MEMORABLE PERFORMANCE IN MESSY MALL INCIDENT |
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) Written by Robert Hewett Director: Colin McColl Starring: Kerry Fox at Maidment, Auckland From 24 Aug 2006 to 16 Sep 2006 Reviewed by Kate Ward-Smythe, 28 Aug 2006 |
The Blonde the Brunette and the Vengeful Redhead is a story about an ordinary woman reacting to traumatic news in an extraordinary way, with devastating results unfolding in a shopping mall. This story is told through the eyes of seven contrasting yet related characters.
Why was this play written? What was the embryonic force motivating Australian playwright Robert Hewett in 2003? Referring to the programme notes, it turns out he hurriedly wrote a play - any play - for a friend, an out of work actor, to "produce and perform, then tuck way in her bag, ready to be pulled out whenever the coffers were getting a bit low." So, it was a rushed, moneymaking venture to help out a mate. How convenient. Fair enough. But in this instance, the end result was thin and average.
Holistically, The Blonde ... didn't connect on that inextricable level which, as an audience member, I hope for when I go to the theatre. The stakes simply weren't high enough or credible enough for me to really care, or become fully engaged. Moreover, The Blonde ... felt like a series of recognisable caricatures, presented one by one for a specific reaction, glued together by a shocking, sensational plot with some cheap gags thrown in for entertainment.
It does make points about human nature and the consequences of our actions but in a predictable way I'd expect to see on Days of Our Lives, rather than in an ATC production.
I felt the lack of intuitive substance made staging The Blonde ... problematic for Director Colin McColl and his creative team, who, perhaps by way of compensation, tried to do, and add, too much.
John Gibson's sound scape, for the vast majority of the play, was a pot pouri of crackle, hum and the usual wall of mall noise. He adds chance touches here and there, such as 'You've Got A Friend' after Doctor Alex Douchette's scene.
The set was also a mixed bag, with various representations, props and structures strewn about the stage. It also incorporated 3 TV monitors and a projection screen. Loose electrics hanging precariously from a crooked neon light, was a significant touch by set (and Costume) designer Kate Hawley, giving the sense of something about to short circuit.
Like a shopping mall, lighting design by Phillip Dexter, was harsh, stark and white.
Overall, the presentation felt messy, plastic, bright and unwelcoming. The nature of shopping Malls seemed to be the desired hook. "Mall Life" was given a lot of focus, not only through sound, light, and set, but also through a 3-page article in the programme. I struggle with this. The Mall was simply the venue for a series of events, not the reason for them.
For me, the use of multi media (visual design by Steve Latty) was distracting and unnecessary. The Blonde ... has a simple episodic structure, leaving the audience little room for doubt as to where we are heading. From my perspective, the projection screen and TV monitors merely guided us to what was already obvious.
Kerry Fox, heralded back to New Zealand by a full and effective marketing campaign, gives a memorable performance in all roles. She has an organic way of delivering lines, which is conversational and untreated. She was generously received. Some smitten opening night audience members gave her a standing ovation.
ATC Artistic Director Colin McColl states in the programme: "This production marks a new partnership between Auckland Theatre Company and Downstage Theatre." It opens a Downstage of 21 September.
John Smythe
Laurie Atkinson (The Dominion Post);
Lynn Freeman (Capital Times);