Dracula - Murdoch Theatre Company (7 July 2016)

In the pantheon of fictional creations there are few as exotic and fearsome as the grandest of the Undead, the most famous Vampire of them of all, Dracula. It is a name that immediately conjures images of blood drenched horror and the seductive allure of immortality hideously perverted. Like the timeless character itself that can turn into mist or bat or wolf, the vampire legend evolves and mutates over the generations and across formats. It is a myth I have always loved and certainly a favourite of Hollywood’s even from its earliest days.

With the saturation of such supernatural creatures in today’s multi-media formats, however, something of the essence of the story and its origins has been lost. This is where director John King and the Murdoch Theatre Company come in with a traditional interpretation from a script nearly a hundred years old. It will be immediately familiar to anyone who has read Bram Stoker’s masterful novel. To a newer audience it sets out the foundation for all the elements on which the myth rests. If you’re expecting Twilight or Blade or Underworld or True Blood or any of their ilk you might be disappointed as this faithful adaptation eschews all the subversions and perversions that have bombarded our screens, small and large. But each one of those owes a huge debt to where it all began...

... in a sanatorium where Lucy Seward (Toni Vernon) is beset by an ailment her father Doctor Seward (Stephen Platt) and fiancé Jonathan Harker (Philip Hutton) are baffled by. A patient, Renfield (Rhys Hyatt) is also under assault for his very soul as his Master, the mysterious Dracula (Joel Sammels), compels obedience from afar. In desperation Seward summons Abraham Van Helsing (Jason Dohle) to save his daughter. The Professor diagnoses a condition beyond imagining and the hunt is soon on to destroy the very things that leave the rapacious Dracula free to feed on Lucy. But the Vampire, assisted by his beguiling brides and human pawns, is a formidable foe not easily bested.

Like any good gothic horror tale mood and atmosphere is vitally important and this is where the productions excels. The multi-level set is exquisitely dressed and lit to represent the offices of the sanatorium and later, with impressive efficiency, the underground lair where Dracula’s resting place is hidden. There is a real sense of old world charm and naivety where the still fledgling disciplines of science and medicine are no match for such an ancient foe. The dialogue, at times heavily expositional and a little twee to modern ears, works because it is placed precisely in that environment. These people are discovering a terrible reality for the first time.

Great attention has been spent on the details to make this world credible from costuming to props and makeup. There was only a minor moment where my suspension of disbelief was broken but a mirror on set was always going to be problematic with a creature such as Dracula that is meant to cast no reflection. Otherwise this exudes atmosphere and the lighting design by Scott McArdle is an example of how a film literate generation can add so much to the stage. Some of Dracula’s entrances, backlit and silhouetted in smoke, are perfectly composed ‘shots’. They are both menacing and sumptuous to look at which is no small feat. The same with the writhing brides who loom above the main set in all their sensuous and intimidating glory. Composer Drew Krapljanov adds the finishing touch with a score that buttresses the intrigue of the slow burn first act before turning the screws on the urgency of the final confrontation.

To the performances and Sammels makes for a charismatic and scornful Dracula and I especially liked the physicality of his movement when hemmed in by Wolfsbane as if he were a feral animal. Hutton is a most upright and proper Harker in his formal dinner attire with hands often interlaced behind the small of his back. It’s a tightly controlled characterisation that was fascinating to watch. Platt was too earnest for mine as Seward and just needs to relax into the role. There were times he was prone to over emphasis in the delivery of dialogue but in fairness some of his lines are of the “good god, man!” variety which are difficult to convey convincingly.

Vernon’s petite stature helps immeasurably in presenting a woman who is fragile and emotionally vulnerable after the nightly draining of blood. The transformation from anaemic victim to threshold vampire is an entertaining one as her Lucy, now in red, is confident and forceful in ways poor Harker cannot contend with.

Rhianna Hall and Alex McVey play a housemaid and attendant respectively and share a funny set piece scene in the first half that breaks the tension and allows the audience to laugh. McVey, in particular, adds belly laughs throughout as his Butterworth struggles to deal with the seemingly superhuman Renfield. It’s a critical counterpoint to the serious business of stakes through hearts and lives in the balance. Jess Serio, Christie Strauss and Jenia Gladziejewski are the irresistible vampire brides who look awesome and add that touch of sensuality to proceedings.

Then there’s Jason Dohle as Van Helsing, the famous professor armed with the knowledge and courage to confront the vampire. Dohle is charming, inquisitive, insistent and determined while showing a softer side when dealing with Lucy. Armed with Wolfsbane (instead of garlic in an interesting touch) and an eastern European accent he drives the action and is a most robust protagonist. Hyatt has perhaps the trickiest part of all as the crazed Renfield swings in and out of lucidity depending on the hold of his Master. It’s a busy performance that flirts with caricature but ultimately won me over, notably in the moment Hyatt allows us to see Renfield’s sudden realisation of his fate.

The first half takes a while to swing into gear and that scene between Hall and McVey really kick started the production for me. The second half picks up the pace and King builds the tension as we wonder how our heroes will triumph. It’s a testament to all involved that while most of the action takes place off stage this dialogue heavy script is still so compelling. It’s a great start to The Gothics Trilogy and there is a smart and funny coda at the end that leaves the audience eager for the next instalment.

Dracula, written by Hamilton Deane and John L. Balderston and directed by John King, is on 7.30pm tonight and Saturday 9 July at the Nexus Theatre on the Murdoch University campus.

*photos by EClaire Photography

The Gothics Trilogy Launch - Nexus Theatre, Murdoch Theatre Company, From The Hip Productions & Second Chance Theatre (11 May 2016)

Dracula. The Mummy. Frankenstein’s Monster.

All are iconic characters with a rich history in literature, movies, and the performing arts. They have scared and fascinated generations as far back as the novels of Bram Stoker and Mary Shelley and, in Dracula’s case, myth and legend long before that. Now they are familiar figures in Hollywood movies and on the small screen.

Each will feature in separate plays to be performed in a three week window in July. Two will utilise an originally written script, The Mummy Rises by Tim Brain and Frankenstein by Scott McArdle (adapted from the Shelley novel), while Dracula’s text is nearly a century old. Each will be produced by a separate theatre company based at or originating from Murdoch University – Murdoch Theatre Company, From The Hip Productions, and Second Chance Theatre.

Murdoch is a key incubator of theatrical talent in Perth, notable for having multiple theatre companies operating on campus. Over the last couple of years I’ve attended predominantly newly written work as students hone their skills across a range of disciplines from playwriting to performance and all technical aspects.

When the key creatives – John King, Tim Brain, and Scott McArdle - decided to tackle such an ambitious undertaking as the Gothics Trilogy they had the combined resources, talent and goodwill of three companies to call on under the umbrella of the Nexus Theatre. Given the task at hand, this was expanded to include alumni and staff. It’s an impressive collaboration that includes some 30 performers and 40 crew members of which 50 are alumni and current students. 

The launch on Wednesday afternoon introduced the creative teams, showcased costumes and props, and featured some of the actors from each production as well as a rough cut trailer and behind the scenes documentary footage. There was a Q&A after the formal presentation before we mingled with actors and crew and checked out various design and costume elements on display.

A few things quickly became apparent.

The passion of not only the key creatives but everyone involved from cast members (who were in costume and, in one instance, special effects makeup) to the design team. For many there is a personal connection either to the original texts or inspiration from particular iterations of these characters especially in film.

The idea was born out of the notion of bringing horror back to the stage and genuinely trying to unsettle and scare an audience. Some of the props certainly had an air of authenticity that will be interesting to see come to life on stage.

A respect for the literary origins and what has come before. This has all the hallmarks of being meticulously researched with great care and attention given to all aspects. It is an ambitious and audacious project to mount three large productions in quick succession but everyone is going into it with eyes wide open.

While these are essentially horror stories there was a lot of talk about the human aspects and accessibility of the scripts with credible human interactions. Gothic stories also have elements of romance and in The Mummy Rises’ case we’re told to expect a bad ass feminist heroine!

The scale of the effort required. For example, some 70 costumes have to be sourced and/or made and from the garb the actors were wearing they have a discernible Victorian era flavour.

Finally, not to be lost in all of this, there was a real sense of fun as well. These are huge, larger than life characters and while there will be dark elements there was an air of relish at trying to provide scares and thrills.

The Nexus Theatre is a good sized venue for this. Not too big to lose a sense of intimacy that will allow for the creation of a creepy atmosphere.

It was a well thought out launch that whet the appetite for some theatrical mayhem come July. Tickets went on sale Friday the 13th (of course). There are even package deals that will save you 30% if you want to see all three plays.

Details for each production are in the links below:

Dracula, 7-9 July, Directed by John King from a script by Hamilton Deane and John L. Balderstone.

The Mummy Rises, 14-16 July, Written and directed by Tim Brain.

Frankenstein, 21-23 July, Written and directed by Scott McArdle.

I for one am a big fan of the Vampire myth and have been increasingly dismayed watching them become fashion accessories for angst driven teenagers in movies and television. I’m looking forward to a little bite being put back into my horror. These three plays look like they might just do the trick!  

Punk Rock - Murdoch Theatre Company (28 April 2016)

It’s a scenario that has become frighteningly prevalent in recent times – a lone gunman wreaking havoc and misery on innocent people who happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. At school, at work, in a café; no public place seems immune to the criminal insanity. We watch in disbelief as school shootings become incomprehensibly commonplace in the US. We are brutally reminded despite tighter gun laws in the wake of the Port Arthur atrocity that this type of evil can strike on our own shores, the Martin Place siege a case in point. Oftentimes it is the act of disaffected youth – radicalised, marginalised, traumatised. We lament what could make someone do such a heinous act?      

This brings us to Punk Rock, a slow burn drama that builds to a harrowing climax. Set in an English school where students are preparing for their mock exams, it explores the pressures and preoccupations that might lead a person to spiral so completely out of control. Among the many are bullying, sexual identity, relationship dramas, rejection and the pressure to succeed, to conform, to rebel. It’s a powder keg of adolescent emotions and power dynamics where any of the students might snap.

At first it is a familiar world – the teasing, bullying, and knockabout ribaldry of high school where identities and pecking orders are forged and refined. But there’s a sense of dread that creeps in as we slowly come to realise something isn’t quite right here. This is where Murdoch Theatre Company’s admirable attempt fails. Too many elements detract from the creation and ratcheting up of that tension.

Foremost of these is the sound design. Live music is performed by Michael Bennett-Hullin and William Burgess on guitar and drums providing authentic bursts of punk music to start the show and between scenes. However, once the guitar amp is switched off there is a muzak-like soundtrack piped in from the speakers high up on the back wall of Studio 411 that was distracting to say the least. I sighed with relief once it stopped after what felt like 20 straight minutes only for it to sporadically return throughout including, most unfortunately, the lead-up scene to the moment where a gun goes off. I didn’t understand why it was there in the context of scenes set in a school library or why it came in and out without any seeming rhyme or reason. It totally undercut any attempt to build that atmosphere of dread.

The lighting design also periodically confused me as again, the action takes place indoors so changes in the intensity of lighting during scenes didn’t make much sense especially when linked to dialogue about the level of heat in the room. If it was supposed to reflect emotional intensity then I would argue that this is the job of the actors to convey.

The set design was very good with all the trappings of a school in decay – battered tables and chairs, graffiti strewn cushions and a warped row of cupboards to represent lockers. Except for one important aspect – the band was visible behind a lattice framework that was the centrepiece of the back of the set. Once they completed their punk interludes all the musicians could do was watch the action with nowhere to hide from the audience. This posed another distraction. At one point a section of that framework was opened as a ‘window’ by an actor at the start of a scene. The guitarist closed it before the start of the next scene! This totally wrenched me out of the supposedly hermetically sealed world of the story.  

To the performances and Mike Casas brought immediate creepiness and intensity to his portrayal of William instead of perhaps modulating this to incrementally build as his character’s arc deepens. It is a difficult role and he plugged away at it but often he was caught out Acting in a tic laden, mannered performance. Thomas Dimmick gives the bully Bennett a sneering verbosity but I didn’t get a sense of physical menace or unpredictability. He did handle the ‘lipstick scene’ well after the perennial target of Bennett’s scorn (Chadwick played by Sean Welsh) questions his sexuality. Welsh delivers the memorable monologue about all the woes of mankind with straight forward earnestness and plays the reserved ‘nerd’ with nice understatement. 

Paige Mews is the new girl, Lilly, who becomes the object of William’s misplaced affections while already sleeping with Nicholas (Will Moriarty). It is a steady performance but I didn’t feel the inner turmoil that would drive a character to deliberately burn herself with a cigarette lighter. Shannen Precious has some nice moments as Tanya, another target for Bennett’s anger. She adds fleeting moments of humour and a touch of backbone within the group hierarchy. Will Moriarty’s Nicholas was oddly lacking in swagger or charm as Bennett’s presumptive buddy and object of Lilly’s attentions. Bella Doyle rounds out the cast as Bennett’s put upon girlfriend Cissy bringing equal measures of mean girl snark and helplessness as the character’s relative status is determined by his behaviour.

The climax is still disturbing – how could the depiction of cold blooded murder not be? But its power is diluted by the wide spacing of the performers whereas a more claustrophobic configuration would have worked better – they are trapped and there is no way out. The final scene was omitted. I’m in two minds about this. In many ways it’s superfluous as it provides no easy answers. What it does do, however, is let the audience breathe again before releasing them back into the world. A world you would like to think is safe but one where what they have just witnessed is a terrifying possibility.

Co-directed by Tay Broadley and Justin Crossley, Punk Rock is one of the more ambitious productions I’ve seen staged at Studio 411 (formerly the Drama Workshop) and should be commended for that. Ultimately though, there were too many aspects working against propelling the themes and narrative into truly compelling dramatic territory.

The Trials of Robin Hood - Murdoch Theatre Company (19 July 2014)

Robin Hood has been an enduring figure for centuries; through ballads, poems, stories and more recently, a raft of films and television series. From Errol Flynn to Kevin Costner, from Mel Brooks’ shtick in Men in Tights to the dour treatment by Ridley Scott and Russell Crowe who managed to make one of the most famous outlaws in history grim and dull. He is nothing less than fascinating and perhaps the ultimate anti-authoritarian symbol.

But who really was Robin Hood and what was the actual reason he stole from the rich to give to the poor? Thankfully, Ridley and Russell aren’t involved in this very amusing, Rashomon-style exploration of the myth, the legend… and the man who made Lincoln green a fashion sensation.

The ‘trial’ is presided over by King Richard (Mike Casas) newly returned from The Crusades. The ‘stout and lusty’ Robin Hood (Michael Davies) stoutly and lustily recounts his exploits from the time the King left for the Holy Lands and includes all the well-known moments as Prince John (Scott McArdle) runs amok, the Merry Men are assembled in Sherwood Forest, the rich are relieved of their wealth, and Maid Marian (Harriet Fettis) becomes the object of Robin’s, um, stoutliness and lustiliness-ness. Yes, this play surely must hold the record for the use of the words ‘stout’ and ‘lusty’ and variations thereof!

In this version, Robin paints himself as the just yeoman who defies the tyrannical John and his henchmen led by The Sheriff of Nottingham (Tom Dimmick). Robin is ultimately responsible for freeing the King from his captors, raising the King's ransom by infiltrating Nottingham and winning an archery contest... and, of course, winning something far more precious - Maid Marian herself. 

But wait!

Marian isn’t quite on board with all these details. In her version of the famous tale, it’s Robin’s infatuation with her beauty that drives him to acts designed to impress the fair maiden and ultimately win her hand. A lovelorn Robin mopes around Sherwood Forest until inspiration arrives in the form of the, not so much merry men, but Marian’s hand maidens in disguise. The whole redistribution of wealth thing was simply a ploy you see… in the name of love. Cue Bryan Adams lyrics.

Not so fast!

As the King himself notes, The Sheriff of Nottingham hasn’t come off too well in the previous versions. He sets the record straight in the final telling of the story. When the King sets off for Jerusalem, Prince John is left in charge and immediately raises taxes and prohibits the killing of the King’s Deer (Claire Tebbutt). According to The Sheriff, Robin is a simpleton who shoots the deer (to the lawman’s howls of anguish) and becomes an unwitting part of a ploy to nobly free the King. Such an environmentally conscious and loyal man this Sheriff is!

Ultimately the King addresses the audience and the true version is decided by their applause. At today’s matinee it seems the last few centuries of storytellers owe The Sheriff of Nottingham a huge apology, Robin Hood you dumb schmuck.

It’s all great fun with women disguised as men; Robin at one stage hilariously disguised as a woman called, well, Robin; kung fu fighting nuns; lustily fought battles with bamboo sticks; plenty of wordplay and puns; modern day musical cues and attitude and, generally, crazy antics all round.

Michael Davies is excellent as Robin playing three very distinct roles – the hero, the lovelorn sap, and the simpleton. He is a real crowd pleaser and received enthusiastic applause at closing bows for his engaging portrayal. Scott McArdle gives a wonderfully scenery chewing performance as the over-the-top Prince John while Harriet Fettis is a delightfully commanding and feisty object of desire not only for Robin but also Guy of Gisbourne (Hock Edwards who gives a funny, gangster style flourish to the rival suitor). Tom Dimmick quietly excels as The Sheriff and his Pacino-style-Godfather Part 3 howl of anguish over the deer’s death was a highlight. The supporting cast all give amusing performances with all kinds of inspired against-type casting such as Shannon Rogers as Friar Tuck and Chelsea Kunkler as, yes, ‘Willa’ Scarlet. Tebbutt’s deer was funny in each strand even though her demise is assured every time and Phillip Hutton has his moments as the Herald and human archery target.

Director Rachel Doulton and her crew have put together a fun show with colourful costuming and energetic staging with simple use of backdrops and lighting to create the world of Sherwood Forest and Nottingham. It is funny throughout and the conceit of having three separate points of view adds freshness to the well-known story.

It was great to see such a good crowd at the Saturday matinee with many children in attendance. There was a lovely moment after the show when an excited young boy rushed up to Scott McArdle who was still in his Prince John costume. That the boy’s sister scooted straight past Scott to greet Harriet Fettis in her stylish gown was even more delightful!

Written by Will Averill, Directed by Rachel Doulton and starring Michael Davies, Harriet Fettis, Mike Casas, Tom Dimmick, Scott McArdle, Hock Edwards, Jack Connolly, Kyle Blair, Ryan Partridge, Tym Sanders, Launcelot Ronzan, Chelsea Kunkler, Tarryn McGrath, Tijana Simich, Shannen Precious, Phillip Hutton, Claire Tebbutt, Jess Serio, Meagan Dux, Bob Morshidi, Shannon Rogers, Jenia Gladziejewski & Karen Hansord, there is only one more show left at Murdoch University’s Nexus Theatre, Sunday 20 July at 1pm.

The Townspeople and the Plague - Murdoch Theatre Company (23 March 2014)

I arrived early at Murdoch University for the 12pm matinee because, having never been to the Drama Workshop before, I wanted to make sure I had time to find it on campus. Turns out this was pretty easy. However, this meant I was the first one there and was let in by the play’s director, Kate Willoughby. I had a good chat with Kate and members of front of house as they arrived – about the background of the Murdoch Theatre Company, the selection of the play, their theatre interests and ambitions, even a discussion about the WAAPA productions I’d seen during the week. It was a relaxing and interesting preface to the performance.

There were notes about the play from Kate and the writer, Anthony KJ Smith on a pin board along with a cast list (should have paid more attention Richard) and some photos. I hastily read the playwright’s notes where he himself admits this is a “wanky piece of theatre".

Okay, he’s not going to get an argument from me on that score. This has been deliberately written to be obtuse and to play with and subvert audience expectations. Overlapping dialogue, self-referential ‘stage directions’, asides about storytelling devices, nonsensical monologues, an inexplicable vaudeville number, a slither of plot, plenty of slapstick and even a minute’s silence for no apparent reason. Yet it all kind of works because the actors commendably commit to the material and largely play it straight. If this had too much “nudge, nudge, wink, wink” the show would have collapsed under the pretensions of the script.

Indeed, there is more than a healthy dose of Monty Python here – with the dramatic entrance of ‘The Fucking Plot’ (also known as Imogen) we get a monologue introducing a tale that could be straight out of a Python-esque universe. Edgar the Fourth, however, turns out not to be the protagonist of this tale. That falls to Proxy-shit who fights the good fight for someone or another against something or another with fabulous success and/or failure… I can’t recall. But that’s of little interest to the writer who also plays with faux philosophical discourse and musings. I mean, one of the characters is even a Viking, played with scene stealing intensity by Rhianna Hall. Oh, there’s even a werewolf… and a dance number… and very large genitals. Yes, it’s that kind of play.

The narrator, Sylvia, dispenses actual stage directions in a suitably droll fashion and we even have a little Avenue Q style hand puppet work going on. A stagehand occasionally features, interacting with the cast and determining the fate of the moon. Yes, it’s all very self-aware and clever but there are genuinely funny moments as well as the ‘what the hell am I witnessing’ excursions.

As a young woman behind me remarked to her friends after it had all finished, “I really liked it… I just don’t know why.” That actually sums up my feelings as well. This is absurdist and perhaps trying far too hard to be clever but it has a committed cast giving good performances with many funny and entertaining moments. Just don’t ask me what it all means. From the gist of the writer’s notes I don’t think he even knows and I suspect that’s the point!