BSX's 'Spurboard'

Camelot @ Mosman Park Memorial Hall was the ideal location for BSX's production of Nick Enright's 'Spurboard'. The various performance areas were utilised effectively and gave the production a multidimensionality lacking in a single theatre space. This is especially appropriate for work generated by youth theatre companies, and it allowed the novice BSX cast to explore and capitalise on their natural inclination to high speed, light weight and dynamic direction in movement and characterisation. The set design by Bryan Woltjen was economic and flexible, and made creative and practical use of the spaces at Camelot. The dependency on numerous props became a distraction however, and there were times when the need for realism could have been restrained so as not to impede the flow of the action. The pace of the show was diminished by the dependence on set changes for what were at times relatively simple transitions in location and mood. This would have been better left up to creative lighting, sound and the actors themselves. Mick Angus's direction was sufficiently broad in style to allow for the inexperience and spontenaiety of the cast members - the opportunity for their collaborative input was obvious, and for the most part was effective and innovative. Some of the more abstract, symbolic group movement pieces were distracting and confusing, but this show was as much about process as product and I applaud the director's willingness to let the cast own it and be responsible for their decisions. I saw it on opening night and I am certain that many of the set changes and larger cast movement sequences will become progressively smoother and tighter over time. Nick Candy and Tai O'Reilly handled extremely difficult material well - their characters had such long and complex journeys, especially the character of Greg whose motivation and objectives would have been challenging to understand and even more so to convey to an audience in such a small amount of time. The first half of the show gave us relatively realistic dialogue and relationships, set up the plot and possible outcomes...the second half moved far too quickly and there was insufficient time given to justify at times quite perplexing character development and often slid into parody, soap opera and cliche. I was dissapointed by the treatment by Nick Enright of the gay angle - those interactions, and the exposition, were especially shallow and stereotypical. The awkward Mardi Gras sequence seemed to come from nowhere and the inappropriate self-awareness of the cast was exacerbated by the clunky choreograhy and some of the ill-fitting drag costumes. Better use could have been made of sound - more of it all the way through, louder, and sharper cueing. The live musicians would have been more effective miked and the score could have generally been rawer and louder. The script was obviously not one of Enright's polished works and its flaws were made starker by the rapidly changing stylistic directorial choices. Young actors playing middle-aged parents was jarring, despite their best efforts. Greg and Mitchell's Mum, Carla Nirella, was compelling, relaxed and believable. I would like to stress the need for young actors to speak clearly and not swallow words at the end of lines - it's a perennial concern I have - sacrificing clarity for effect. The conclusion of the play was rushed and unsatisfying - it left the characters little room to resolve their differences believably and coherently. Finally, I would like to commend the cast's efforts in bringing a believable small-country-town flavour to their characters. Being a small-town boy myself I was comfortable with their colloquialisms and pariochial delivery. The background work done out in the field with the director paid off. This was youth theatre at its finest, and with all the form's inherent challenges and dynamism. I commend Luke Cowling for his dedication to the BSX concept and wish him all the best in bringing new talent into a more consistent, supportive, goal-oriented arena. Allowing the cast to own their work is so crucial - they don't need to have old hacks from places like WAAPA slapping their label on youth work and taking the credit when it's received. Give these kids opportunities to develop in their own way and receive, first hand, the appropriate rewards when they're due.