I felt compelled to take up the Jackyl's invitation to review ARENA's latest offering, the world premiere of local writer Jeremy Malcolm's TEMPORO. My appreciation and encouragement to any theatre company brave enough to take on new, inspiring, thought provoking and often excellent original pieces of work, often sadly neglected by the very community, theatre companies of ARENA's calibre continue to serve. I feel that this is in part due to the fact that the majority of the community favour the recycled and established works of old masters or whizbang showstoppers rather than the cut and thrust of new, developmental theatre.
I congratulate ARENA for taking on the challenge of mounting this exciting new production within the small studio space at the Sun Room (Whatley Crescent, Maylands, Wednesday to Staurday, 8pm, this week and next) with limited resources and publicity.
Opening Night offered a dizzying array of fight and stunt sequences, mind boggling sci- fi concepts, tense cliffhangers, romance, intrique and gently wry comedy coupled with excellent stage and sound design.
New writing talent Jeremy Malcolm, guided by the experienced hand of Simon James' direction has succeeded in presenting all of this eye candy for the audience whilst managing to create a depth and introspection not usually apparent in a new writer's work.
Any cliche or gaudiness (which are the trappings of the sci- fi genre) are quickly side- stepped by the production's own sense of whimsical irony. The well- rounded cast of nine succeed in peeling back the layers of said eye candy, going beyond the at times confusing sci- fi jargon to reveal an essentially human story. TEMPORO is a study of the responsibility of handling advanced technology, the questionable ethics and corruption which otherwise well- intentioned power can wield and the subsequent cost to human life which science attempts to ignore.
The excellent cast manage to tread a fine line between humourous entertainment and moments of breath- catching, moving drama. Olivia Darby, Amy Welsh and Kylie Calwell are the strong moral centre of the play with feisty and consistent performances from all three. Lydia Kenyon makes a fetching figure in her Trinity/ Matrix inspired get up, a sound performance from the company's resident chameleon (an elf, a valkyrie and a vampyre from previous productions from this versatile performer).
The male performers are a deft mixture of menace and bravado. Seton Pollack is appropriately obnoxious as the play's resident nerd, Michael Lamont and Andrew Milne both displaying an excellent rapport and menacing physicality in their dual roles of Ortega 1 & 2 (respectively) and Patrick Cooper delivers a competent performance with poise and pathos (despite little engagement with the audience and too much floor gazing) as the tragic scientist Rico.
I must make special mention of the three stand out performers of the evening. My congratulations to Amy Welsh, Michael Lamont and Andrew Shugg. Welsh's petite spitfire receptionist was a study in natural ability, engaging appealingly with the audience in what was a quirky, funny and quietly moving performance. ARENA stalwart and star performer is arguably Michael Lamont, expertly handling the barely concealed panic, rage and despair of a complex character with finesse, his fight scenes with a likewise impressive Patrick Cooper harrowing in their believability. My gratitude to Andrew Shugg for a risk- taking and beautifully moving portrait (of what could otherwise have been a stilted, chiched performance) of madness (had it been placed in less compassionate hands).
Salutations to the Cast and capable Crew of ARENA's TEMPORO for a job well done. Thank you.
Touchstone.
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Date: 08/04/2004 - 15:28
To all and Sundry,
I felt compelled to take up the Jackyl's invitation to review ARENA's latest offering, the world premiere of local writer Jeremy Malcolm's TEMPORO. My appreciation and encouragement to any theatre company brave enough to take on new, inspiring, thought provoking and often excellent original pieces of work, often sadly neglected by the very community, theatre companies of ARENA's calibre continue to serve. I feel that this is in part due to the fact that the majority of the community favour the recycled and established works of old masters or whizbang showstoppers rather than the cut and thrust of new, developmental theatre.
I congratulate ARENA for taking on the challenge of mounting this exciting new production within the small studio space at the Sun Room (Whatley Crescent, Maylands, Wednesday to Staurday, 8pm, this week and next) with limited resources and publicity.
Opening Night offered a dizzying array of fight and stunt sequences, mind boggling sci- fi concepts, tense cliffhangers, romance, intrique and gently wry comedy coupled with excellent stage and sound design.
New writing talent Jeremy Malcolm, guided by the experienced hand of Simon James' direction has succeeded in presenting all of this eye candy for the audience whilst managing to create a depth and introspection not usually apparent in a new writer's work.
Any cliche or gaudiness (which are the trappings of the sci- fi genre) are quickly side- stepped by the production's own sense of whimsical irony. The well- rounded cast of nine succeed in peeling back the layers of said eye candy, going beyond the at times confusing sci- fi jargon to reveal an essentially human story. TEMPORO is a study of the responsibility of handling advanced technology, the questionable ethics and corruption which otherwise well- intentioned power can wield and the subsequent cost to human life which science attempts to ignore.
The excellent cast manage to tread a fine line between humourous entertainment and moments of breath- catching, moving drama. Olivia Darby, Amy Welsh and Kylie Calwell are the strong moral centre of the play with feisty and consistent performances from all three. Lydia Kenyon makes a fetching figure in her Trinity/ Matrix inspired get up, a sound performance from the company's resident chameleon (an elf, a valkyrie and a vampyre from previous productions from this versatile performer).
The male performers are a deft mixture of menace and bravado. Seton Pollack is appropriately obnoxious as the play's resident nerd, Michael Lamont and Andrew Milne both displaying an excellent rapport and menacing physicality in their dual roles of Ortega 1 & 2 (respectively) and Patrick Cooper delivers a competent performance with poise and pathos (despite little engagement with the audience and too much floor gazing) as the tragic scientist Rico.
I must make special mention of the three stand out performers of the evening. My congratulations to Amy Welsh, Michael Lamont and Andrew Shugg. Welsh's petite spitfire receptionist was a study in natural ability, engaging appealingly with the audience in what was a quirky, funny and quietly moving performance. ARENA stalwart and star performer is arguably Michael Lamont, expertly handling the barely concealed panic, rage and despair of a complex character with finesse, his fight scenes with a likewise impressive Patrick Cooper harrowing in their believability. My gratitude to Andrew Shugg for a risk- taking and beautifully moving portrait (of what could otherwise have been a stilted, chiched performance) of madness (had it been placed in less compassionate hands).
Salutations to the Cast and capable Crew of ARENA's TEMPORO for a job well done. Thank you.
Touchstone.