Six Actors in a Room. Written by Lachlan Abrahams, Rohini Sharma, Estelle Muspratt. The Acting Company directed by Estelle Muspratt. Currong Theatre Wed - Sat until August 2, 1999. 8pm.
Jean-Louis Barrault famously said "Theatre is Illusion". Estelle Muspratt et al say "Theatre is Bullshit". Though one experienced director on opening night laughed throughout this satire - in company with the many other doyens of theatre present - she was overheard expressing heartfelt nervousness about how she might be greeted in her next rehearsal. Could she even say "Please find your own space" without a howl of merriment!
An admitted first draft, Six Actors shows promise. It is certainly very funny, except for the finale on video which would have been better done live. It is a confident piece written by Canberra's theatrical young turks - and theatre in our town will only mature through such satirical self-examination. It is very well acted by the whole ensemble, though I think I should give special mention to Tim Wood's Earnest Mutton, born and bred in Albury and afraid his father will send him back - maybe to (pause) Wodonga. When Earnest takes control, sparks really fly.
But there's lots more to do with this script. It's been written and workshopped by a committee, and the humps show. The references to Pirandello, Brecht, Stanislawski, Bell Shakespeare, and rehearsal techniques like finding the lion within yourself, need development - satirical, of course - to a point where the absurdity of theatrical hypocrisy turns to face us with the stark quality of the child's death in Six Characters in Search of an Author, or the horror of Mother Courage's final song.
The fictional Barely Coping Theatre Company is forced to work without funding, just like the real Acting Company (though Muspratt's residency at The Currong and the support especially of The Jigsaw Company must not be forgotten). Exposing the black quality of this situation - of the ridiculous position in which professional theatre, and the arts in general, are left dangling on jangled nerve strings by socially immature governments - is what needs fuller development in this script. Then, ironically, the Australia Council might come to the party and we can all celebrate.
©Frank McKone, Canberra
No comments:
Post a Comment