Error Flynn at Harbour Theatre - Into The Season

Three performances down, four to go. Sabotaged by BOCS, caned by the critics, still the audiences flock to see the show. Opening night was a capacity crowd, as was today's matinee. Saturday night (when Greg Ross and the other three luvvies - probably all 'comps' - came along) was a medium-sized, unresponsive house. We all know those only too well. With great respect to the aforesaid, I think they have all sadly missed the point of this show. As one of my heroes, Bertolt Brecht would have said, if you can't free yourself of theatrical conventions and look at a performance in the context of what is going on in the world around you, then you probably belong in a home for retired insurance salespersons. The script for this play positively jumps off the page, as all who have read it will attest. Far from being left in the "bottom drawer', it demands to be performed (as it was when it won an award at the 1979 Edinburgh Festival) at least every other year. If this production loses something in its direction, I take full responsibility. As for genre-specifics and set design - see again the above paraphrasing of Brecht. He was well-known for suddenly bursting into song in the middle of a drama - something 'Bollywood' has taken to the bank. He also liked to perform with lighting rigs, musicians, backstage crew and dressing rooms in full view of the audience - just in case they needed reminding that they were actually in a theatre and it was not all 'real'. There has been considerable positive acclaim for the female performers in this show, which I heartily endorse. There has however been faint praise for the males - unwarranted. The 2 'lads' have to handle 10 to 16 different characters each, whereas the 2 'lasses' have only 6 or 7!-) -All for now. will comment on the humour and music next time.