WE ARE FAMILY

I saw this show last week with a group of gals from uni. Sitting on the edge of my seat at the beginning, believing that this was a return season of the community theatre show WE ARE FAMILY form 2001. I was wrong. What we saw was infact a rewritten( well to a point, edited with some new bits here and there) recast, remounted 'version' of the original. Congratulations are in order to the cast on their performance who did basically a strong performance, evoking the 'right' responses from their audience in all the 'right' parts. But I think it is a shame that deckchair & the guest director Glenn Hayden didn't have the guts to rerun the show with members of the original cast. I saw the original show back in 2001 and have to admit that that show was ballsier, funnier and got the crowd balling. Comparing the two, it has to be said ( although sadly) that Italiano and Wilkinson in their writing and Hayden in his direction have produced 6 strereotypes in regard to teen pregnancy through the 6 charcters in the play. Young abortion, tough abortion, good mum,adoption, unhappy mum, indigenous etc. No raw emotion anymore... well, to be fair not enough anyway. Very aware that these are actors playing parts rather than women baring their souls. When we saw this show last year just before TEE i was inspired, believing that as a young female performer i had some hope in finding a way on to the stage. Seeing this new 'version' has dampened those feelings considerably. If you see this recent We Are Family you will like it, think its touching and perhaps moving but if you saw the original you will agree this dosen't have a scratch on it. If you didn't see it in 2001 you missed out. Reading all the press articles about the magic of community theatre and the new levels it can go to, i don't understand the need to recast and rewrite in this instance. No standing ovations, no roaring with laughter and no flowing tears in the audience this time we went. Its a shame. sad that theatres are focussed on selling an image nowadays rather than putting out raw terrific theatre. A harsh critic i suppose i am but when you see good quality theatre once you don't really settle for anything else again.