Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead - GRADS Theatre Company (9 October 2025)

Where to begin? Let's start with the sheer audacity of what playwright Tom Stoppard has accomplished. He's taken two minor characters from one of the most celebrated works of all time whose fates have been predetermined by no less than William Shakespeare, and put them front and centre in the story of their own demise. That it is witty, poignant, thought provoking, and the ending more than a little heart-breaking, is testament to the superb writing. Stoppard's love of language is instantly apparent as is his playfulness on so many levels as the duo bicker, play games, procrastinate and philosophise, unsure how to proceed after being summoned by the king. You see, there's this guy who's been moping around called Hamlet and, well, our heroes are tasked to ascertain what afflicts him. 

This wonderful premise allows Stoppard to riff on all manner of subjects from the nature of fate to the profession of acting itself. This is metatheatre writ large with a play within a play within a play that inverts Hamlet by relegating its key characters to bit players, recontextualises many of that play's key moments, and explores in more detail how the ill-fated duo come to such an ending as the title doth suggest. Oh, and there's this - it's smart and really funny. There are elements of madcap humour reminiscent of that great wave of British comedians from the sixties and early seventies (the play was first staged in 1966) who would become household names such as the Pythons. Some scenes are constructed as elaborate skits and there is plenty of physical comedy, in-jokes, mime, and sight gags. 

A play this layered and complex with rapid fire dialogue (and plenty of it), deft comic timing, and physical antics demands a lot from its two lead actors. I'm happy to announce that Alex Comstock as Guil... um... Rosencrantz, and Thomas Dimmick (Rosen... *ahem* ... Guildenstern) are more than up to the task. It's an impressive turn by both of them, immediately establishing a rhythm and genuine connection during the famous opening scene where the outcome of the repeated flip of a coin takes on portentous meaning... or not, depending on your point of view. 

Comstock's Rosencrantz is initially full of almost boyish enthusiasm and naivety which plays well against Dimmick's more assertive and thoughtful Guildenstern. There are times when this is flipped to great effect as their predicament deepens. Comstock mimics and cavorts with glee while Dimmick prowls and grimaces in existential dread. They deliver the banter dialogue with precision while luxuriating in beats where the pause, as counterpoint, is expertly deployed. They are also fabulously attired in Merri Ford's Elizabethan styled costumes with Dimmick echoing Joseph Fiennes' look from Shakespeare In Love (co-written by one T. Stoppard). The third act is particularly affecting as greater forces intervene with both actors communicating the exasperation and confusion over how it could all go so cruelly wrong for these affable courtiers.

Around our title characters swirl two sets of notable contingents - the Court from Hamlet including the prince (Leigh Fitzpatrick) who mouths the famous soliloquy, stage right, which is such a wonderfully subversive beat; and poor old Polonius (Neale Paterson) who amusingly gets wheeled out in a barrow holding a shovel after he's despatched; and the Tragedians under the lead of The Player (Jeff Watkins) who foreshadow events and provide meta commentary through acted scenes from a play... within a play... which is within another... ... play.  It's all glorious fun. Watkins brings the swagger and imbues The Player with vanity and insight while the Tragedians are a delight. Superb face makeup by Yvette Wetherilt and striking costuming by Ford, along with the vaudeville style antics of  Codey Finlay, Jordan D’Arcy, Daniel Suttner, Alex Ketko, and Tom Tasovac as Alfred, provide many memorable interactions. They work well as a company of players playing a... company of pla-- okay, you get it... with each having a highlight in portraying over-the-top deaths or heightened emotion. 

I was quite taken by the lighting design of Fiona Reid, notably in the third act when we're at sea on a boat at night. Wonderfully lit and atmospheric as the mood is contemplative and a key deception is revealed. There are also moments, earlier, when the whole stage is brightly illuminated as if there is a literal spotlight on the central characters.

I loved the back-and-forth dialogue, circular arguments, and japery but just as important is the use of silence as we empathise with the characters or feel their uncertainty. Director Tony Petani and co-director Emily Keys also aren't afraid to slow things down and take advantage of the large performance space of the New Fortune Theatre. Characters traverse the stage like chess pieces, unhurried and deliberate. As the duos' dilemma deepens though the action becomes more frantic and theatrical. 

This is an excellent production of a notable play that mirrors one of the most famous plays of all time. There truly are no small roles, only two minor characters thrust into the spotlight where the periphery becomes centre stage and the toss of a coin is something more than random chance. It's funny, provocative, and a pure delight to watch exceptional writing executed with such flair and attention to detail in all departments.  

Henry IV - GRADS Theatre Company (12 March 2025)

Let's talk about how special the theatregoing experience can be... 

A couple of hours before opening night there was a pretty heavy shower where I live. This is going to be interesting, I thought, given the New Fortune Theatre is an outdoor venue. I even took a jumper with me. The rain cleared, the night was still, the jumper was never in danger of being required, the peacocks were mute... it was nothing short of a divine evening. 

I was uncharacteristically indecisive and ended up in the upper wing, audience left, looking down at the stage. As I absorbed the action before me, gazing at the performers, clearly seeing the audience where I'd normally sit, listening to the immortal words of Shakespeare, I was struck by how otherworldly this was. In the best possible way. A terrific cast, performing an epic tale, written by the greatest playwright of the English language, in a replica venue, on a perfect night. It floated across my mind that theatre doesn't get much better than this. 

Afterwards, one of the actors remarked they heard someone laughing from the wings and that they must have known the play. Yes, I laughed. But I do not know the play. What I do recognise is wordplay and japery and an inventiveness of language that has never been matched. When writ large in someone as larger-than-life as Sir John Falstaff the ribaldry is nothing short of intoxicating. A condition Falstaff and his companions are certainly not foreign to.

My vantage point also delivered a stunning visual moment that rocked me; like a spectacular wide shot from a movie that could only have been seen in profile. At the end of the first half, to my right, Prince Hal (Fraser Whitely) is at the rear section of the foot of the stage amongst the audience, head slightly bowed. To my left, Henry IV (Grant Malcolm) is on the stage, behind his imposing desk, in an elevated position compared to his son and wayward heir. Whitely moves slowly down the central aisle, mounts the stairs to the stage, and for the first time ascends to meet his father on his own level. Only to be berated by Henry in a fiery monologue delivered by Malcolm that will not be his last burst of sustained brilliance. 

That image, of those two characters at the extremities of, in film language, the frame; the difference in elevation, in posture, and demeanour said EVERYTHING about their respective status and relationship without a word being spoken. It's imprinted on my brain. The act of humble ascension and subsequent rebuke is superb. If I sat where I normally do I would never have seen it. Not like that. Thank you, indecisiveness!

I digress.

This adaptation by director Patrick Downes is the merging of two plays, Henry IV, Parts One and Two. In short, Hotspur (Grace Edwards) has taken up arms against Henry IV (Malcolm) while Henry's son, Prince Hal (Whitely), carouses with the notorious Falstaff and associates. High court politics, battles, and sword fights ensue with plenty of hijinks along the way. Think of it as Game of Thrones without the dragons. In essence it is a story about the son who will assume the mantle of the father and cast aside his rebellious past. All stirring stuff. 

Grant Malcolm excels as Henry IV. Regal, commanding, exasperated at his son and the folly of those who oppose him. His monologue towards the end of the play as Henry catches Hal wearing the crown is worth the price of admission alone. Wounded in more ways than one, his Henry is distraught at this act. Malcolm is devastating as he conjures a response of raw emotion until Whitely's Hal seeks to placate him. 

Whitely, youthful and exuberant, plays Hal as one of the lads until duty calls and the arc towards regal responsibility is set in motion. It's a likeable and charming performance contrasted by the coldness of Hal's repudiation of his past in the closing moments. 

Where Grant Malcolm brings the authority, Michael Lamont brings stout and roundly humour in a fabulous turn as Falstaff. He is never less than captivating as he carouses and cajoles; schemes and pontificates. His speech about honour is a highlight as Lamont shifts gears to bring insight to such a boastful man. 

Grace Edwards is all fire and scorn as Hotspur who defies the king and sets in motion the broader political and military machinations. Edwards prowls the stage, her Hotspur restless and discontent, until fury meets destiny in a clash that will define the fortunes of all involved. 

The supporting players inhabit multiple roles with skill and flair - Martyn Churcher, notably as Worcester whose deceit ends in calamity; Anna Head, both regal and common as Westmoreland and Doll Tearsheet respectively; Joanne Lamont who moves between inn-keeper and finely accented, rebel nobles; Nic Doig as a vibrant Poins, in particular; Jason Dohle whose Douglas hunts Henry with rare savagery; Andreas Petalas as a sixth man off the bench taking on multiple roles, highbrow and low; and Kaitlyn Barry, quieter yet no less arresting, as Peto and Vernon.  

Patrick Downes uses all of the space, however, there's a clear delineation, especially in the first half, like an Elizabethan netball court. The highborn and those of authority are on the raised stage; the lowborn and the fallen Prince Hal perform at the foot of the stage. The traversing of those boundaries, when it comes, is of notable importance until the chaos of battle leads to far more fluid staging in the second half. 

Well lit (Fiona Reid), well costumed (Merri Ford), and well staged this is a showpiece for the actors and they deliver in rousing fashion. Music cues were a little off-putting and abrupt to mine ears but maybe that's because the inherent drama and comedy did not need buttressing.  

Shakespeare can be difficult for the modern sensibility. I have to tell you though, sitting there, watching a stirring production on a balmy Perth night was pretty damn special. A unique experience and one that's well worth attending.  

Henry IV is on at the New Fortune Theatre in the Arts Building of the UWA campus until 22 March. 

Photos by Paris Romano Jenner