Doctor Who: Hellblossom
Mon, 2 Dec 2002, 11:51 amWalter Plinge5 posts in thread
Doctor Who: Hellblossom
Mon, 2 Dec 2002, 11:51 am(Arena Arts and Entertainment Inc. Bridge Theatre Northbridge, Saturday 30/11/02)
I seem to be making a habit of catching shows I want to see on their last night (probably because I never get invited to opening nights for some reason). This is often a risky gambit in community theatre: on the one hand, one would expect all the technical issues to have been resolved and everything to be humming along like a well-oiled machine. On the other hand, people can get bored or complacent and slack off a bit. Sometimes (not that I would ever..) it can also be an occasion for practical jokes and ad-libs - great fun for those in the know but somewhat puzzling for the rest of us.
In this instance, my gamble paid off and I was treated to a slick, pacy and energetic performance of what was undoubtedly a difficult piece of theatre. The huge auditorium of the Bridge Theatre was somewhat underpopulated, but those who were there obviously enjoyed themselves - especially those who came cossied-up Dr Who-style.
The set design was simple but effective and made the frequent scene changes more bearable that they otherwise may have been. The lighting and sound design was very professional and gave great atmosphere to the onstage action, as did the costumes and makeup.
I was surprised to see Jo Marsh and Patrick Spicer onstage in this production, since I am more accustomed to them being at the 'cutting edge' with Vagabond Theatre. I suppose the connection comes through children's theatre and sci-fi, a common thread with Arena. In any case, both gave a good shot of onstage experience to the proceedings as Jenny McArdle and Professor Gardener respectively. Nathan Tetlaw was eerily heroic as Karnac the bounty hunter and Robert Whitehead turned in a polished, well-paced performance as The Doctor.
Special mention must be made of Lydia Kenyon as Sha'atara, a 'Steel Valkyrie', something like a cross between Xena and Astro-Barbie. Not only did she manage to maintain a strange foreign accent throughout the play, but she also demonstrated remarkable stage presence and comic timing for one so relatively inexperienced in the trade. I look forward to seeing more of her in the future.
All in all, a very entertaining show. I'll make sure I get to Arena's next production (and review it) earlier in the season.
I seem to be making a habit of catching shows I want to see on their last night (probably because I never get invited to opening nights for some reason). This is often a risky gambit in community theatre: on the one hand, one would expect all the technical issues to have been resolved and everything to be humming along like a well-oiled machine. On the other hand, people can get bored or complacent and slack off a bit. Sometimes (not that I would ever..) it can also be an occasion for practical jokes and ad-libs - great fun for those in the know but somewhat puzzling for the rest of us.
In this instance, my gamble paid off and I was treated to a slick, pacy and energetic performance of what was undoubtedly a difficult piece of theatre. The huge auditorium of the Bridge Theatre was somewhat underpopulated, but those who were there obviously enjoyed themselves - especially those who came cossied-up Dr Who-style.
The set design was simple but effective and made the frequent scene changes more bearable that they otherwise may have been. The lighting and sound design was very professional and gave great atmosphere to the onstage action, as did the costumes and makeup.
I was surprised to see Jo Marsh and Patrick Spicer onstage in this production, since I am more accustomed to them being at the 'cutting edge' with Vagabond Theatre. I suppose the connection comes through children's theatre and sci-fi, a common thread with Arena. In any case, both gave a good shot of onstage experience to the proceedings as Jenny McArdle and Professor Gardener respectively. Nathan Tetlaw was eerily heroic as Karnac the bounty hunter and Robert Whitehead turned in a polished, well-paced performance as The Doctor.
Special mention must be made of Lydia Kenyon as Sha'atara, a 'Steel Valkyrie', something like a cross between Xena and Astro-Barbie. Not only did she manage to maintain a strange foreign accent throughout the play, but she also demonstrated remarkable stage presence and comic timing for one so relatively inexperienced in the trade. I look forward to seeing more of her in the future.
All in all, a very entertaining show. I'll make sure I get to Arena's next production (and review it) earlier in the season.