Dr . Koppelius
Sat, 10 Mar 2001, 11:07 amWalter Plinge9 posts in thread
Dr . Koppelius
Sat, 10 Mar 2001, 11:07 amMalcolm Crisp's highly disciplined approach to his collaborative work continues to strengthen and consolidate with 'Dr. Koppelius'. The subject matter is complex and demands the audiences close attention - mutliple views of the concept of 'reality' are presented in rapid succession and Malcolm demands that we digest them as quickly as possible in order to appreciate the full value of the plot. The story had a 'folklorish' quality about it which complimented the complexity of the subtext. The characters are all metaphors for a particular point of view of the subject matter and this was handled consistently throughout. Names like Olympia alluded to more specific stylistic devices reminiscent of Greek tragedy, and Dr. Koppelius herself played out the role of the chorus, updating the audience on the potential consequences of the actions of other characters.
The music and lyrics provided by 'Zenomorph' provided a 70's rock opera vehicle for the tale. At times I found the lyrics too esoteric to follow, especially as the dialogue was already so 'idea-heavy'. The fact that the glam-rock era was so dependent on questions surrounding reality vs. fantasy, this genre (which by today's standards would be considered classical music) works effectively in this context. The 'goths in leather' look which is such a favourite of Malcolm's as a device to drive the sexuality and eroticism of the work is in strong evidence again.
The stillness of characters was disciplined and focussed. I would personally have liked to have seen more movement throughout. I believe the subject matter could have sustained it.
All in all a fascinating piece of theatre, solid performances and clearly the most consistent of Malcolm's collaborations. He has etched a niche for himself and I hope that he will continue to pursue this particular stylistic line to even more challenging conclusions.
The music and lyrics provided by 'Zenomorph' provided a 70's rock opera vehicle for the tale. At times I found the lyrics too esoteric to follow, especially as the dialogue was already so 'idea-heavy'. The fact that the glam-rock era was so dependent on questions surrounding reality vs. fantasy, this genre (which by today's standards would be considered classical music) works effectively in this context. The 'goths in leather' look which is such a favourite of Malcolm's as a device to drive the sexuality and eroticism of the work is in strong evidence again.
The stillness of characters was disciplined and focussed. I would personally have liked to have seen more movement throughout. I believe the subject matter could have sustained it.
All in all a fascinating piece of theatre, solid performances and clearly the most consistent of Malcolm's collaborations. He has etched a niche for himself and I hope that he will continue to pursue this particular stylistic line to even more challenging conclusions.
RE: Dr . Koppelius
Mon, 12 Mar 2001, 01:35 pmWalter Plinge
Thanks for the link Grant!
Robert Cook's Review of our Subiaco Theatre Centre season was a very intellegent, insightful and accurate opinion of the show my team spent eight weeks putting together.
It is quite rare to have such well argued citiques in the daily papers.
Very flatteringly he compared the work to both The Wall and Tommy (high praise indeed) He also investigated a percieved stylistic similarities to Buffy the Vampire Slayer in regards to the post-modern idea of self-referencing. We operate as a group to explore such cultural 'connections'.
The review ackhowledged the masssive challenge set in the work and confirmed that the work had not become tidy or comfortable. Once again very accurate criticism. It wasn't meant to be. My group tends to locate the expected choices and then move beyond them. We are set up to fail. Each choice enevitably goes beyond certain success and into something else.
As one of my favourite playwights proclaimed: "A man's reach must execeed his grasp, or what's a heaven for?"
Malcolm
Robert Cook's Review of our Subiaco Theatre Centre season was a very intellegent, insightful and accurate opinion of the show my team spent eight weeks putting together.
It is quite rare to have such well argued citiques in the daily papers.
Very flatteringly he compared the work to both The Wall and Tommy (high praise indeed) He also investigated a percieved stylistic similarities to Buffy the Vampire Slayer in regards to the post-modern idea of self-referencing. We operate as a group to explore such cultural 'connections'.
The review ackhowledged the masssive challenge set in the work and confirmed that the work had not become tidy or comfortable. Once again very accurate criticism. It wasn't meant to be. My group tends to locate the expected choices and then move beyond them. We are set up to fail. Each choice enevitably goes beyond certain success and into something else.
As one of my favourite playwights proclaimed: "A man's reach must execeed his grasp, or what's a heaven for?"
Malcolm
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