Good Common Evil

I normally wouldn't do this (and probably shouldn't seeing as my identity has been revealed to a few people) but I've kinda been asked to - when asked if I would give it a good or bad review, I replied I would give it a honest one, and you can't ask for much more than that. so here goes!

Having seen the show on opening night (Tuesday), listened to both colleauge's (spelling?), peer's and media people's opinions (both what they said then and then later out of cast's possible earshot) and then read the subsequent (rather glowing) review in the West, I feel I need to provide a balanced view of this show. I have seen it before, last year I think, and it has been reworked since then (although I couldn't spot the changes, but that's probably because the play wasn't that memorable the first time). It is a fairly _good_ show, and quite entertaining but I found there were a few moments when the dialogue seemed alien to the characters and said to myself "they just wouldn't say that!". I have also heard complaints about the levels (Tom was a little quiet), and some unmotivated pauses for the trucks - Tom's performance has of course been compared to his predessor, Adam's and while Tom's lacked the confidence, intensity, energy and wit of Adam's, his was a much more vunerable and sensitive character - you could believe Tom's insecurity and Adam's intelligence but not the other way around. Luke has a certain writing style which of course not everyone likes, and certainly directing his own work he has a definite view of how things should be done and therefore may not be getting as much out of it as someone else, with a little distance might. This is highlighted in the confrontational nature of the language of the play : we don't need f*@# and C@#* as a substitute for emotional intensity and it just jars the audience rather than adding impact. Kudos must go to Chris Taylor's consistent and well-placed performance as most people have mentioned him as the real star of the play (although I consider Lucy Bath's very thoughtful and honest performance would be the best, opening night nerves aside). Obviously I don't want to bag it too much, as there was nothing really wrong with the play, merely stylistic and directoral discrepancies that might be looked at. All the actors gave good performances, it is hard to judge Susie's portrayal of Pennie due to the length of the role. *But* there are things that stop this good show from becoming a great one. Go along and see for yourselves.

ps You can all come and bag me when you review Hayman's Threesome - August 1-5!! =)

SS

You were close - "COLLEAGUES"

Secret Squirrel,
I am more than happy to hear an honest review and I think that certain criticisms you make are valid. I personally believe that due to opening night nerves the performance was at around 85%.
An "honest" review however would use the name Simon Baldwin as opposed to secret squirrel. You were more than welcome to present these criticisms in person to me on the opening night rather than from behind a pseudonym. Back up your opinions, have the courage to talk to those they concern about them and for Christ's sake use your actual name.
We are looking forward to viewing your role in "tests" in Hayman's Threesome in August. The Threesome program gave me a kick start with "Leia by Layer" so hope it does the same for you. I apologise if my "f*&@s and c@#$% offended anyone's delicate sensibilities. I figure that having gotten past reviewers, a lot of theatre folk, and most scarily the cast's mothers that i'm home free. Oh and just for the record, having read some of the previous posts, squirrels do actually "munch nuts". That may clear that comment up.
And a quick hello to Jarred, Leah, Dan and all the other Black Yak folk, come along and we'll have a beer and a chat. It's been a while.
Cheers,
Luke.

Oh one other thing, instead of bagging our local theatre, I'd like to promote. After all, we're all in the same big theatrical boat.
If you come and see the show, get the program and look at the ad for Threesome on the back. Secret Squirrel is the guy in the middle. He looks kinda pissed off 'cos I probably just offended him with some of my gratuitous cuss words. Time to get the soap out of his soap box and wash out my filthy mouth.
f@$#% oops! There I go again.
Luke.

I'll be there on Saturday Luke, keep the lemonade icy and the chat spicy!!

And all you other guys out there in theatre land, go support local writers. Any old idiot can act and direct, but it takes a very special kind of idiot to write!

Good Common Evil, Blue Room, all week. This is the last week so hurry up.

It has been years since I last wrote a review mainly because of the bitchiness that seems to go with the job. What brings me out of the closet again is the fear that this web page could degenerate into a mud slinging ring of name calling and pedantic concerns about the correct spelling of doppelganger.

So long as the opinion is unbiased and honest why should we care who delivers the message? And for those who seem to think that community theatre is there for their brand of personal fun - well fine but don't expect to charge the public for it. Once you have chosen to take money from strangers then you become obliged to honour the rules of the marketplace.

SO: Good Common Evil. Luke Milton is an interesting writer. Unlike Robert Cook of the West Australian I do not agree that it is a mature work.. Far from it. It is in fact a new work by a twenty-something writer who may well go on the shape the TV/Theatre/Film industry by the time he is thirtyfive. (How old is Robert Cook anyway???) Unusual for a young writer it seems to lacks a youthful set of guts. Interesting ideas abound aplenty what is missing is the courage to follow them through to the bitter end. For example the clever proscenium arch of the plot is disappointingly compromised by a cutesy epilogue.

I look forward to seeing Milton's next work (I haven't seen his previous ones) because I see a lively brain ticking away throughout the script. Unfortunately the production standards did not serve him well. The set was cluttered, the lighting flat, the transitions between scenes very clumsy. To have an actor state "Three weeks later" at the commencement of a scene is NOT an acceptable practise off the Curtin University campus. Had this been an established convention it might have worked but to chuck it in from nowhereÂ… I missed the next three minutes of dialogue due to a fit of the giggles. The community theatre 'grey-outs' were likewise a distraction from the tension that should have been building. Read a book about audience response theory - the studies have been done! These stodgy production practises did not serve the actors or the writing particularly well.

The acting on the whole was trite 'Home and Away' realistic style. I hope this was not a directorial decision the script deserved better. My guess is that the new breed of actors have overloaded on TV and consequently have no other concept of acting. As a result the actors were constantly making safe choices and refusing to take the risks the script requested of them. This was a pity. A violent character should frighten every member of the audience (Take Mike Frenchman in Cloud Tectonic as a good example - and he's a Curtin lad too!) Christopher Taylor was far too laid back and pretty. No scars on this character to suggest the rough side. I am sure he could be capable of it if he tried hard. And Lucy Bath must be the coyest porn-queen on the planet! Curtin Students used to be known for pushing theatre to the boundaries.

My biggest fear for Luke Milton, writer, is that with a constant diet of Upstairs Theatre productions his creative practices will flounder into comfortable formulae and 70's production cliches. This production lacked many of the risk-taking traits of the typical Blueroom production. My advice for Milton would be to start working off- campus with an older generation of actors who are going to see the good things in his scripts and force him to explore them further. Working with close friends and colleagues leads inevitably to a comfortable experience for everyone.

We may all be in trhe same thearical boat but some are built for ocean voyages and others for afternoon river trips. I hope Milton stops circling the harbour and heads out to discover new continents.