Diana DayÂ’s Agency or a play for all senses
Thu, 19 Aug 2004, 08:30 amWalter Plinge2 posts in thread
Diana DayÂ’s Agency or a play for all senses
Thu, 19 Aug 2004, 08:30 amFor my first theatre night out in Perth (and in Australia actually) I decided to give it a go to Diana Day’s “Agency” at Blue Room Theatre in Northbridge. I convinced my husband to join me although he was not very enthusiastic after previous sleepy experiences at contemporary plays.
When we got to the Blue Room Theatre a jovial, no longer young lady left her cigarette and saw us in. Used to being asked if I am still in high school, my round childish face put another smile on when told that she was expecting a more “mature” person. Mature – looking or thinking? Must have been looking…
With an “Agency” leaflet and two Armani perfume samples in our hands we headed for the stage room. Simple but suggestive décor, mixed audience with a slight predominance of the over-the-40s. Just before the play started the lady to meet us the door came in and as the others were congratulating and thanking her I realized that she was the writer and director Diana Day.
I knew a few things about “Agency” from different comments and interviews that I had read. But it was much better than I had expected.
Joy Northover plays Lillith, the co-owner of an introduction agency who fights to keep her business going. She uses a computer program to match her clients according to the self-description and partner-expectations that they fill in. Theoretically the program is OK but the results are poor as the four male and four female clients are not able to draw a fair summary of themselves and of what they want in a partner. The feeble, quiet golf player needs more than timid Alice to bring colour into his life; BrianÂ’s jokes and practicality infuriates his financially-orientated match with no sense of humour; the bon-homme who enjoys his life cannot share it with a lady who dedicates hers to social work while the career accountant can no longer have a selfish, dependent artist as partner despite his cooking skills.
Lillith decides to change her matching technique to the old cards-reading one. The old trick combined with accidentally isolated meetings work. It turns out that contrasting people make perfect matches. Plain Arthur matches greedy Bea, flirtatious Brian goes very well with timid Alice, bombastic Carl leaves himself to confident Dee and dependent Don will cook for caring Carol. Apart from the obvious dialogues and behaviours in the second part of the show that confirm the future relationships, I could also notice some colourful suggestive bits. Yellow vest meets yellow bag, green training jacket matches green jewellery who drinks lime juice, orange shoulder bag meets orange-spotted scarf.
Kristine Lockwood puts a lot of skill and human touch in bringing to life the four female characters. She is at times timid and introspective, daring and loud, caring and dedicated to others or decided and career-orientated.
As I watched Leon Ousby I thought for a moment that he was imitating four different men in an award winning pantomime show. But this must not have been too difficult for him with good living examples – I heard him say in an interview that his father and a friend of his were like two of the partner-seeking males in the show.
All the three actors did a wonderful show. Delivered in such a cosy venue, the message of the play was even stronger. And Diana Day stayed for some time after the show was over open to talk but mostly to listen to impressions.
Although the author dedicated it to the over 35s, I take “Agency” as a lesson for people of all ages who are willing to learn it. Every relationship needs fairness, optimism, patience and open-mindness. And of course love and physical attraction. It is only that love at first sight strikes few young people and even fewer older ones. This makes me remember how I felt when I watched Gao Xu Yong’s PICA exhibition. I had always before wondered why East Asian women wear so bright, childish clothes and accessories. Yong’s paintings made me realise that this is what East Asian men like! Or as one of the characters says to be loved, one must be lovable.
But besides this all ages relationship lesson I can sense another one. From an experienced person to the younger ones. That human life comes with basic biology that cannot be understood, matched or denied by scientific advances or chic ideas. Internet chats, brotherhoods and sisterhoods will never replace physical attraction and mental entertainment that blend into a true relationship. Though the perfume samples must have meant the contrary: humans might have lost their pheromones sensing but got other synthetic stimuli to arouse them.
We left the Blue Room Theatre joking about some of our friends who would match the characters. I must confess that I even recognized myself in one of them. I let my husband guess which one.
I still have one question on my mind: what was the health message that the Blue Room questionnaire was asking about?
When we got to the Blue Room Theatre a jovial, no longer young lady left her cigarette and saw us in. Used to being asked if I am still in high school, my round childish face put another smile on when told that she was expecting a more “mature” person. Mature – looking or thinking? Must have been looking…
With an “Agency” leaflet and two Armani perfume samples in our hands we headed for the stage room. Simple but suggestive décor, mixed audience with a slight predominance of the over-the-40s. Just before the play started the lady to meet us the door came in and as the others were congratulating and thanking her I realized that she was the writer and director Diana Day.
I knew a few things about “Agency” from different comments and interviews that I had read. But it was much better than I had expected.
Joy Northover plays Lillith, the co-owner of an introduction agency who fights to keep her business going. She uses a computer program to match her clients according to the self-description and partner-expectations that they fill in. Theoretically the program is OK but the results are poor as the four male and four female clients are not able to draw a fair summary of themselves and of what they want in a partner. The feeble, quiet golf player needs more than timid Alice to bring colour into his life; BrianÂ’s jokes and practicality infuriates his financially-orientated match with no sense of humour; the bon-homme who enjoys his life cannot share it with a lady who dedicates hers to social work while the career accountant can no longer have a selfish, dependent artist as partner despite his cooking skills.
Lillith decides to change her matching technique to the old cards-reading one. The old trick combined with accidentally isolated meetings work. It turns out that contrasting people make perfect matches. Plain Arthur matches greedy Bea, flirtatious Brian goes very well with timid Alice, bombastic Carl leaves himself to confident Dee and dependent Don will cook for caring Carol. Apart from the obvious dialogues and behaviours in the second part of the show that confirm the future relationships, I could also notice some colourful suggestive bits. Yellow vest meets yellow bag, green training jacket matches green jewellery who drinks lime juice, orange shoulder bag meets orange-spotted scarf.
Kristine Lockwood puts a lot of skill and human touch in bringing to life the four female characters. She is at times timid and introspective, daring and loud, caring and dedicated to others or decided and career-orientated.
As I watched Leon Ousby I thought for a moment that he was imitating four different men in an award winning pantomime show. But this must not have been too difficult for him with good living examples – I heard him say in an interview that his father and a friend of his were like two of the partner-seeking males in the show.
All the three actors did a wonderful show. Delivered in such a cosy venue, the message of the play was even stronger. And Diana Day stayed for some time after the show was over open to talk but mostly to listen to impressions.
Although the author dedicated it to the over 35s, I take “Agency” as a lesson for people of all ages who are willing to learn it. Every relationship needs fairness, optimism, patience and open-mindness. And of course love and physical attraction. It is only that love at first sight strikes few young people and even fewer older ones. This makes me remember how I felt when I watched Gao Xu Yong’s PICA exhibition. I had always before wondered why East Asian women wear so bright, childish clothes and accessories. Yong’s paintings made me realise that this is what East Asian men like! Or as one of the characters says to be loved, one must be lovable.
But besides this all ages relationship lesson I can sense another one. From an experienced person to the younger ones. That human life comes with basic biology that cannot be understood, matched or denied by scientific advances or chic ideas. Internet chats, brotherhoods and sisterhoods will never replace physical attraction and mental entertainment that blend into a true relationship. Though the perfume samples must have meant the contrary: humans might have lost their pheromones sensing but got other synthetic stimuli to arouse them.
We left the Blue Room Theatre joking about some of our friends who would match the characters. I must confess that I even recognized myself in one of them. I let my husband guess which one.
I still have one question on my mind: what was the health message that the Blue Room questionnaire was asking about?
Walter PlingeThu, 19 Aug 2004, 08:30 am
For my first theatre night out in Perth (and in Australia actually) I decided to give it a go to Diana Day’s “Agency” at Blue Room Theatre in Northbridge. I convinced my husband to join me although he was not very enthusiastic after previous sleepy experiences at contemporary plays.
When we got to the Blue Room Theatre a jovial, no longer young lady left her cigarette and saw us in. Used to being asked if I am still in high school, my round childish face put another smile on when told that she was expecting a more “mature” person. Mature – looking or thinking? Must have been looking…
With an “Agency” leaflet and two Armani perfume samples in our hands we headed for the stage room. Simple but suggestive décor, mixed audience with a slight predominance of the over-the-40s. Just before the play started the lady to meet us the door came in and as the others were congratulating and thanking her I realized that she was the writer and director Diana Day.
I knew a few things about “Agency” from different comments and interviews that I had read. But it was much better than I had expected.
Joy Northover plays Lillith, the co-owner of an introduction agency who fights to keep her business going. She uses a computer program to match her clients according to the self-description and partner-expectations that they fill in. Theoretically the program is OK but the results are poor as the four male and four female clients are not able to draw a fair summary of themselves and of what they want in a partner. The feeble, quiet golf player needs more than timid Alice to bring colour into his life; BrianÂ’s jokes and practicality infuriates his financially-orientated match with no sense of humour; the bon-homme who enjoys his life cannot share it with a lady who dedicates hers to social work while the career accountant can no longer have a selfish, dependent artist as partner despite his cooking skills.
Lillith decides to change her matching technique to the old cards-reading one. The old trick combined with accidentally isolated meetings work. It turns out that contrasting people make perfect matches. Plain Arthur matches greedy Bea, flirtatious Brian goes very well with timid Alice, bombastic Carl leaves himself to confident Dee and dependent Don will cook for caring Carol. Apart from the obvious dialogues and behaviours in the second part of the show that confirm the future relationships, I could also notice some colourful suggestive bits. Yellow vest meets yellow bag, green training jacket matches green jewellery who drinks lime juice, orange shoulder bag meets orange-spotted scarf.
Kristine Lockwood puts a lot of skill and human touch in bringing to life the four female characters. She is at times timid and introspective, daring and loud, caring and dedicated to others or decided and career-orientated.
As I watched Leon Ousby I thought for a moment that he was imitating four different men in an award winning pantomime show. But this must not have been too difficult for him with good living examples – I heard him say in an interview that his father and a friend of his were like two of the partner-seeking males in the show.
All the three actors did a wonderful show. Delivered in such a cosy venue, the message of the play was even stronger. And Diana Day stayed for some time after the show was over open to talk but mostly to listen to impressions.
Although the author dedicated it to the over 35s, I take “Agency” as a lesson for people of all ages who are willing to learn it. Every relationship needs fairness, optimism, patience and open-mindness. And of course love and physical attraction. It is only that love at first sight strikes few young people and even fewer older ones. This makes me remember how I felt when I watched Gao Xu Yong’s PICA exhibition. I had always before wondered why East Asian women wear so bright, childish clothes and accessories. Yong’s paintings made me realise that this is what East Asian men like! Or as one of the characters says to be loved, one must be lovable.
But besides this all ages relationship lesson I can sense another one. From an experienced person to the younger ones. That human life comes with basic biology that cannot be understood, matched or denied by scientific advances or chic ideas. Internet chats, brotherhoods and sisterhoods will never replace physical attraction and mental entertainment that blend into a true relationship. Though the perfume samples must have meant the contrary: humans might have lost their pheromones sensing but got other synthetic stimuli to arouse them.
We left the Blue Room Theatre joking about some of our friends who would match the characters. I must confess that I even recognized myself in one of them. I let my husband guess which one.
I still have one question on my mind: what was the health message that the Blue Room questionnaire was asking about?
When we got to the Blue Room Theatre a jovial, no longer young lady left her cigarette and saw us in. Used to being asked if I am still in high school, my round childish face put another smile on when told that she was expecting a more “mature” person. Mature – looking or thinking? Must have been looking…
With an “Agency” leaflet and two Armani perfume samples in our hands we headed for the stage room. Simple but suggestive décor, mixed audience with a slight predominance of the over-the-40s. Just before the play started the lady to meet us the door came in and as the others were congratulating and thanking her I realized that she was the writer and director Diana Day.
I knew a few things about “Agency” from different comments and interviews that I had read. But it was much better than I had expected.
Joy Northover plays Lillith, the co-owner of an introduction agency who fights to keep her business going. She uses a computer program to match her clients according to the self-description and partner-expectations that they fill in. Theoretically the program is OK but the results are poor as the four male and four female clients are not able to draw a fair summary of themselves and of what they want in a partner. The feeble, quiet golf player needs more than timid Alice to bring colour into his life; BrianÂ’s jokes and practicality infuriates his financially-orientated match with no sense of humour; the bon-homme who enjoys his life cannot share it with a lady who dedicates hers to social work while the career accountant can no longer have a selfish, dependent artist as partner despite his cooking skills.
Lillith decides to change her matching technique to the old cards-reading one. The old trick combined with accidentally isolated meetings work. It turns out that contrasting people make perfect matches. Plain Arthur matches greedy Bea, flirtatious Brian goes very well with timid Alice, bombastic Carl leaves himself to confident Dee and dependent Don will cook for caring Carol. Apart from the obvious dialogues and behaviours in the second part of the show that confirm the future relationships, I could also notice some colourful suggestive bits. Yellow vest meets yellow bag, green training jacket matches green jewellery who drinks lime juice, orange shoulder bag meets orange-spotted scarf.
Kristine Lockwood puts a lot of skill and human touch in bringing to life the four female characters. She is at times timid and introspective, daring and loud, caring and dedicated to others or decided and career-orientated.
As I watched Leon Ousby I thought for a moment that he was imitating four different men in an award winning pantomime show. But this must not have been too difficult for him with good living examples – I heard him say in an interview that his father and a friend of his were like two of the partner-seeking males in the show.
All the three actors did a wonderful show. Delivered in such a cosy venue, the message of the play was even stronger. And Diana Day stayed for some time after the show was over open to talk but mostly to listen to impressions.
Although the author dedicated it to the over 35s, I take “Agency” as a lesson for people of all ages who are willing to learn it. Every relationship needs fairness, optimism, patience and open-mindness. And of course love and physical attraction. It is only that love at first sight strikes few young people and even fewer older ones. This makes me remember how I felt when I watched Gao Xu Yong’s PICA exhibition. I had always before wondered why East Asian women wear so bright, childish clothes and accessories. Yong’s paintings made me realise that this is what East Asian men like! Or as one of the characters says to be loved, one must be lovable.
But besides this all ages relationship lesson I can sense another one. From an experienced person to the younger ones. That human life comes with basic biology that cannot be understood, matched or denied by scientific advances or chic ideas. Internet chats, brotherhoods and sisterhoods will never replace physical attraction and mental entertainment that blend into a true relationship. Though the perfume samples must have meant the contrary: humans might have lost their pheromones sensing but got other synthetic stimuli to arouse them.
We left the Blue Room Theatre joking about some of our friends who would match the characters. I must confess that I even recognized myself in one of them. I let my husband guess which one.
I still have one question on my mind: what was the health message that the Blue Room questionnaire was asking about?
Christine EllisFri, 20 Aug 2004, 03:52 pm
Re: Diana DayÂ’s Agency or a play for all senses
I also went to see this excellent production at the Blue Room Theatre.
Congratulations to all involved for a terrific nights entertainment.
After getting over the initial fear of walking across the middle of the stage to get to our seats, we settled down to a very funny and racy romp through the world of the introduction agency.
The script was extremeley well written, congratulations Diana, there were some brilliant one liners, witty dialogues, and very thought provoking monologues.
All three actors delivered well developed characterisations, which must have been a challenge to Kristine and Leon who had to do this convincingly four times each!
My only criticism would be that the voice of "Nick" came across as quite distorted and difficult to understand. This did not take away from the rest of the play at all however.
I think that this show highlight the fact that 'matchmaking" is not a predicatable thing, but a very unscientific instinctive "attraction" without too much sense in it at all.
To anyone who is wanting a fun and entertaining nights entertainment, I say to you, book now!
Congratulations to all involved! Good luck for the rest of the season.
Congratulations to all involved for a terrific nights entertainment.
After getting over the initial fear of walking across the middle of the stage to get to our seats, we settled down to a very funny and racy romp through the world of the introduction agency.
The script was extremeley well written, congratulations Diana, there were some brilliant one liners, witty dialogues, and very thought provoking monologues.
All three actors delivered well developed characterisations, which must have been a challenge to Kristine and Leon who had to do this convincingly four times each!
My only criticism would be that the voice of "Nick" came across as quite distorted and difficult to understand. This did not take away from the rest of the play at all however.
I think that this show highlight the fact that 'matchmaking" is not a predicatable thing, but a very unscientific instinctive "attraction" without too much sense in it at all.
To anyone who is wanting a fun and entertaining nights entertainment, I say to you, book now!
Congratulations to all involved! Good luck for the rest of the season.