Psycho Beach Party
Wed, 23 July 2003, 11:05 pmWalter Plinge14 posts in thread
Psycho Beach Party
Wed, 23 July 2003, 11:05 pmOnce upon a time....in a far away land....(other wise known as Kalamunda) .....King Nick.... got together the perfect cast to tell a summer time tale... in the middle of winter. Go Figure!!!
Somehow he managed to bribe, blackmail or coherce mulitple talented people to brave the journey, bare their bodies and souls to produce....
an amazingingly funny, cross of Hitchock meets Gidget in the true Blak Yak tradition of original, interesting off the wall theatre.
My friend and I laughed and laughed and couldn't believe the twists and turns. First there were the guys, talented hunks, enough to melt the winter frost away. The women were amazing, one of the most frightening Mothers -- a cross from Father Knows Best and the best of the horror shows, I hope Jenny McCann isn't too scarred from the experience. I felt I met true greatness when I watched Julia Dalby dazzle us all. Melissa Merchant showed a depth of range and character that was amazing, I would say she stole the show, but that would be untrue because each person on that stage owned their characters and were flawless in their parts.
Tim Edwards was unrecognizable as the Great Kanaka, a total change, very spooky. I could go on and on. But you have to get there, go and have the very best laugh, enjoy yourself. The MUSIC IS GREAT. (CD available in the lobby). Leave the kids behind (or cover their ears in a few parts). Take a trip back to the surf/beach days, I recommend this to everyone, be there or be square. Laugh yourself silly and chuckle at bits all the way home.
PS Watch out for Kim Wallace, she melts men with a glance, Adam & Troy will leave you gasping for air, Alex steals your heart, Michael and Francie groove along and Melanie is the best friend you always wished for.
PSII Costumes are lots of fun
PS III Kalamunda isn't really that far, you don't need a passport, well worth the journey, bring a friend, bring a group, just don't miss it.
Somehow he managed to bribe, blackmail or coherce mulitple talented people to brave the journey, bare their bodies and souls to produce....
an amazingingly funny, cross of Hitchock meets Gidget in the true Blak Yak tradition of original, interesting off the wall theatre.
My friend and I laughed and laughed and couldn't believe the twists and turns. First there were the guys, talented hunks, enough to melt the winter frost away. The women were amazing, one of the most frightening Mothers -- a cross from Father Knows Best and the best of the horror shows, I hope Jenny McCann isn't too scarred from the experience. I felt I met true greatness when I watched Julia Dalby dazzle us all. Melissa Merchant showed a depth of range and character that was amazing, I would say she stole the show, but that would be untrue because each person on that stage owned their characters and were flawless in their parts.
Tim Edwards was unrecognizable as the Great Kanaka, a total change, very spooky. I could go on and on. But you have to get there, go and have the very best laugh, enjoy yourself. The MUSIC IS GREAT. (CD available in the lobby). Leave the kids behind (or cover their ears in a few parts). Take a trip back to the surf/beach days, I recommend this to everyone, be there or be square. Laugh yourself silly and chuckle at bits all the way home.
PS Watch out for Kim Wallace, she melts men with a glance, Adam & Troy will leave you gasping for air, Alex steals your heart, Michael and Francie groove along and Melanie is the best friend you always wished for.
PSII Costumes are lots of fun
PS III Kalamunda isn't really that far, you don't need a passport, well worth the journey, bring a friend, bring a group, just don't miss it.
Re: Psycho Beach Party
Sun, 27 July 2003, 12:53 pmI saw Psycho Beach Party last night, and I felt that an alternative review to the one already posted needed to be given. At the outset, I think it is important to note that most perfmances were of a particularly high standard - impressive characterisation and stage skills gave the production a strong base.
Key performances to note are Melissa Merchant as "Chicklet" whose honest portrayal of multiple personality disorder is to be commended. Her flawless personality transitions held my attention to the end. Also impressive was Melanie Gault as "Berdine", Kim Wallace as "Marvel Ann", Julia Dalby as "Bettina Barnes" and Jenny McCann as "Mrs Forrest". In particualr, Gault's portrayal of the 'nerdy best friend' character was compelling, humourous and energised.
What distressed me however was the poor calibre exhibited by the male cast of the show. Alex Jones was wooden and unloveable as "Starcat", Tim Edwards diminished the role of "The Great Kanaka" and Troy Hall and Adam Shuttleworth as "Yo Yo" and "Provoloney" respectively were insulting in their immature portrayal of a parodied gay couple coming of age.
The pace of the show also leaves much to be desired. The overlong first half crawls by to an audience that was in desparate need of entertainment. The few engaging moments in the first half created a palpable hunger in the audience for more - a hunger that was, in the end, never satisfied. Act II, thankfully, saves the show. Mercifully shorter, the second half employs far more compelling action and dialogue.
Overall, I feel the show didn't achieve its full potential. The actors invovled in the show (those slated earlier included) are all of a high quality, and director Nick Donald's previous work is also to be commended. Perhaps it was a poor script that dragged this show down, rather than poor work, but script selection is the MOST important part of a directors role. This play removes an actor's ability to reach out and engage the audience - an essential facet of theatre, in particular comedy!
I look forward to seeing more of Blak Yak's work in the future as I feel there is a wealth of talent here to be seen - I just didn't see it in "Psycho Beach Party". My final note would be to remeber that an accent is only effective if maintained as first voiced for the entire production - a feat only Gault, Dalby, McCann and Wallace achieved.
Darren Bilston BA Honours
(currently studying towards a PhD in direction - I KNOW what I'm talking about)
Key performances to note are Melissa Merchant as "Chicklet" whose honest portrayal of multiple personality disorder is to be commended. Her flawless personality transitions held my attention to the end. Also impressive was Melanie Gault as "Berdine", Kim Wallace as "Marvel Ann", Julia Dalby as "Bettina Barnes" and Jenny McCann as "Mrs Forrest". In particualr, Gault's portrayal of the 'nerdy best friend' character was compelling, humourous and energised.
What distressed me however was the poor calibre exhibited by the male cast of the show. Alex Jones was wooden and unloveable as "Starcat", Tim Edwards diminished the role of "The Great Kanaka" and Troy Hall and Adam Shuttleworth as "Yo Yo" and "Provoloney" respectively were insulting in their immature portrayal of a parodied gay couple coming of age.
The pace of the show also leaves much to be desired. The overlong first half crawls by to an audience that was in desparate need of entertainment. The few engaging moments in the first half created a palpable hunger in the audience for more - a hunger that was, in the end, never satisfied. Act II, thankfully, saves the show. Mercifully shorter, the second half employs far more compelling action and dialogue.
Overall, I feel the show didn't achieve its full potential. The actors invovled in the show (those slated earlier included) are all of a high quality, and director Nick Donald's previous work is also to be commended. Perhaps it was a poor script that dragged this show down, rather than poor work, but script selection is the MOST important part of a directors role. This play removes an actor's ability to reach out and engage the audience - an essential facet of theatre, in particular comedy!
I look forward to seeing more of Blak Yak's work in the future as I feel there is a wealth of talent here to be seen - I just didn't see it in "Psycho Beach Party". My final note would be to remeber that an accent is only effective if maintained as first voiced for the entire production - a feat only Gault, Dalby, McCann and Wallace achieved.
Darren Bilston BA Honours
(currently studying towards a PhD in direction - I KNOW what I'm talking about)
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