Romeo and Juliet - Class Act Theatre (6 September 2014)

This show marks the end of a twenty year association between Perth and Class Act Theatre, founder and driving force Angelique Malcolm deciding to head eastwards at the end of the year. Class Act has always been notable for making the great Bard’s works accessible to a wider audience and this is no exception.

Here, Will.i.am Shakespeare’s famous tragedy is given a re-imagining with a decidedly hip hop flavour which will no doubt catch the attention of a younger audience. It’s an interesting stylistic choice and one that infuses the play with an energy and playfulness that works surprisingly well in the first act before largely disappearing in the second. As it must as the tragedy unfolds. I’m still undecided about this as I enjoyed the first half so much and missed the unusual flourishes as a more traditional rendering occurs in the second act.

The set is littered with milk crates, a shopping trolley, and refuse as two homeless people watch the action (Malcolm and Stephen Lee, both of whom also play the Sister and, most amusingly, the Nurse respectively). The Capulets and Montagues loiter in the wings. At the rear of the stage is a torn white sheet where the occasional narration of (Perth based lyricist) Ryan ‘Trooth’ Samuels is projected. The upper tear in the sheet will provide the setting for the iconic balcony scene.

What follows is the use of certain passages of text performed as rap with recorded musical support by the aforementioned Trooth and Loftee Beats who are co-musical directors.  Lucas Marie adds impressive interludes of breakdancing or 'bboying' as it’s referred to in the program. The cast are attired in modern clothing that reflects the hip hop aesthetic.

The standouts in the early going are Daniel Buckle as Mercutio who adds a real sense of mischief while Jessica Messenger is a feisty Benvolio. Lee initially provides comic relief as the Nurse and his song and dance number was all kinds of brave and funny.

Nick Pages-Oliver plays Romeo with a twinkle in the eye and there is a lot of sly humour here. The well-built Rubeun Yorkshire makes for a menacing Tybalt and the rap-style fight between the two works well. Our Juliet is Maja Liwszyc who was excellent in the last Class Act production I saw (Frames) and excels again here. She conveys strength in opposition to her mother and father’s wishes (Katya Shevtsov and Zane Alexander) while displaying a real sweetness and joy in her love for Romeo. The cast is rounded out by Josh Walker as the rival suitor, Paris.

What adds to the first act working so well is that the actors are never off stage and add spontaneous laughter and catcalls from the wings that enhanced the sense of play. The company had genuine chemistry with ‘in the moment’ interactions. I was really enjoying the humour and fresh take on such well known material. Again, by necessity, the chorus falls silent after the intermission.

I confess I enjoyed Act One more then the second and this is a long play. The fusion of the classical text with rap and hip hop was an interesting one and I thought worked well. Its absence was all the more notable because of its uniqueness. That’s not to say the second half isn’t without its moments with Liwszyc in particular strong.

Directed by Helen Doig, hopefully this production will attract a new generation of young audience members who will become acquainted with one of Shakespeare's masterpieces. I also wish Angelique Malcolm all the best as she braves new frontiers in Melbourne.

Romeo and Juliet is on at the Subiaco Arts Centre until 13 September and then down at the Mandurah Performing Arts Centre 18-19 September.  

Frames - Class Act Theatre (28 May 2014)

Dysfunction. Denial. Disintegration.

Pardon the alliteration but those were the three words that came to mind after watching Frames at the Subiaco Arts Centre tonight.

How we can all be dysfunctional in our own ways, small or large. How a family unit can be dysfunctional as a result... or perhaps is the catalyst for our imperfections; comments made in jest or repeated observations no matter how seemingly innocuous affecting self-esteem and behaviour.

Then there is the denial of our true state of mind or physical appearance or both. How we lie to ourselves to justify our choices no matter how extreme. Not to mention the denial of the actions of others and their impact, especially those closest to us.

How these things can lead to the disintegration of a person, a family, and in a wider sense, a community.

Then there is the disintegration of a body as it falls below a certain weight and starts to shut down.

Yes, Frames has some very serious topics in mind but doesn't present them in a didactic way at all.

It follows Lizzie (Maja Liwszyc), the anorexic daughter of frazzled Barbara (Angelique Malcolm) whose svelte modelling days are long over and Ken (Maitland Schnaars) who enjoys a social drink with his (unseen) mates a little too much. Unlike her sister, Jackie (Keren Schlink) isn’t likely to leave an uneaten meal at dinner time. Then there’s Ben (Nick Pages-Oliver), Lizzie’s boyfriend who likes to get high and whose mother is having an affair with Ken.

The first act sets up all of these people’s manifest flaws and how they create friction within the family unit. It ends with Barbara’s horror at the belated discovery of how thin her daughter has become. The second act ramps up the drama as Lizzie is rushed to hospital only to run away when her pleas that she will eat everything “including the plate” if only she’s allowed to go home fall on deaf ears. The family disintegrates as she reveals her father’s infidelities and a surprise tragedy comes from left field to add to the gloom. But the play ends on somewhat positive note as we fast forward to a time when Barbara and her daughters are attempting to order a meal at a fancy café with the suggestion Lizzie is on her way to some sort of recovery.

Liwszyc is excellent as Lizzie  - playing her as an exuberant 10 year old; a sullen and secretive teenager; and even a little known saint who lived on naught but air. It is a very physical performance as Lizzie jogs, does sit-ups, and clambers all over the dining room table, ever conscious of her calorie intake and the need for exercise. The most telling scene is when she pleads with her mother to be released from hospital, unable to fool the doctor well versed in her type of deflections and schemes. It is intense and raw.

Malcolm gives Barbara a sense of whimsy for glories long past and moments of ‘mum humour’ that creates empathy for when she faces the twin blows of her husband’s betrayal and her daughter’s plight. The family interactions in all their arguments and 'parent versus teenager' stand-offs felt credible and real. Schlink adds pointed commentary in a charmingly naff manner, her character seemingly unaware of the drama swirling around her. Schnaars is given little more than 'the remote father' who embraces alcohol and another woman more than his family. He has a moment of true anger at Lizzie and later a stab at reconciling with her as they watch football together in a flash forward to when he has left Barbara for Ben’s mum. Pages-Oliver is all goofy charm as Ben and impressed in his brief turn as the doctor though his circling of the family (mirroring Lizzie’s kinetic energy) was a curious choice perhaps designed to distract from the exposition dump.

The space in the studio theatre was well used with the family table and chairs creatively doubling for different settings. There were a variety of frames scattered around the set that the actors would stand in or peer through when not being featured in a scene. This gave me a sense of the main players being watched – judged maybe – though image is clearly a main theme and how it can be perceived or distorted through the frameworks we apply.

This is confronting material, well handled in an intelligent manner with a compelling central performance. I may not be the target audience but I found Frames thought provoking and engaging theatre. Written by Louise Helfgott and Directed by Helen Doig, Frames is on at the Subiaco Arts Centre until Saturday 31 May before moving to the Mandurah Performing Arts Centre, 4-7 June.