Diva - Creative Collaborations (28 October 2015)

Warning: contains strong language, drug and sexual references.

There’s no denying any of that.

There’s also no denying the fact that this is a searing psychological profile with no less than a full-throated performance by Tiffany Barton. She completely inhabits the character of June, a former New York opera singer now stricken at the thought of leaving her apartment. 

Barton is fearless in exploring all the complexities of this larger than life diva; from the grotesque to the outrageous; the flat out funny to the poignant; often with devastating self-reflection. It’s in your face, immediate and compelling. What a joy to witness an actress not only embrace but trumpet all the jagged little edges, contradictions, hopes and fears of a character so thoroughly. June is, in part, based on a real person so this bleeds with authenticity.

The show literally jumps out at you and at first I was taken aback. There’s a certain shock value as we initially meet June but various story strands slowly emerge in this meticulously crafted monologue. Two great love affairs come to the fore – one with June’s husband Manny; the other with the opera and performance itself. The discovery that one largely destroys the other adds to a sense of pathos. But make no mistake; there is a fierce determination here to enjoy all that life has to offer, with every lump and Tosca inspired orgasm!

Underpinning this is June’s relationship with her father who will abandon the young girl and be absent through key moments of her life. Then there’s the reason why June can’t leave her apartment that is potent in its understated recounting. It will resonate with any artist who aspires to greatness.

All these strands are woven together amidst moments of manic energy as June dresses up, sings along to her beloved opera, laments the effect of age on her looks, consumes pills hidden in a teapot, and happily submits to the attention of ‘Mr Buzzy’, a formidable looking vibrator. Tellingly though, it’s the quieter moments that pack the biggest wallop – Barton and director Helen Doig aren’t afraid to let us observe June who becomes increasingly bizarre in appearance. Those moments of stillness and sense of vulnerability are quite special.

There are two clever devices to allow the character to ‘perform’ and share her memories – one, improbably, is a stuffed cat called Eugene, smothered to death by a drunken June; the other, an ingenious puppet of Manny made of cardboard boxes and rollers. Again, having Barton ‘impersonate’ Manny, become the innocent child who misses her Daddy, or admonish her dead cat allows for changes in rhythm and pace that keep this unpredictable and enthralling.

The simple telephone injects a note of dread as a symbol of the outside world (and the past) that June seemingly craves to reconnect with but is paralysed at the very thought of. Indeed, audio cues are an important component from the strains of opera to amusingly salacious lyrics to prompts to snap June in and out of moments of self-reflection.

This is a well written, well directed and beautifully crafted piece of theatre with a memorable performance that sponsored a most interesting discussion afterwards in the lobby. Highly recommended.

Diva was written by and stars Tiffany Barton and is directed by Helen Doig with puppets, set and costumes created by Cherie Hewson and sound by Max Porotto. Perfectly suited to the intimate black box theatre upstairs at Spare Parts Puppet Theatre in Fremantle, it runs until 1 November as part of the Fremantle Festival.

Metalhead - Creative Collaborations (18 February 2015)

As Fringe World heads into its last week of predominantly comedies, cabaret and burlesque there is an explosive drama tucked away in the courtyard of the Guild Studio in East Perth that is a definite must see. This superbly acted play is confronting, at many points harrowing, and is guaranteed to leave an impression.

This is the second season of the Tiffany Barton penned Metalhead after its premiere in October 2014 at the Victoria Hall in Fremantle. It is a tale about how violence and bad deeds are perpetuated in a seemingly endless cycle through the generations; how even the most disadvantaged and damaged of us seek freedom from those binds that hold us fast.

The story centres on Jake (Clarence Ryan) and his step-sister Jackie (Chelsea Gibson) whose mother has disappeared after another violent outburst from Jake’s father. Jake follows in the footsteps of his father and is short-tempered, volatile, and always ready to use his fists to lethal effect. Like her step-brother, Jackie has taken up boxing as a way to cope with the harshness of living in an outback township where everybody is going nowhere fast. This includes the promiscuous Michaela (Caitlin Jane Hampson) and her ‘creepy’ brother Tyler (Declan Brown) both of whom live in a beat up caravan. Michaela is having sex with Jake much to Tyler’s disgust though his protective instincts may betray an entirely different agenda. Jake has an offsider Baloo (Toby Franks) who appears to amuse Jake with his antics but is largely subservient though fond of Jackie.

Into this world come two outsiders with a hint of the otherworldly or supernatural about them – Mercy (Tornina Torres) and Freeman (Ian Bolgia). They state they are there to help the inhabitants of Fury find ‘freedom’ but perhaps they are just as damaged and lost as the others. It’s a potent mix rife with the potential for violence and confrontation… and that’s exactly what we get in spades. That it is done so realistically makes this utterly compelling and at times hard to watch in the best possible way.

Here, the outdoor setting adds an enormous amount of texture as it enhances the visceral nature of the work. The performers are allowed to immerse themselves in the township of Fury – in its barren landscape and its utilitarian accommodation. An actual caravan is stage right with the raised back corner of the courtyard in effect a sandpit (the use of sand is a recurring motif) with a ladder propped up against the wall. There is a circular platform on a large truck tyre that, once overturned, will also represent a grave. Mood is further achieved by an effective lighting design in the outdoor space, evocative music and snippets of recorded song, and even the natural soundscape of the nearby train line and urban surrounds.

The acting by all seven performers is simply stellar. Under the direction of James Winter the brutality is devastatingly brought to life though I must stress there are moments of genuine humour to leaven the assault. Ryan is superb as Jake – all coiled anger and aggression both physically and verbally. It’s an exhausting role and his physicality is outstanding – the fight sequences are well choreographed but it’s the manhandling of Gibson and Hampson that was achingly authentic and had the audience wincing.

Gibson who was so good in WAYTCo’s Punk Rock last year further announces her presence as one to watch with the spunky Jackie. She handled the boxing training sequence very well and clearly had taken no small instruction to make that play credibly. Her equally impressive Punk Rock colleague Declan Brown gave Tyler his own repressed anger with a healthy dose of sarcasm. Hampson, the only member of the original cast, was a revelation as Michaela especially early with her comedy work and a misguided naivety that sees her character get into all sorts of trouble.

I very much liked Franks as the effusive Baloo imbuing the sidekick with a larger-than-life persona that becomes increasingly challenged by Jake’s disintegration into quite reprehensible acts of violence. Torres brought an almost noble quality to Mercy as the character strives to assist (particularly Jackie) while Bolgia was a strong physical presence playing the enigmatic Freeman.

Above all I liked that this was a full tilt performance in every aspect – writing, performance, and staging. This was in your face and unapologetically brutal in spots. There were moments when the audience sat in stunned collective silence as the tension built. Under the stars on a warm Perth night it was something quite special. The ending gave some characters release while others seemed to accept their fate. There were no easy answers here. But that adds to the authenticity – things were never likely to be neatly tied up in a bow as they never are in real life.

Metalhead is wonderful piece of theatre that showcases an exceptional cast. There are only four shows left, ending on Sunday. Go sit out under the stars and experience a little bit of magic.