Carpe Diem
Sun, 3 Feb 2002, 01:22 amAmanda Chesterton3 posts in thread
Carpe Diem
Sun, 3 Feb 2002, 01:22 amWHAT: Carpe Diem OR The Play Formerly Known as Dead Poets Society
WHEN: Saturday 2nd February 8pm
WHERE: Hackett Hall, Floreat, Perth
WHO: Rayann Condy (Director) John Carlstein, Nick Christo, Jemma Craig, Nick Donald, Troy Hall, Anthony Harwood, Melissa Merchant, Adam McGurk, Scott Northover, Dean Schulze, Michael Taylor
Now...when women swoon over men in uniform, school uniforms are generally the reserve of Japanese business men and dirty old tramps. However, give me a boy in a private school uniform any day. Give me *six*...sweet Jesus, Mary and Joseph. Punters, that thudding noise at the beginning of the play was my jaw hitting the ground. The slightly louder thud when they all emerged later in pyjamas was the rest of my body.
Having got that out the way:
It is a gutsy thing to stage a film, and much more, one of the (IMHO) greatest movies of all time. While I donÂ’t feel that this was one hundred percent successful, it was a bloody good shot, and really deserves bigger audiences than the one it got tonight.
One of the major difficulties of film-to-stage is dealing with the multiple settings, and short scenes. This was managed very well with a multilevel set, and really very unobtrusive - with the exception of one - scene changes. These IÂ’m sure will become even better during the run. The lighting was simple and effective and made good use of the (very difficult) Hackett Hall space.
I have one overall query in terms of the acting - were the American accents necessary? I didn’t feel that everyone pulled them off perfectly, and this minor quibble detracted slightly from the performances. I guess there were references to the ‘Ivy League’ but still...as there were aspects of the show which indicated that DPS was trying to be presented in a stand-alone play, worthy in its own right, rather than as a direct copy of the movie, the loss of the American accents shouldn’t really have created a problem.
Perhaps the actor with the most difficult task was Nick Donald as John Keating. His attempt was brave - he went in with a great performance energy, and didnÂ’t try to copy Robin Williams in any way. His bouyancy in the role contrasted well with the staid nature of the school. In doing this, however, I felt he was a little one dimensional. The beauty of WilliamsÂ’ performance - and probably why he garnered his first Oscar nomination (he was robbed! Robbed!!) - was his understated delivery and calm intelligence coupled with the occasional Williams-esque outburst. NickÂ’s enthusiasm in the role and his contrast with the institution was just enough to convince us why the boys were so deeply influenced by this man, but a little more light and shade would help even more. Overall, however, a courageous performance - especially considering the shoes he was required to fill.
Adam McGurk was a wonderful surprise as protaganist Neil Perry. I had my doubts when lanky, laid-back Adam was cast as Neil, but blimey he was good. He found a new energy which IÂ’ve not seen him with before, and created a truly compelling and tragic character. His final scene (which I wonÂ’t reveal for those one or two people who havenÂ’t seen the film) was gripping - it was preceded by the afore mentioned unfortunate scene change, which started me worrying if it would work, but AdamÂ’s stillness, presence and confidence redeemed the situation, even despite the putz doing bog-laps around the hall.
I’d like to find something bad to say about Anthony Harwood’s performance but I can’t, sorry. He was perfectly cast as Todd, the shy best friend (damn that type-casting to hell). Lurvely photo of him in the foyer, too. Nick Christo was outstanding and dead sexy as Charlie ‘Nowanda’ Dalton. He was hilarious and carried that school uniform damn well. He’s got to be louder though (as do all of the boys, actually), which surprised me as I would have thought that he knew that venue better than anyone. Troy Hall made the most of probably the least interesting of the boys’ roles - Cameron (the one that dobs them all in at the end). He has, as I have said before, a very natural and understated delivery that worked beautifully across both serious and funny scenes. Scott Northover was a great find as Steven Meeks - I look forward to seeing him in future shows.
Dean Schulze was a real nasty pasty as NeilÂ’s dad - it was almost a shame his part was so small...oh dear...I shouldnÂ’t really have said that, should I? Melissa Merchant and Jemma Craig were lovely in the two tiny female roles, but again (IÂ’m really starting to sound old and deaf here) needed a lot more volume. One of the few actors who was perfectly audible was Michael Taylor as the very unpleasant Mr Nolan - you've got to respect an actor willing to play such an intensely dislikable person, and do it well at that.
A great show, with compelling performances and yummy boys. Please attend in droves, and disagree with my gripes ad infinitum.
Amanda Chesterton
WHEN: Saturday 2nd February 8pm
WHERE: Hackett Hall, Floreat, Perth
WHO: Rayann Condy (Director) John Carlstein, Nick Christo, Jemma Craig, Nick Donald, Troy Hall, Anthony Harwood, Melissa Merchant, Adam McGurk, Scott Northover, Dean Schulze, Michael Taylor
Now...when women swoon over men in uniform, school uniforms are generally the reserve of Japanese business men and dirty old tramps. However, give me a boy in a private school uniform any day. Give me *six*...sweet Jesus, Mary and Joseph. Punters, that thudding noise at the beginning of the play was my jaw hitting the ground. The slightly louder thud when they all emerged later in pyjamas was the rest of my body.
Having got that out the way:
It is a gutsy thing to stage a film, and much more, one of the (IMHO) greatest movies of all time. While I donÂ’t feel that this was one hundred percent successful, it was a bloody good shot, and really deserves bigger audiences than the one it got tonight.
One of the major difficulties of film-to-stage is dealing with the multiple settings, and short scenes. This was managed very well with a multilevel set, and really very unobtrusive - with the exception of one - scene changes. These IÂ’m sure will become even better during the run. The lighting was simple and effective and made good use of the (very difficult) Hackett Hall space.
I have one overall query in terms of the acting - were the American accents necessary? I didn’t feel that everyone pulled them off perfectly, and this minor quibble detracted slightly from the performances. I guess there were references to the ‘Ivy League’ but still...as there were aspects of the show which indicated that DPS was trying to be presented in a stand-alone play, worthy in its own right, rather than as a direct copy of the movie, the loss of the American accents shouldn’t really have created a problem.
Perhaps the actor with the most difficult task was Nick Donald as John Keating. His attempt was brave - he went in with a great performance energy, and didnÂ’t try to copy Robin Williams in any way. His bouyancy in the role contrasted well with the staid nature of the school. In doing this, however, I felt he was a little one dimensional. The beauty of WilliamsÂ’ performance - and probably why he garnered his first Oscar nomination (he was robbed! Robbed!!) - was his understated delivery and calm intelligence coupled with the occasional Williams-esque outburst. NickÂ’s enthusiasm in the role and his contrast with the institution was just enough to convince us why the boys were so deeply influenced by this man, but a little more light and shade would help even more. Overall, however, a courageous performance - especially considering the shoes he was required to fill.
Adam McGurk was a wonderful surprise as protaganist Neil Perry. I had my doubts when lanky, laid-back Adam was cast as Neil, but blimey he was good. He found a new energy which IÂ’ve not seen him with before, and created a truly compelling and tragic character. His final scene (which I wonÂ’t reveal for those one or two people who havenÂ’t seen the film) was gripping - it was preceded by the afore mentioned unfortunate scene change, which started me worrying if it would work, but AdamÂ’s stillness, presence and confidence redeemed the situation, even despite the putz doing bog-laps around the hall.
I’d like to find something bad to say about Anthony Harwood’s performance but I can’t, sorry. He was perfectly cast as Todd, the shy best friend (damn that type-casting to hell). Lurvely photo of him in the foyer, too. Nick Christo was outstanding and dead sexy as Charlie ‘Nowanda’ Dalton. He was hilarious and carried that school uniform damn well. He’s got to be louder though (as do all of the boys, actually), which surprised me as I would have thought that he knew that venue better than anyone. Troy Hall made the most of probably the least interesting of the boys’ roles - Cameron (the one that dobs them all in at the end). He has, as I have said before, a very natural and understated delivery that worked beautifully across both serious and funny scenes. Scott Northover was a great find as Steven Meeks - I look forward to seeing him in future shows.
Dean Schulze was a real nasty pasty as NeilÂ’s dad - it was almost a shame his part was so small...oh dear...I shouldnÂ’t really have said that, should I?
A great show, with compelling performances and yummy boys. Please attend in droves, and disagree with my gripes ad infinitum.
Amanda Chesterton
Amanda ChestertonSun, 3 Feb 2002, 01:22 am
WHAT: Carpe Diem OR The Play Formerly Known as Dead Poets Society
WHEN: Saturday 2nd February 8pm
WHERE: Hackett Hall, Floreat, Perth
WHO: Rayann Condy (Director) John Carlstein, Nick Christo, Jemma Craig, Nick Donald, Troy Hall, Anthony Harwood, Melissa Merchant, Adam McGurk, Scott Northover, Dean Schulze, Michael Taylor
Now...when women swoon over men in uniform, school uniforms are generally the reserve of Japanese business men and dirty old tramps. However, give me a boy in a private school uniform any day. Give me *six*...sweet Jesus, Mary and Joseph. Punters, that thudding noise at the beginning of the play was my jaw hitting the ground. The slightly louder thud when they all emerged later in pyjamas was the rest of my body.
Having got that out the way:
It is a gutsy thing to stage a film, and much more, one of the (IMHO) greatest movies of all time. While I donÂ’t feel that this was one hundred percent successful, it was a bloody good shot, and really deserves bigger audiences than the one it got tonight.
One of the major difficulties of film-to-stage is dealing with the multiple settings, and short scenes. This was managed very well with a multilevel set, and really very unobtrusive - with the exception of one - scene changes. These IÂ’m sure will become even better during the run. The lighting was simple and effective and made good use of the (very difficult) Hackett Hall space.
I have one overall query in terms of the acting - were the American accents necessary? I didn’t feel that everyone pulled them off perfectly, and this minor quibble detracted slightly from the performances. I guess there were references to the ‘Ivy League’ but still...as there were aspects of the show which indicated that DPS was trying to be presented in a stand-alone play, worthy in its own right, rather than as a direct copy of the movie, the loss of the American accents shouldn’t really have created a problem.
Perhaps the actor with the most difficult task was Nick Donald as John Keating. His attempt was brave - he went in with a great performance energy, and didnÂ’t try to copy Robin Williams in any way. His bouyancy in the role contrasted well with the staid nature of the school. In doing this, however, I felt he was a little one dimensional. The beauty of WilliamsÂ’ performance - and probably why he garnered his first Oscar nomination (he was robbed! Robbed!!) - was his understated delivery and calm intelligence coupled with the occasional Williams-esque outburst. NickÂ’s enthusiasm in the role and his contrast with the institution was just enough to convince us why the boys were so deeply influenced by this man, but a little more light and shade would help even more. Overall, however, a courageous performance - especially considering the shoes he was required to fill.
Adam McGurk was a wonderful surprise as protaganist Neil Perry. I had my doubts when lanky, laid-back Adam was cast as Neil, but blimey he was good. He found a new energy which IÂ’ve not seen him with before, and created a truly compelling and tragic character. His final scene (which I wonÂ’t reveal for those one or two people who havenÂ’t seen the film) was gripping - it was preceded by the afore mentioned unfortunate scene change, which started me worrying if it would work, but AdamÂ’s stillness, presence and confidence redeemed the situation, even despite the putz doing bog-laps around the hall.
I’d like to find something bad to say about Anthony Harwood’s performance but I can’t, sorry. He was perfectly cast as Todd, the shy best friend (damn that type-casting to hell). Lurvely photo of him in the foyer, too. Nick Christo was outstanding and dead sexy as Charlie ‘Nowanda’ Dalton. He was hilarious and carried that school uniform damn well. He’s got to be louder though (as do all of the boys, actually), which surprised me as I would have thought that he knew that venue better than anyone. Troy Hall made the most of probably the least interesting of the boys’ roles - Cameron (the one that dobs them all in at the end). He has, as I have said before, a very natural and understated delivery that worked beautifully across both serious and funny scenes. Scott Northover was a great find as Steven Meeks - I look forward to seeing him in future shows.
Dean Schulze was a real nasty pasty as NeilÂ’s dad - it was almost a shame his part was so small...oh dear...I shouldnÂ’t really have said that, should I? Melissa Merchant and Jemma Craig were lovely in the two tiny female roles, but again (IÂ’m really starting to sound old and deaf here) needed a lot more volume. One of the few actors who was perfectly audible was Michael Taylor as the very unpleasant Mr Nolan - you've got to respect an actor willing to play such an intensely dislikable person, and do it well at that.
A great show, with compelling performances and yummy boys. Please attend in droves, and disagree with my gripes ad infinitum.
Amanda Chesterton
WHEN: Saturday 2nd February 8pm
WHERE: Hackett Hall, Floreat, Perth
WHO: Rayann Condy (Director) John Carlstein, Nick Christo, Jemma Craig, Nick Donald, Troy Hall, Anthony Harwood, Melissa Merchant, Adam McGurk, Scott Northover, Dean Schulze, Michael Taylor
Now...when women swoon over men in uniform, school uniforms are generally the reserve of Japanese business men and dirty old tramps. However, give me a boy in a private school uniform any day. Give me *six*...sweet Jesus, Mary and Joseph. Punters, that thudding noise at the beginning of the play was my jaw hitting the ground. The slightly louder thud when they all emerged later in pyjamas was the rest of my body.
Having got that out the way:
It is a gutsy thing to stage a film, and much more, one of the (IMHO) greatest movies of all time. While I donÂ’t feel that this was one hundred percent successful, it was a bloody good shot, and really deserves bigger audiences than the one it got tonight.
One of the major difficulties of film-to-stage is dealing with the multiple settings, and short scenes. This was managed very well with a multilevel set, and really very unobtrusive - with the exception of one - scene changes. These IÂ’m sure will become even better during the run. The lighting was simple and effective and made good use of the (very difficult) Hackett Hall space.
I have one overall query in terms of the acting - were the American accents necessary? I didn’t feel that everyone pulled them off perfectly, and this minor quibble detracted slightly from the performances. I guess there were references to the ‘Ivy League’ but still...as there were aspects of the show which indicated that DPS was trying to be presented in a stand-alone play, worthy in its own right, rather than as a direct copy of the movie, the loss of the American accents shouldn’t really have created a problem.
Perhaps the actor with the most difficult task was Nick Donald as John Keating. His attempt was brave - he went in with a great performance energy, and didnÂ’t try to copy Robin Williams in any way. His bouyancy in the role contrasted well with the staid nature of the school. In doing this, however, I felt he was a little one dimensional. The beauty of WilliamsÂ’ performance - and probably why he garnered his first Oscar nomination (he was robbed! Robbed!!) - was his understated delivery and calm intelligence coupled with the occasional Williams-esque outburst. NickÂ’s enthusiasm in the role and his contrast with the institution was just enough to convince us why the boys were so deeply influenced by this man, but a little more light and shade would help even more. Overall, however, a courageous performance - especially considering the shoes he was required to fill.
Adam McGurk was a wonderful surprise as protaganist Neil Perry. I had my doubts when lanky, laid-back Adam was cast as Neil, but blimey he was good. He found a new energy which IÂ’ve not seen him with before, and created a truly compelling and tragic character. His final scene (which I wonÂ’t reveal for those one or two people who havenÂ’t seen the film) was gripping - it was preceded by the afore mentioned unfortunate scene change, which started me worrying if it would work, but AdamÂ’s stillness, presence and confidence redeemed the situation, even despite the putz doing bog-laps around the hall.
I’d like to find something bad to say about Anthony Harwood’s performance but I can’t, sorry. He was perfectly cast as Todd, the shy best friend (damn that type-casting to hell). Lurvely photo of him in the foyer, too. Nick Christo was outstanding and dead sexy as Charlie ‘Nowanda’ Dalton. He was hilarious and carried that school uniform damn well. He’s got to be louder though (as do all of the boys, actually), which surprised me as I would have thought that he knew that venue better than anyone. Troy Hall made the most of probably the least interesting of the boys’ roles - Cameron (the one that dobs them all in at the end). He has, as I have said before, a very natural and understated delivery that worked beautifully across both serious and funny scenes. Scott Northover was a great find as Steven Meeks - I look forward to seeing him in future shows.
Dean Schulze was a real nasty pasty as NeilÂ’s dad - it was almost a shame his part was so small...oh dear...I shouldnÂ’t really have said that, should I?
A great show, with compelling performances and yummy boys. Please attend in droves, and disagree with my gripes ad infinitum.
Amanda Chesterton
Amanda ChestertonSun, 3 Feb 2002, 01:33 am
RE: Carpe Diem - PS
Bugger! It's OK when you mention some actors and not others, but if you mention everybody and leave one person out, it looks rather bad.
Sorry, John Carlstein as Knox Overstreet. He was the one that gets the girlfriend (kind of). Very spunky and interesting. Could have slowed down his lines a bit, especially when telling the DPS about the party, but that's really looking for stuff to pick on. Really good.
Apologies for the long review with appendix.
Go see this play. Leah's publicity bitch so you'd better damn well see this play or I'm hauling those boots on and joining her.
Amanda Chesterton
Thou droning fly-bitten horn-beast!
Horn beast...eerie, really...what foul distortion of technology have you created Grant??
Sorry, John Carlstein as Knox Overstreet. He was the one that gets the girlfriend (kind of). Very spunky and interesting. Could have slowed down his lines a bit, especially when telling the DPS about the party, but that's really looking for stuff to pick on. Really good.
Apologies for the long review with appendix.
Go see this play. Leah's publicity bitch so you'd better damn well see this play or I'm hauling those boots on and joining her.
Amanda Chesterton
Thou droning fly-bitten horn-beast!
Horn beast...eerie, really...what foul distortion of technology have you created Grant??
Walter PlingeFri, 8 Feb 2002, 12:24 am
RE: Carpe Diem
May as well add my two cents worth - although I'm not a reviewer in any sense of the word. Short and sweet, I hope:
Excellent casting and all round performances
Very effective set
Lighting and sound all worked well - although some music during the scene changes (of which there were quite a lot) would have been helpful in moving things along smoothly
Costumes very appropriate
The atmosphere and suspense were built up well to the final climax. I particularly enjoyed the ensemble work amongst the "boys" - great to see actors working with each other so generously.
A little more projection from the group of boys would have helped, the acoustics in the hall are bad enough as it is, so clarity and volume really are important in this venue.
For those who loved the film, this adaptation is true to the story and you will certainly enjoy it and probably want to see the film again.. For those who haven't seen "Dead Poets' Society", do go and see Carpe Diem and find out what all the fuss was about. The script is well written with many useful and worthy life messages, well presented by the very able cast.
Congrats to all concerned and I hope you have a great season. Well done Blak Yak for continuing your mission of producing original and challenging plays under continuing difficult circumstances.
Jenni C
(Next time I'm getting Stephanie Shaw to write my review for me - she's far more eloquent)
Excellent casting and all round performances
Very effective set
Lighting and sound all worked well - although some music during the scene changes (of which there were quite a lot) would have been helpful in moving things along smoothly
Costumes very appropriate
The atmosphere and suspense were built up well to the final climax. I particularly enjoyed the ensemble work amongst the "boys" - great to see actors working with each other so generously.
A little more projection from the group of boys would have helped, the acoustics in the hall are bad enough as it is, so clarity and volume really are important in this venue.
For those who loved the film, this adaptation is true to the story and you will certainly enjoy it and probably want to see the film again.. For those who haven't seen "Dead Poets' Society", do go and see Carpe Diem and find out what all the fuss was about. The script is well written with many useful and worthy life messages, well presented by the very able cast.
Congrats to all concerned and I hope you have a great season. Well done Blak Yak for continuing your mission of producing original and challenging plays under continuing difficult circumstances.
Jenni C
(Next time I'm getting Stephanie Shaw to write my review for me - she's far more eloquent)