Come From Away - Koorliny Arts Centre (15 November 2024)

Where were you when...? 

The question that is asked when something of global significance has happened, usually catastrophic. The terrorist attacks on 11 September 2001 - 9/11 - changed the world forever. It led to three wars - Afghanistan, Iraq, and the so-called 'War on Terror'; ushered in mass surveillance of citizens under the Patriot Act with far-reaching implications beyond the US as Edward Snowden's revelations revealed; dramatically changed air travel protocols; with certain political elements using it to ratchet up anti-Muslim sentiment and the 'othering' of so many innocent people that continues to this day.

It was a Tuesday night in Perth when those planes hit the World Trade Center. They cut into an episode of The West Wing no less to report on the developing story. The images were, and remain, unspeakably shocking. 

Imagine if the answer to "Where were you when...?" was sitting in a plane diverted to Canada as the FAA shut down US airspace. Or, a resident of the town of Gander in Newfoundland where that plane and 37 others were incoming with some 7000 passengers. This is the true life premise for Come From Away. 

Why this is so compelling is that amongst the swirl of massive geopolitical implications that would define the beginning of a new century, a quintessentially human story is told. A story about compassion and empathy; about fear and uncertainty; about grace under pressure; about finding humour and connection even in the darkest of circumstances. It is in many ways a joyous story which has, by necessity, an underlying sadness. These are ordinary people - from around the world - caught up in an extraordinary moment.

Enough of the preamble as I'm burying the lede. Koorliny won the rights to stage the Western Australian amateur premiere and it's clear they know how special this property is. The attention to detail and execution on opening night is exceptional. I had not seen Come From Away before but knew something memorable was brewing after thunderous applause by a capacity audience greeted the end of opening number Welcome To The Rock. 

From there the production moves at a relentless pace. Yes, a fire alarm caused a brief show stop. By then the cast, musicians, and all involved had built up such good will that it didn't dampen the audience's enthusiasm at all. Well done to co-director Katherine Freind for clearly explaining what had happened to put everyone at ease. Then we were off again on a rollercoaster of emotions which culminated in a spontaneous standing ovation at final bows and raucous appreciation of the band as they played us out. I've not seen a surge of genuine affection like that in a long, long time. 

Thing is, they deserved it and then some. 

Let's start with the band. The band! They played the hell out of the infectious score that had me toe-tapping along happily. Take a bow Musical Director Kate McIntosh (Keyboard) and musicians Ben Clapton (Fiddle), Talitha Broughton (Whistles & Flute), Emily Ranford (Guitar), Christian Ingram (Bass Guitar), Nikki Gray (Drums & Percussion), and Dylan Randall (Ugly Stick). The music informs and enhances so much of the emotion and humour, played with such spirit. I loved that Clapton, Ranford and Randall were onstage during certain numbers adding a sense of community and vitality. 

All the production and design elements. The rustic set design (Stephen Carr) that captured the unusual and remote feel of Gander. The lighting design (Kat Brieden) that focussed my attention and highlighted characters and moments with clarity, so important with such a frantic pace. The sound design (Jonathan Hoey) that allowed that score and vocals to shine while letting scenes of high emotion breathe. The choreography by co-director Allen Blachford using diverse configurations of wooden chairs to depict everything from planes to buses to the interior of various town settings. An elaborate dance that was precise and playful when it needed to be. Costume consultant Melissa Kelly not only having to distinguish between locals and 'plane people' but plotting the hand-off of costume elements with the cast playing multiple characters. Prop designer Rebecca Foottit adding quirkiness as well as all the practical elements as the townsfolk realise the scope of what needs to be done. A cohesive team effort that created an awesome space for the cast to perform.

And perform they did. The cast of twelve hit the ground running and don't let up. There is an enthusiasm that is palpable from the opener and a respect for the stories based on real people. Strands and pairings slowly emerge along with featured roles. This is only a snippet of all the characters the cast bring vividly to life - Diane (Gillian Binks) and Nick (Colan Leach) starting a tentative yet sweet relationship; Beulah (Lucy Eyre) and Hannah (Mahali) forming a bond over their firefighter sons; Kevin (Tadhg Lawrence) and Kevin (Bailey Bridgman-Peters) whose relationship is buffeted by different reactions to their predicament. Maree Cole's Bonnie who's concerned with the welfare of the animals that were on those planes; Neil Young as the Mayor powering through to do what must be done; Phoebe Tempra's Janice as the novice reporter overwhelmed by the magnitude of what's happened; Rea Selepe's Bob who is initially more worried about being in 'redneck' territory; and Jason Nettle as Oz, a police constable on the island. Shannon Payette Seip is the trailblazing airline pilot Beverley Bass. They are all excellent - acting-wise and vocally while working seamlessly together as a company.  

Highlights are everywhere from the opening number to Mahali's superb rendition of I Am Here to Prayer led by Lawrence; Payette Seip's Me and the Sky; Young leading us into Screech In and so on. 

Directors Katherine Freind and Allen Blachford have crafted a marvellous production in all facets. It's the best community theatre musical I've seen since 2015's A Man of No Importance. A must see.

Come From Away is on at the Koorliny Arts Centre in Kwinana until 30 November. 

Cast pictures by Outatime Pictures 

A Chorus Line - Drew Anthony Creative (4 August 2023)

The key element to the theatregoing experience for me is how a show makes you feel. Does it move you, make you laugh or cry or both. Maybe it's thought provoking or confronting. Oftentimes it could simply be entertaining in a toe tapping, sit back and relax kind of way. How we respond to a production also depends on what we bring to the table. Our mood, our life experiences, whatever happens to be rattling around in our brain at the time. Then there's that ingredient that I always crave in a live performance of any kind - that moment of magic you weren't expecting and didn't see coming that plasters a grin all over your face.

I say all this because opening night of A Chorus Line made me feel so damn comfortable. Not because the seats at the Theatre Royale are so comfy (they are) or that the venue is ideal for an intimate viewing experience (it is) but because I immediately knew that I was in good hands. Trying to put it into words in the lobby after the show I equated it to sitting at home watching a prestige television series where you simply know that everything is going to be first rate and reward your attention. It was and it did. Then there's this - there's not one but TWO moments of magic that had me tingling with joy in a way only theatre can make you feel. More on that later.

It's easy to see why A Chorus Line was the longest running show on Broadway until toppled by a bunch of spandex clad felines getting all jellicle about, um, jellicle things. It's a brilliantly written and constructed piece of theatre that won a truckload of Tony Awards and a rare Pulitzer Prize. It's also, surprisingly and delightfully, a fully blown character study... of some 17 characters! Those characters are dancers auditioning for a director to be in, you guessed it, the chorus of an upcoming Broadway production. 

This adds a whole other 'behind-the-scenes' layer that theatre lovers will recognise and appreciate. I felt like I just happened to be in that 'room' sitting in on the auditions. I'll admit, especially in the latter stages, that discussions in song and dialogue about being an artist, needing a gig, handling rejection, worrying about what happens next all hit hard based on my own recent and ongoing experiences as a screenwriter. There's a truth here will resonate with anyone undertaking a creative endeavour. It's a potent cocktail.

The show starts before you really kind of realise it as performers slowly make their way to the stage and do warmups. The thing that immediately struck me was the camaraderie on display. Then G Madison IV makes his entrance as the director Zach with a commanding voice that had a lady sitting near me exclaim "Oh!" and sit bolt upright. That voice and his physical presence are immediately captivating. I believe he is the demanding director who will brook no argument and I witness the cast believe it too. Madison spends a large portion of the show behind us in the top deck of the theatre somewhere so the power of his voice is critical to hold us and the cast in thrall.   

It's here that I should mention the sound design and quality. It is impeccable. Every lyric, every line of dialogue is crisp and easily discerned. The balance with the backing music is spot on; both vocals and score in perfect harmony. Kudos to Jordan Gibbs (Audio Design/Operator), Josh Mills (Audio Operator) and Music Supervisor Joe Louis Robinson. 

We quickly get to the character study of it all as the director asks each character to tell him/us something about themselves. The creative way this is handled in the writing, the staging by actual director Drew Anthony, in costuming choices (Dani Paxton), and by the performers is quite glorious. Based on real life interviews with performers as the show was being conceived there is, again, a ring of authenticity about these tales, from childhood memories to adult musings. They're funny, shocking, tragic, poignant, and in many ways, totally relatable. This is enhanced by how they're delivered - in song, in dance, in dialogue, or a mix of all three. Each character is sharply drawn and delineated and we get to know them quickly which is no mean feat in such a big cast. 

Highlights, in a show full of them, include Ethan Churchill dancing up a storm as his Mike describes how he first became involved with dance (I Can Do That); the trio of Elethea Sartorelli (Sheila), Emma Haines (Maggie), and Ciara Taylor (Bebe) giving a powerful vocal rendition of At The Ballet; Rosemary Spelman (Kristine) and Jamie Papanicolaou (Al) showcasing exquisite timing in the very clever Sing!; Will Basson (Mark) bringing the funny with Hello Twelve, Hello Thirteen, Hello Love; and Lucy Goodrick, all swagger and attitude as her Val recounts a transformation from afterthought to success with a not so little enhancement in Dance: Ten; Looks: Three.

The show then does something really interesting as it narrows its focus to the major dramatic conflict of the piece between Zach and Cassie (Morgan Cowling) who attempt to work through their differences before Cowling launches into dance and song with another highlight, The Music and The Mirror. The acting is impressive by both, indeed this is a true triple threat show. The singing is excellent across the board (Glenn Hogue, Vocal Director) and the dance numbers are nicely calibrated from the 'learning' phase to rehearsing to full blown, slick production number at the finale. There's everything from tap to classic Broadway chutzpah, hats and all, which is always fun to watch with a massed cast onstage. Terrific work by Choreographer Jessica Ashton and Assistant Elysha Atwell. 

Which gets us to our first piece of magic. The audacity to stop and deliver a long, affecting monologue by youngster Zak Bresland as Paul. Earlier I had silently wished the spot operator would shine a little light my way so I could check the program to work out who was playing Paul after I thought to myself "Who the hell is that!" after an impressive piece of singing. He may be too young, ideally, to be playing the role but he nails a harrowing tale that slowly builds to an emotional outburst and holds the stage, alone, for several minutes. That's no small feat. I also liked the softening of Zach's character in response and at a later incident regarding Paul.    

The second piece of magic is kicked off by Sophie Psaila-Savona whose feisty Diana tackles perhaps the most well-known song from A Chorus Line, What I Did For Love. It's what happens next that I didn't expect (and won't spoil here) that is one of the reasons I love going to the theatre. When I twigged to how Anthony was staging this showpiece number I literally did grin from ear to ear. A fitting high point for the production and all involved. All that's left is to bring out the glitz and glamour as the cast take their bows to the reprise of that other famous number, One.  

The set design is simple - bare stage and a projected back screen to denote the space - which keeps the focus, rightfully, on the performers. Lighting Design by Luke Scatchard highlights the ensemble and picks out individuals as appropriate before dazzling with the finale. 

There are so many small details that I loved - the "non-hat work" of Allen Blachford (Bobby), himself an award winning choreographer; his by-play with Sartorelli which is imbued with a history of many performances together; the subtle digs and blocking between characters as unstated rivalries play out; and so on. It is a true ensemble piece so mention must be given to the work of Jamie Rolton (Don), Greg Jarema (Greg), Lana Freeman (Judy), and Gemma Hanh (Connie) who added so much texture and life to their characters. 

This production has no interval which apparently surprised some but it flew by for me. I was in my comfort zone and they had me from the get go. A Chorus Line is on until 20 August at the Royale Theatre in Northbridge and is recommended for anyone who loves brilliantly written, staged and performed theatre.  

Stepping Out - Koorliny Arts Centre (18 November 2017)

Many moons ago, towards the end of my career as a manager for a large national company in Sydney, one of the few times of solace was a weekly screenwriting class in Bondi. In those couple of hours, talking about movies and writing, all thoughts of personal and professional worries were held in abeyance. It ultimately led me to resigning and returning home to Perth to pursue my creative dreams. But that's another story.

In Stepping Out seven women from diverse backgrounds and a sole male attend regular tapdance classes to escape all manner of domestic disharmony or their own personal demons. In essence the play is an extended choreography session with hints at the dysfunction outside the walls of the studio that drives these people here. There is also the inevitable clash of personalities as pressure builds on learning they will be performing in front of an audience for the first time at a charity event.

It's a familiar arc - tyro performers race against time to prepare for an event where public humiliation lurks yet somehow pull it all together to triumph. The trick here is to show people tapping badly for the majority of the production before the razzle dazzle of the ending.

And razzle dazzle it does. Choreographer Allen Blachford has taken a true ensemble of actors, some of whom have never tapped before in their lives, and crafted a credible character trajectory from enthusiastic novices (though some characters less than others) to competent tappers. It's a surefire crowd pleaser when all the stumbling and bumbling turns into a polished routine.

In this Hannah Harn is Blachford's surrogate as Mavis, the tap instructor. Harn's Mavis shows glimpses of true ability as she puts the class through its paces while dealing with surly pianist Glenda (Lucy Eyre) who provides arch comments and hurt feelings as appropriate. Harn clearly has the dancing chops and features heavily in the showpiece numbers at the end. I wasn't quite as convinced when Mavis is required to turn bitchy as complications arise over the routine for the charity event. There is also a revelation that didn't quite land and was quickly forgotten.

Indeed, a lot of threads are left hanging in the personal lives of these women and the introverted Geoffrey (played with great understatement by David Gardette). Dilemmas are set up but never truly tackled or resolved. The play seems to be saying you can have your moment in the spotlight no matter what demons await in the darkness.

The character most afflicted by this is Andy whose unseen husband looms large in crippling her self-esteem. Casey Edwards inhabits the character with stark rigidness - hunched shoulders, arms stiff by her sides with hands frozen. Edwards' work with Gardette is a quiet highlight as Andy tentatively reaches out to make a truthful human connection. The character is also, in many ways, the moral compass of the tale with her petition regarding the local park and a well earned outburst.

If Andy is quiet then there are more than a few characters who go large in counterpoint beginning with the fastidious newcomer Vera. Claire Matthews gives Vera a colurful persona, all fussy and strutting, with a knack for the well meaning dagger to the heart as self-censorship isn't Vera's strong suit. Costume designer Lynne Leeder adds to the peacock allure dressing Matthews in outrageously bold outfits that she pulls off with panache. The well-judged performance is the engine room for most of the friction within the class.

Chief adversary is Anita Telkamp's straight-shooting Sylvia who, by comparison, has a bogan twang which she wields with cutting one-liner retorts. Telkamp's comic timing and delivery are very good here. The costuming reinforces the difference between the two women with Sylvia looking more at home in Tap Dogs than shopping at Man-doo-ra Forum.

Then there's Maxine as played by Rachel Monamy, a character who always seems to be on the hustle selling outfits to the group and (eventually) providing the costumes for the charity event whilst dealing with her step-son "Wonderboy". I liked that the style of humour for each character was in a different spectrum. Monamy's more a conversational style here; Eyre's pointed and gruff; Matthews' sly and demeaning; Telkamp's dry and cutting.

The cast is rounded out by Stacey Holling's Lynne who has more confidence in her tap ability and a nice personality to boot; Jenny Lawrence's Dorothy who was a little nervous and fidgety about the whole thing; and Nontuthuzelo Mqwati who had some telling lines in response to being the 'ethnic' of the group as Rose.

There is a lot of good physical comedy as well as they all come to terms at having to tap with sticks AND bowler hats. A running - well, actually, tripping gag with Gardette whose earnest attempts at being out front as the only male are a delight.

The audience was enthusiastic with much appreciation of set-pieces. The final tap routines went down a treat though there were a few moments in the lead up that dragged a little as the focus shifted to oblique mentions of the world outside the studio. That those set-ups weren't paid off or resolved left me with the uneasy feeling that these women's triumph was but temporary. Given recent revelations in the world of comedy, news broadcasting, and Hollywood, perhaps, sadly, an all too true outcome.

Overall though I laughed throughout and had a good time with this. The ending was well earned and executed with style as director Geoffrey Leeder showcased the ensemble to full effect.