. There is no shortage of students, staff and volunteers on hand to answer questions and they are all friendly and willing to help. While I wait for a tour to start I am drawn to the Geoff Gibbs Theatre where a sound check is in progress. A band is onstage, initially in darkness – bass, keyboards, drums, lead guitar and three singers. They are doing Marvin Gaye’s classic, What’s Going On and it sounds amazing with a tasty guitar solo and great vocals. Up next a quirky Sting song, the name of which escapes me at the moment, followed by a single vocalist accompanied on piano. A beautiful rendition of a song I wasn’t familiar with. I am impressed with how casual and relaxed they all are and the genuine sense of fun and play. This is a feeling that permeates the day.

Next is the tour of the props and scenery workshop, lighting and sound studios, costume and design studios, and workshops. Again, students and staff are on hand to introduce their sections and what they do with plenty of displays and actual props and costumes and the like. It’s a fascinating insight into all the work done behind the scenes for the some 40 productions put on each year. Down in the workshop I talk to a student and (I’m guessing) staff member about the amazing set for West Side Story and how the ‘trucks’ were built and how little time the performers had to rehearse with them. A feature of the tour is a custom made Indiana Jones set where I get to talking to three students who are delightful and rightfully proud of their work – all for Open Day only, all to be pulled down afterwards. So engrossed in this I… okay, well, I lost the rest of the tour!

As I wander the corridors I bump into my mate Michael McCall who directed the second year musical theatre students in Beach. We have a chat with a lovely lady about post graduate degrees then I’m off to… rehearsals!

First off it’s the third year acting students in The Roundhouse rehearsing Great Expectations. The director Andrew Lewis is initially conducting proceedings before, I assume, the assistant director takes over. I’m sitting behind the deputy stage manager. There are lots of familiar faces on stage from Festen and Realism. Once more there is a real sense of discovery and play, the mood light but professional. It’s interesting watching scenes being played then redirects then suggestions from the actors, including blocking. Also, for me as a writer, emphasis on line interpretations with questioning and clarification about what a line means or who or what it’s directed to. It’s something that will be revisited in the third year musical theatre students’ rehearsal. Very enjoyable and whets the appetite for the show in about a fortnight’s time.

Next is a session with the first year acting students conducted by Angela Punch-McGregor. We discover the first years have been spending time at day care centres to observe how 5 year olds behave and speak but also at hostels to do likewise with the elderly. After a warm-up exercise as 5 year olds a really interesting session on scene work takes place. The scene is a dramatic one from the Irish play The Good Father – a couple dealing with the loss of an unborn child and the impact on their relationship. It’s played several times with various pairings but also this – after a straight run through it’s redone as 5 year olds and in one version as an elderly couple. There’s even a version played as a 5 year old up against an elderly person. It was a very interesting way to explore the scene and draw out different performances. It was funny at times but very well done. A nice glimpse into this acting group’s potential.

Then there was the rehearsal for the Sondheim musical Merrily We Roll Along. The third year musical theatre students are having a stellar year (Hair and West Side Story) and it was great to see this talented group up close. The mood is relaxed as they work through a scene and this one has a lot of redirection mainly as the blocking was being discovered but also with emphasis on line interpretations and character interactions. An unintentional highlight of the day involves a moment where a glass is yanked out of a character’s hand. Well, on one ‘take’ that glass sailed into the spectators on the other side of the studio like it had been shot out of a cannon. Thankfully nobody was hurt but it was one of those laugh-out-loud moments that had everyone in stitches. Unfortunately there was no singing but again, I’m really looking forward to the third years capping off 2014 in style.

After a sausage sizzle provided by dedicated helpers from the Friends of the Academy it was time to head home. It was heartening to see so many people there and it really was an interesting few hours taking a look at a wonderful place that provides world class training. What stays with me is not only the sheer talent but how supportive the environment is to explore and play.

Speed on the next round of WAAPA productions taking place later this month!