Women - Black Martini Theatre (10 June 2016)

Inject modern day attitude and vernacular into a period setting and you get a funny reimagining of the novel Little Women. Set at the end of the American Civil War this iteration of the March family isn’t quite as genteel as one might expect. Of course, the conceit of transporting a sitcom style quartet of sisters to the past is the wellspring for the humour.

At its best this production honours that premise as the sisters played by Shannen Precious (Jo), Cat Perez (Meg), Claire Tebbutt (Amy) and Virginia Cole (Beth) crackle and fizz off each other to amusing effect. When they are separated through (did they have spoiler alerts in the 19^th century?) death and the lure of prospects further afield from dreary Concord, Massachusetts, the play loses a lot of its driving force until the surviving members are reunited at the end. That is more a testament to the chemistry of the core foursome than a reflection of the supporting cast who have important roles in creating the context of the world our heroines have stumbled into.

In essence the play revolves around which sister will become the pre-eminent member of the family and achieve their dreams once Marmee has left to be by their ailing father’s side. Perez brings tremendous sass to her role as Meg with plenty of razor sharp quips and asides. Occasionally though she would appear to address her remarks to the audience with very specific eye contact. That breaking of the fourth wall felt more unintentional rather than a stylistic choice and something to be mindful of. Her main ‘rival’ for ascendancy, Jo, is drolly portrayed by Precious and the contrast in styles worked well. Jo dreams of becoming a writer and her attempts at cajoling her siblings into impromptu performances of original plays sets the tone early.

Tebbutt’s ditzy Amy is played with affectionate naivety in another clearly delineated role. The mock concern for Beth’s fading health is wonderfully zany as she lurks on the fringes of the stage unwilling to come any closer. Cole is all tragic beauty and fragility as Beth succumbs to her fate. It is, by necessity, the most muted role with the exception of a cheeky moment as coughs turn into a beatbox jam.

Surrounding this core are characters that are far more grounded which allows room for the zaniness to work. Notable amongst these are Maddy Jolly Fuentes whose Marmee is maternal concern writ large in a turn that does fit the period in question. Matthew Abercromby is an earnest, kind-hearted Mister Brooke who suffers the moods of the hyper-kinetic Meg in essentially a straight man role. Will Moriarty also lends a certain solemnity as Professor Bhaer. Michael Casas, however, tackles his various characters as if he was indeed in a sitcom and they tended to slide into caricature, given away by an impish grin.

Which leaves Hock Edwards as Laurie to provide the main object of attention as the other great conceit of the play is that none of the sisters has ever met a man before, no, not even a cousin. His is a character that is oddly caught between the archetypal period love interest and a more modern, conflicted interpretation. Edwards has a strong moment when romantic desire turns to humiliation as Laurie is rebuffed by Jo causing the character to flee the country. As you do.

Director Jessica Serio keeps the pace humming along as befits the style of humour. Scene transitions are quick with the stagehands adeptly redressing the set to represent the March household and a few other key locations. The various Perez monologues as Meg ‘reads’ letters to her sisters are more effectively staged when we see the other characters acting out what she imagines is happening in places like New York.

Overall this was a funny production that worked best when the four sisters were together with the banter running thick and fast. This is Black Martini Theatre’s second comedy for the year and it is a niche they are comfortably occupying in the Murdoch theatre firmament.  

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.

Boise, Idaho - Black Martini Theatre (31 March 2016)

Have you ever sat in a cafe sipping a latte gazing across the room at all the other customers wondering who they are, where they’ve come from and what the future might hold? Perhaps you’ve witnessed a demonstrative couple and speculated what the cause of their angst might be; maybe a loving couple sponsors romantic thoughts... or morose ones depending on your mood; and then there’s the body language of a silent pairing that may speak volumes. We imprint our own experiences and desires on anonymous strangers who simply happen to be in the vicinity. If you’re a writer it’s pretty much an occupational hazard.

But what if the targets of your musings knew of the imaginary narrative you were building for them? What if they started to play along, to actually become the alternative versions you conjured? How do you react if your fictional hold becomes so great they come to believe they are the characters in the drama fabricated in your mind? This is the premise for Boise, Idaho, a snappily written 30 minute play produced by Murdoch University’s Black Martini Theatre and directed by first-timer Luke Gratton. 

In a cafe that may be in Paris but certainly isn’t in Idaho a man (Hock Edwards) narrates a tale of love, infidelity, and dead rodents using a couple at a nearby table (Launcelot Ronzan and Tijana Simich) as his inspiration. The couple become aware of his verbal ‘big print’ and soon begin to play along until things get out of hand as the salad flies and the dry cleaning bill mounts. Even the waiter (Tay Broadley) is sucked into this surreal mix of reality and fantasy like the Millennium Falcon caught in a tractor beam. It is clever, funny, and well written as a series of distinct sequences unfold.

Edwards is very good as the Narrator. He dominates the early proceedings delighting in the purple prose used to create a fully realised fantasy world that is exaggerated and absurd. He exhibits good comic timing and underplays the funnier lines to great effect... for no apparent reason.

The inevitable change of gears comes mainly through Simich whose character twigs to the conceit and then is the first to embrace it. She plays well off Ronzan as they work through the initial confusion of their new personas to displaying real emotions of hurt and betrayal as the lines become blurred between fantasy and reality.

Ronzan is largely the straight man here until inhabiting his new identity with quite some exuberance leading to a dark climax that is sensibly undercut with a lighter denouement. Along the way there are some surprising moments that give Broadley’s waiter a genuine reason for cleaning up during final bows.

Simply staged and briskly directed to suit the punchy writing this was the equivalent of having a nicely made coffee with a good muffin or piece of cake at your favourite cafe while daydreaming about that intriguing couple in the corner booth. Just, whatever you do, don’t order the soup and salad. Seriously, trust me on this!

Written by Sean Michael Welch and Directed by Luke Gratton, Boise, Idaho is on at Studio 411 on the Murdoch campus until 2 April and stars Hock Edwards, Launcelot Ronzan , Tijana Simich and Tay Broadley.

Extra Ordinary People - Second Chance Theatre (22 November 2014)

The presence of superhero themed entertainment, especially movies, has been all pervading in recent years as Hollywood unveils, reboots, and rehashes multi-billion dollar franchises with increasing fervour. These stories are far more sophisticated than I recall in my childhood - I am from the generation of comic books which have now been superseded by the far more ‘respectable’ (and thematically dense and generally darker) graphic novel. It’s interesting then to see what impact this has had on a generation immersed in tales of (mostly) good versus (mainly) evil where a dizzying array of filmmaking talent and special effect wizardry makes the most outrageous of superhero powers possible.

Fascinatingly, one answer to that question is an original superhero comedy musical, written and directed by graduating Murdoch University student, Scott McArdle. Even more so when it becomes very clear that this is, in fact, an anti-superhero comedy musical. To say that McArdle’s last student production is ambitious would be an understatement of heroic proportions – a two hour and fifteen minute running time, a twenty-one strong cast, an equally large production team, a nine piece band, all original songs and a thematically cohesive Book that dissects superhero mythology with laser-like precision.

The story in short, a barista called Polly decides to take a stand against the protector of Destiny City, the invincible Captain Astonishing, whose battles with The Destroyer claim innocent lives and disempower the local citizenry. Polly enlists the support of a couple of comic book geeks, a scientist, and an ex-cop, and holds a public protest to disastrous results while dodging the attention of secret agents and falling masonry from rooftop battles atop skyscrapers. Captain Astonishing has problems of his own, mainly of the slowly going out of his mind variety and indeed ends up living long enough to become the villain.

McArdle is steeped in superhero lore and there are plenty of in-jokes and references throughout as well as all the tropes and twists one would expect in such a tale – secret underground laboratories, shadowy government organisations, an indestructible superhero with an equally powerful nemesis, secret identities, and a climactic final confrontation. But unlike Man of Steel (nicely bitch slapped) the city still stands at the end as ordinary citizens regain a sense of purpose with the removal of a god-like figure to protect them. The most telling line is tagged with the “with great power comes great responsibility…” – “… and with no power comes choice.” While crime rates are at an all-time low and coffee remains readily accessible, the people of Destiny City are an unhappy lot, powerless in the face of the titanic struggle supposedly being waged on their behalf. Purpose, choice and destiny are within their grasp if only they would seize the opportunity and stand up to Astonishing. Polly is the catalyst for this revolution as the superhero becomes the enemy and ordinary people battle the extraordinary… with a little help from the wonders of science.

Shannon Rogers is excellent as Polly and gives a nicely grounded performance as the mayhem swirls around her. Rogers has a pleasant singing voice but it’s the acting chops here that are crucial as she essentially plays the moral anchor to the story even when things don’t go according to plan and Polly’s own secrets are revealed. She also has a deft touch with the physical comedy elements and occasional droll one liner. A demanding lead role that sees her battered from pillar to skyscraper rooftop with the bruises to prove it.

James Hynson gives an engaging performance as the ‘Einstein’ of Polly’s mock-resistance group and his character plays a pivotal role in coming up with the Plan B that saves the city. Rogers and Hynson work well together and, again, he gets moments of comedy but also imbues the scientist a strong moral conscience that gives Polly an additional nudge when required.

Second Chance Theatre regular, Emily David plays the fired cop, Stacy, with snarling intensity and has a little Ethel Merman going on with her singing which was a nice counterpoint to the other vocal talent. Then there are two pairs of comic foils – the superhero loving nerds Kirby and Frankie (Justin Crossley and Sophie Braham) who are all geek enthusiasm though clearly (and amusingly) delineated between different fandoms. Crossley has a nice dramatic moment when Kirby takes Polly and Stanley to task over discussing – spoiler alert – Frankie’s death as an abstraction whereas he actually knew her as a real person. The other pairing is secret agents Philson and Rodgers (Andrew Dawson and Launce Ronzan) who come from the Keystone Cops school of homeland security and are very good with a series of hijinks and pratfalls as they eventually bumble their way to the city’s defence. In smaller roles, Joel Sammels made the role of Polly’s Boss memorable, as did Rachel Doulton with the insistent Landlord.

This leaves one key character - Captain Astonishing himself. He makes an appearance at the end of the First Act though, of course, he’s been right under our noses the whole time. Played with relish by Sven Ironside with a jawline to die for and a costume maybe not to, he adds a real sense of unpredictability and energy. This is totally in keeping with the character’s mental disintegration and in service of the plot but it was more than that. Ironside’s first big number where he proclaims he will do things “my way” had the sort of energy and attack that the earlier songs lacked. That’s not to say they weren’t good but I had a sense that the musical performances were almost too careful and a little safe. Here, Ironside throws himself at the number and it elevates the material. The same could be said of the fine set piece extolling the virtues of science that had some Chicago-style pizazz and was playfully handled by the ensemble.

The piano driven score was good and the band played very well. There was an overall lack of songs for my musical taste with long stretches between numbers at times but those we had were well crafted. The set and lighting design was impressive and set transitions handled swiftly and economically. The show hit its straps in the Second Act and the climax was well handled.

This really was an impressive production on so many levels – the sheer audacity and scope alone is to be applauded but the writing here is well balanced between comedy and darker, more dramatic moments and is thematically compelling as a reaction to the adoration the world of superheroes and their exploits usually receive. My only question mark is that the nominal nemesis, The Destroyer, is only ever referred to in dialogue other than represented as a drawing on the café scrim. I never had a real sense that he was a worthy adversary to Astonishing. The songs are good though I think, for a two hour plus running time, there needed to be more of them and with a greater sense of verve in presentation. The ensemble work well and there are amusing walk-on parts and activity happening all the time as we see glimpses into the lives of Destiny City’s citizens.

Written and Directed by Scott McArdle, Music by Nick Choo, Lyrics by McArdle and Choo, with Musical Direction by Glenn Tippett, Extra Ordinary People is a fine way for Second Chance Theatre to end their stint as a student-based theatre company and to cap off a big 2014. I am eager to see what McArdle and his creative collaborators come up with in the New Year.

Narrow Graves - Second Chance Theatre (28 August 2014)

Narrow Graves is the third production I have seen by Second Chance Theatre this year after the atmospheric Bye. Gone and the apocalyptic relationship drama Coincidences at the End of Time. All three were written by Scott McArdle who is nothing less than prolific with his debut musical Extra Ordinary People due to hit Murdoch University’s Nexus Theatre in November. This one is at the Drama Workshop also on the Murdoch campus.

McArdle is a young writer with great potential and he’s certainly not afraid to explore provocative and dark subject matter such as in this play. That he does so with wit, insight, and at times brutal realism is testament to his writing ability – a skill that might take him to NIDA and beyond, all things being equal later in the year. Not content with being the author, he also does the lighting design and acts, notably in this one, naked for a large portion.

He is joined on stage by his Coincidences co-star Emily David (as Charlotte) who plays a newly arrived ‘guest’ at a facility whose previous owner was one A. Hitler. We quickly learn things haven’t changed much as this unnamed place indulges in the kind of experiments that would not be out of place in those evil times. David has an eminently watchable quality that is powered by a stillness and calmness in her acting. This works to the play’s advantage as her character is perhaps the only sane person in a bunch that includes fellow ‘guests’ Juliet, a partially lobotomised, childlike presence; and Ethan, stoically played by McArdle who stands naked in a bucket of water as a form of ritual humiliation.

Charlotte’s guide, Benjamin (a doctor of some sort), is played by Rhys Hyatt who obliquely explains the rules of this strange world. Hyatt portrays the character with a mix of condescension and smarminess to amusing effect though we soon discover a much darker side as he takes advantage of Juliet (Jade Galambosi) for his own sexual gratification. Galambosi is sweet and tragic as the damaged soul stuck in this horrid place.

The final character is The Warden, a strong performance by Laughton Mckenzie. This is the charismatic yet unhinged ‘visionary’ who demands complete obedience yet is unaware of the chaos his actions reap. Which is ironic as chaos is the very thing he wishes to eliminate and the entire purpose of this facility. A chaos brought about by emotion, love and sex, all sins to be removed from the unwilling guests. Exercise time is a euphemism for joyless sex as Charlotte and Ethan are forced to couple every day under the watchful eyes of Benjamin and the Warden. The unwanted results of such ‘experiments’ can be terminated with a syringe.

It’s all bleak and unrelenting but this appears to be McArdle’s intention. A world without love, emotion and sex leaves people a gibbering mess in the corner of a very dark place indeed. It is a cautionary tale regarding the rise of conservatism in places such as Australia where governments seek to control aspects of our lives that really are none of their business. Ultimately though I wasn’t sure what the takeaway from this is as the cycle repeats itself as even Charlotte crumbles in the face of such heartless brutality. This was after an act of perverse kindness that did surprise me and was shocking in its ruthlessly efficient staging.

There is black humour throughout to leaven this nightmarish vision and it was interesting watching the power structure at play. This hierarchy is most noticeable with Benjamin who lords over the guests but is obsequious and subservient to the Warden. The performances are all strong but pitched very differently with Hyatt and Mckenzie given licence to have the showier roles while David, Galambosi and McArdle drive the emotional punch of the play. The set is simple yet effective with good use of lighting guiding us through scene changes.

This is SCT’s most overtly political piece and it’s certainly not for the fainthearted. The creative team and actors are to be applauded for producing a play that will make you think and wasn’t without its own share of adversity in bringing to the stage. There are three more shows; tonight at 7.00pm sharp (there is a lockout) with a matinee and evening show on Saturday. 

Back to Eden - Black Martini Theatre (14 August 2014)

I remarked earlier this evening that I appear to be spending a fair bit of time at universities lately – Curtin with strong and interesting productions at the Hayman Theatre Upstairs; Edith Cowan’s Mount Lawley campus, home of course to WAAPA; and Murdoch which houses a few student theatre companies. I have already seen a couple of productions each from Second Chance Theatre and the Murdoch Theatre Company but tonight it was Black Martini Theatre’s production of Back to Eden at the Drama Workshop, written by Yuri Baranovsky.

The story, in short, revolves around Adam and Eve surrogates Michael and Samantha who are in a place they know not where, having arrived there they know not how, with their memories seemingly wiped. There is, however, a single white door. Through which bounds God-like businessman Andy Corvell who convinces Michael to sign a contract that promises him everything. Except things don’t go as expected for Michael and Samantha who end up getting married and having a child called Rose who rapidly grows as time has no meaning here, or is sped up, or… something. Yes, it’s all a little perplexing with plenty of talk about control and choice and life and suchlike with digs at religion along the way.

Now, for this review we have to discuss the writing before we get to the performances and Black Martini’s work. I had not heard of Yuri Baranovsky before tonight and I struggled with the first act – I didn’t understand the rhythms, I was unclear on tone, and the writing indulged in a lot of wordplay and trying to be clever but it fell flat for me. It also felt quite elliptical and downright obtuse at times. The acting, as a result, was also puzzling in a lot of cases. It was only in the early going of the second act when two armchairs were dragged on stage that it hit me like a freight train – this is, I swear to Corvell, a sitcom script not a stage play. 

Then it all started to make sense. I inserted my own canned mental laugh track and suddenly the odd, verbal riffing, the strange entrances and exits, the ‘guest appearances’ like the mother, the literal ‘mugging to camera’ acting for many characters, and the way it was staged began to work for me. I was in the audience for a live filming of a one-camera situational comedy set in a single location where an unwitting couple fall prey to the whims of God played as a corporate businessman.   

 

Michael Casas as Michael and Amelia Dee as Samantha struggle valiantly but they are playing the ‘straight men’ who don’t know what’s going on in this crazy construct. They have to do so much heavy lifting with Casas the earnest one and Dee the more questioning of the two. The problem here is that when the ‘crazier’ characters are off stage the play flattens out as they are too similar tonally and you can only play variations of “what’s going on?” for so long. There are bursts where Dee’s Samantha in particular seems about to cut loose but they are basically the ‘every-person’ couple trying to comprehend (as the audience is) events and their meaning.

The showy part of Corvell is entertainingly played by Philip Hutton who gives him a larger-than-life persona and after a strange entrance becomes the weird energy that drives the play. This is felt most clearly in his absence for a large part of the second act where we sorely miss his antics. Shannon Rogers is good as the ditzy secretary Jane and, alongside a cute running gag, does have interesting wordplay because it comes more from character not just the writer being clever. Then there’s Darren, one of Corvell’s employees, played by Andrew Trewin, who is, to all intents and purposes, our Kramer in this little sitcom which explains the over-the-top style he uses.

The ensemble is made up of Jessica Serio, Justin Crossley, Karen Hansord, Ryan Partridge, and Tijana Simich. They get to ‘nod and wink’ at the audience outrageously at times and even indulge in a little Pythonesque-style madness as we discover that Michael is indeed “not the Messiah”.

In all I found this an odd play but that was predominantly to do with the writing. It reverts to more traditional form towards the end where a choice finally needs to be made by Michael and Samantha – will they or won’t they walk through the door - and there are amusing parts along the way. I also enjoyed the cheekiness of the programme which included a section for Andy Corvell’s signature!

Directed by Thomas Dimmick and starring Philip Hutton, Amelia Dee, Michael Casas, Shannon Rogers, Andrew Trewin, Jessica Serio, Justin Crossley, Karen Hansord, Ryan Partridge, and Tijana Simich, Back to Eden has three more shows at the Drama Workshop, Murdoch University, 7.30pm Friday and Saturday with a 2pm matinee on Saturday as well. 

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.