The Full Monty
Phoenix Ensemble - Beenleigh
Friday 15th November, 2013
“As Kate Peters would
say: if it’s a bad final rehearsal, it’ll probably be a bad performance!” Well I’m only guessing that the Phoenix
Ensemble have enjoyed some pretty good rehearsals of late because their
performance is something all together wonderful.
This was my first visit to the “tin shed” in Beenleigh and
what a wonderful little theatre it is. Set within the Beenleigh Show Grounds, this
is a real “community theatre” – a close-knit company who clearly enjoys working
together and is not afraid of putting in the hard work required to stage a show
such as this. I have to say, I really enjoyed it.
Director Tracey Hutley has created some lovely moments
within her blocking and in the way she has used a very cleverly designed set to
move us from one location to the next. The large cast is tightly rehearsed and
the normally private emotions these men are feeling are, at times, quite
palpable. Whilst I felt the occasional, potentially important line was
swallowed, mumbled or just lost in the accent, the principal performances are
overall, outstanding. Stephen Dorrington
is simply superb as the young dad, Jerry
with far more to loose than his dignity. I really enjoyed Mr Dorrington’s
performance – his background in ballroom dancing clearly made for his light,
almost Puck- like step on stage. That
combined with a strong voice and a charming vulnerability made his character
portrayal so warm and believable. Speaking of voices, I must mention Adam Bartlett in the role of “mummy’s
boy” Malcolm. What a superb set of
pipes this man has – Mummy’s last goodbye is a beautifully moving scene.
The rest of the gents, Jason
Lawson, Kevin Doyle, Tyler Stevens
and Simon Ahhim all deserve a note
of congratulations for not only spending much of the second act in their undies
but again for the raw “realness” they brought to their characters. Then there
is the afore-mentioned Kate Peters
in the cameo role of Jeanette, the
rehearsal pianist: simply hilarious! With the “Hollywood hair” jammed under a
knitted beanie and a collection of nylon track-suits and souvenir t-shirts that
would make any energetic Florida retiree proud, Ms Peters gives us a delightfully
amusing interpretation of all “has-been” entertainers come repetiteurs
everywhere.
It is apparent by the opening number that the choreography
by Heather Scott is going to be a
triumph … and one is not let down. The live six-piece band under the combined
direction of Casy Chadwick and Nick Ng is tight and makes a pretty
impressive sound for a small ensemble tucked away in a corner.
As I mentioned earlier, the set by the Director, Luke Hutley and Andrew Lea is a masterpiece of design and is beautifully finished
by Mr Lea, Morgan Garrity and Ray Aubrey. Every mobile element serves multiple purposes and the industrial
look places the play perfectly. There’s even a car – a real car with functioning head lights, a steering wheel on the left
hand side and an American licence plate (it’s all in the detail!)
While I found the oversized headset mics a bit of an ugly distraction,
I appreciate the need for them to be there (I just wish they could have found a
smaller, more discreet model). Technically, however, the show is strong and Wayne Rudolph’s lighting is well
considered and brings the stage beautifully to life.
This is a great script – tick. It has a lovely score – tick.
And it is impressively staged and played by this devoted company of
theatre-lovers - Tick! I really enjoyed The Full Monty at Phoenix … I look forward to my next
adventure to Beenleigh.
No comments:
Post a Comment