Don's Party - Review not a Plug
Sun, 2 Sept 2001, 05:43 pmAmanda Chesterton4 posts in thread
Don's Party - Review not a Plug
Sun, 2 Sept 2001, 05:43 pmWHAT: Don's Party by David Williamson directed by Grant Malcom
WHEN: Friday 1st September 2001
WHERE: Dolphin Theatre, UWA, Perth
WHO: Graduate Dramatic Society
CAST: Matthew Kiely (Don), Linda Gefken (Kath), Michael Dunbar (Simon), Leah Maher (Jody), Rob Stuart (Mal), Kerri Hilton (Jenny), Tim Collins (Mack), Gary Englishby (Evan), Georgia Clark (Kerry), Justin Barret (Cooley), Melissa Merchant (Susan).
WARNING: This review may contain offensive language, and by crikey, I'm going to try and override Grant's in-built censor if it bloody kills me.
Don's Party has joined the league of 'classic' Australian plays, taking a seat alongside greats such as 'Summer of the 17th Doll', 'One Day of the Year' and 'The Removalists'. A friend commented in the interval, 'All modern Australian plays are exactly the same - nothing but sex and language.' 'You're not fuckin' wrong, @!#$' I replied, and I believe we have 'Don's Party' to thank for this trend in modern Australian play and screen writing (think - Blackrock, The Boys, Praise...). I have a pretty filthy mouth at the best of times, and even I felt slightly appalled in places ('hard core twat-action'?!?!)
Set in the late sixties at a party at Don Henderson's place, a group of friends gather to watch the election results and get rolling drunk. The play is essentially an examination of the society of the time and, to quote Jonno's parallel, is almost Shakespearian in its relevance to the society of today. We're still bitching about health and education, and no one admits to voting liberal (do they?). And whether we like it or not, women still sit inside and talk babies, while men stand in the kitchen/patio talking about their greatest roots.
Again to echo Jonno, this play is perfectly cast, with a terrific and appropriate range of ages represented. Where the hell did Grant find all those males over 30???
In the title role, Matthew Kiely was a great find. I've only ever seen him once before doing a rough reading from a script, but he made a real fist of Don Henderson. My only suggestion would be for him would be to take a cue from Kerri Hilton, and apply a little more dry Aussie wit to his delivery, especially in the opening few pages. He became hilariously animated the drunker he became and it could serve as a nice contrast. Linda Gefken as his wife Kath was great and had a really horrible hairstyle. I think their initial scene could have been a little pacier, however, with a little more 'performance energy' to presage the overall pace of the show. This may happen in time, though, as familiarity with the stage, script, and each other develops
Rob Stuart was wonderful as Mal, and it's worth seeing the show just to observe the skillful interactions between Mal and Don in this play. I don't know either of them, but if they didn't get drunk regularly at uni together you could knock me down with a feather. It was a terrific example of how the power of skillful acting and directing in the theatre can convince an audience of just about bloody anything.
Leah Maher was beautifully cast as Jody. She made a lovely transition from slightly toffee-nosed housewife with feet firmly lodged in the 50s to drunken sex-bitch. I'm still chuckling over the 'small prick, small breasts' conversation with Mal. Michael Dunbar was suitably annoying as her husband Simon - he managed to portray one of those people that you feel embarassed for merely because they have walked in the room. He wears a really ugly safari suit too - you had to get one in somewhere, didn't you Sharon?
I must admit to feeling a wave of disappointment that Dean Schultze wasn't cast in the role of Mack - who better to play a lecherous drunk, with a penchent for photographing his wife doofing other men? However, Tim Collins delivered one of the best performances I have seen him do, and in retrospect, the apple isn't falling too far from the tree there either ;-) I could have gone the rest of my life without knowing that that's his arse on the poster, and been perfectly happy, though...
Justin Barret was the highlight of the show as Cooley, with, in my opinion, the best line in the play: 'G'day @!#$-features!' He was really, really, unpleasant, and really, really funny, and looked exactly right for the part. Just go to the show to see him - I'll start branching off into superlatives ad nauseum if I don't stop writing about him now.
In other roles, Kerri Hilton as Jenny was a hoot and a one-woman microcosm of the Australian sardonic, dry sense of humour. Georgia Clark was suitably pretentious as Kerry - I felt that some of her physical posturing & preening was a little unnecessary however, as she did a great job in presenting the character through her use of the script and her interactions with the other characters. She had a lovely, dancer's stage presence which spoke for itself, without any embellishments necessary. Melissa Merchant in the part of Susan was hilarious, and although she didn't have an enormous number of lines, she had some of the best in the script which she delivered with impeccable comic timing.
The set was terrific, with a trademark Jonno Beckett hand-painted floor. I don't think I've ever seen the Dolphin stage look quite so big...maybe it was the hideous late-60s geometric patterns on the wall, or the skanky furnishings.
Whatever, this was a great show, and one of the best community theatre productions I've seen in ages. Yes, I think it even gives Amadeus a run for its money...go and see it.
The Liberals win, by the way.
Amanda Chesterton
WHEN: Friday 1st September 2001
WHERE: Dolphin Theatre, UWA, Perth
WHO: Graduate Dramatic Society
CAST: Matthew Kiely (Don), Linda Gefken (Kath), Michael Dunbar (Simon), Leah Maher (Jody), Rob Stuart (Mal), Kerri Hilton (Jenny), Tim Collins (Mack), Gary Englishby (Evan), Georgia Clark (Kerry), Justin Barret (Cooley), Melissa Merchant (Susan).
WARNING: This review may contain offensive language, and by crikey, I'm going to try and override Grant's in-built censor if it bloody kills me.
Don's Party has joined the league of 'classic' Australian plays, taking a seat alongside greats such as 'Summer of the 17th Doll', 'One Day of the Year' and 'The Removalists'. A friend commented in the interval, 'All modern Australian plays are exactly the same - nothing but sex and language.' 'You're not fuckin' wrong, @!#$' I replied, and I believe we have 'Don's Party' to thank for this trend in modern Australian play and screen writing (think - Blackrock, The Boys, Praise...). I have a pretty filthy mouth at the best of times, and even I felt slightly appalled in places ('hard core twat-action'?!?!)
Set in the late sixties at a party at Don Henderson's place, a group of friends gather to watch the election results and get rolling drunk. The play is essentially an examination of the society of the time and, to quote Jonno's parallel, is almost Shakespearian in its relevance to the society of today. We're still bitching about health and education, and no one admits to voting liberal (do they?). And whether we like it or not, women still sit inside and talk babies, while men stand in the kitchen/patio talking about their greatest roots.
Again to echo Jonno, this play is perfectly cast, with a terrific and appropriate range of ages represented. Where the hell did Grant find all those males over 30???
In the title role, Matthew Kiely was a great find. I've only ever seen him once before doing a rough reading from a script, but he made a real fist of Don Henderson. My only suggestion would be for him would be to take a cue from Kerri Hilton, and apply a little more dry Aussie wit to his delivery, especially in the opening few pages. He became hilariously animated the drunker he became and it could serve as a nice contrast. Linda Gefken as his wife Kath was great and had a really horrible hairstyle. I think their initial scene could have been a little pacier, however, with a little more 'performance energy' to presage the overall pace of the show. This may happen in time, though, as familiarity with the stage, script, and each other develops
Rob Stuart was wonderful as Mal, and it's worth seeing the show just to observe the skillful interactions between Mal and Don in this play. I don't know either of them, but if they didn't get drunk regularly at uni together you could knock me down with a feather. It was a terrific example of how the power of skillful acting and directing in the theatre can convince an audience of just about bloody anything.
Leah Maher was beautifully cast as Jody. She made a lovely transition from slightly toffee-nosed housewife with feet firmly lodged in the 50s to drunken sex-bitch. I'm still chuckling over the 'small prick, small breasts' conversation with Mal. Michael Dunbar was suitably annoying as her husband Simon - he managed to portray one of those people that you feel embarassed for merely because they have walked in the room. He wears a really ugly safari suit too - you had to get one in somewhere, didn't you Sharon?
I must admit to feeling a wave of disappointment that Dean Schultze wasn't cast in the role of Mack - who better to play a lecherous drunk, with a penchent for photographing his wife doofing other men? However, Tim Collins delivered one of the best performances I have seen him do, and in retrospect, the apple isn't falling too far from the tree there either ;-) I could have gone the rest of my life without knowing that that's his arse on the poster, and been perfectly happy, though...
Justin Barret was the highlight of the show as Cooley, with, in my opinion, the best line in the play: 'G'day @!#$-features!' He was really, really, unpleasant, and really, really funny, and looked exactly right for the part. Just go to the show to see him - I'll start branching off into superlatives ad nauseum if I don't stop writing about him now.
In other roles, Kerri Hilton as Jenny was a hoot and a one-woman microcosm of the Australian sardonic, dry sense of humour. Georgia Clark was suitably pretentious as Kerry - I felt that some of her physical posturing & preening was a little unnecessary however, as she did a great job in presenting the character through her use of the script and her interactions with the other characters. She had a lovely, dancer's stage presence which spoke for itself, without any embellishments necessary. Melissa Merchant in the part of Susan was hilarious, and although she didn't have an enormous number of lines, she had some of the best in the script which she delivered with impeccable comic timing.
The set was terrific, with a trademark Jonno Beckett hand-painted floor. I don't think I've ever seen the Dolphin stage look quite so big...maybe it was the hideous late-60s geometric patterns on the wall, or the skanky furnishings.
Whatever, this was a great show, and one of the best community theatre productions I've seen in ages. Yes, I think it even gives Amadeus a run for its money...go and see it.
The Liberals win, by the way.
Amanda Chesterton
RE: Don's Party - Review AND a Plug
Tue, 4 Sept 2001, 06:34 pmWalter Plinge
>> What an amusing mix up! :-D
>> Jarrod, dear, Kerri Hilton was the one plonked in the corner, and she most certainly was not wearing a mini dress and knee-high boots, unless you have a very odd interpretation of the neck-to-ankle blue thing she was wearing!
>> Really, your knowledge of fetish gear is slipping...;-)
As if that's actually possible.
Dammit woman, so much for playing with Schulze's mind...
JB
>> Jarrod, dear, Kerri Hilton was the one plonked in the corner, and she most certainly was not wearing a mini dress and knee-high boots, unless you have a very odd interpretation of the neck-to-ankle blue thing she was wearing!
>> Really, your knowledge of fetish gear is slipping...;-)
As if that's actually possible.
Dammit woman, so much for playing with Schulze's mind...
JB