WHAT THE BUTLER SAW
Sun, 25 Sept 2005, 08:12 amBass Guy38 posts in thread
WHAT THE BUTLER SAW
Sun, 25 Sept 2005, 08:12 amWho: GRADS
Where: Dolphin Theatre, UWA
When: 8pm 23/9/2005
What: Sordid farce from the soon-to-be-bludgeoned-to-death Joe Orton
Why: Threats of conjugal favours being withheld if I failed to attend. (Not entirely true)
Well, if the butler saw what I saw on Friday last, he needs his eyes checked or his head read. I thought IÂ’d indulge a little too firmly in the house convivialities prior to the show, but IÂ’m led to believe I wasnÂ’t the only one to suffer the demented visions this play provokes, so I canÂ’t blame it on the unwitting ingestion of psychedelics. I can, however, blame it on the crazed imagination of Stephen Lee and his cast of lunatic stooges.
Orton’s farce apparently flopped at the time of its premiere- and I think I know why. There’s not much “whoops, matron my trousers fell through the pantry. More tea, vicar?” in WTBS. Well, check out the poster- there’s more emphasis on the PHWOOAAR! Factor. As evidenced by the opening five minutes, which sees the heroine on the piece reduced to her underwear, and being subtly drooled over by the hero. It’s like Carry On Without Any Inhibitions. Of course, this is precisely the highbrow entertainment demanded by Generation Zzzzz today, so the choice is apt.
The cast rollicked through the opening night production, with only pause for the occasional hiccup with miscreant props and recalcitrant business. Paul Treasure starts as a bear-like figure, but is soon reduced to a sympathetic putty-like creature by the idiocy of his circumstance. The elfin Jessyca Hutchens not only spends most of the play near naked (I couldnÂ’t afford tickets to WTBS Uncut- Jarrod Buttery had bought them all and was scalping them cruelly) but a good deal of it sedated and/or screaming. Not easy to do both at the same time. Scott Sheridan attacks his role with gusto giving us something akin to Norman Wisdom on crack- which is what the show requires. Tony Petani sets new records for the achievement of those born without gorm. His Sgt Match is bizarre in the way he falls into the mania of the situation without blinking or pause. Jenny McCannÂ’s portrayal as the nymphomaniac harridan was too close to home for me to consider it acting- but by God itÂ’s convincing.
The most FRIGHTENING portrayal in recent history belongs not to that Welsh pretender Hopkins, but the demented Grant Malcolm as Dr Rance. His Murnau-esque take on the character (eyes a-twitch, shoulders a-hunch, voice a-boom) is hysterically funny and unnerving at the same time- and consequently does little to counter my lack of faith in the Western Health System.
Bravura doesnÂ’t begin to describe the efforts of cast and crew for this show. And if opening night had hiccups, these will be ironed out and the show will become unfathomably slick. This is a play that will reward a repeated viewing- theyÂ’re getting more risque as the season progresses. Well, thatÂ’s the rumour IÂ’m going to be spreadingÂ….
El
Where: Dolphin Theatre, UWA
When: 8pm 23/9/2005
What: Sordid farce from the soon-to-be-bludgeoned-to-death Joe Orton
Why: Threats of conjugal favours being withheld if I failed to attend. (Not entirely true)
Well, if the butler saw what I saw on Friday last, he needs his eyes checked or his head read. I thought IÂ’d indulge a little too firmly in the house convivialities prior to the show, but IÂ’m led to believe I wasnÂ’t the only one to suffer the demented visions this play provokes, so I canÂ’t blame it on the unwitting ingestion of psychedelics. I can, however, blame it on the crazed imagination of Stephen Lee and his cast of lunatic stooges.
Orton’s farce apparently flopped at the time of its premiere- and I think I know why. There’s not much “whoops, matron my trousers fell through the pantry. More tea, vicar?” in WTBS. Well, check out the poster- there’s more emphasis on the PHWOOAAR! Factor. As evidenced by the opening five minutes, which sees the heroine on the piece reduced to her underwear, and being subtly drooled over by the hero. It’s like Carry On Without Any Inhibitions. Of course, this is precisely the highbrow entertainment demanded by Generation Zzzzz today, so the choice is apt.
The cast rollicked through the opening night production, with only pause for the occasional hiccup with miscreant props and recalcitrant business. Paul Treasure starts as a bear-like figure, but is soon reduced to a sympathetic putty-like creature by the idiocy of his circumstance. The elfin Jessyca Hutchens not only spends most of the play near naked (I couldnÂ’t afford tickets to WTBS Uncut- Jarrod Buttery had bought them all and was scalping them cruelly) but a good deal of it sedated and/or screaming. Not easy to do both at the same time. Scott Sheridan attacks his role with gusto giving us something akin to Norman Wisdom on crack- which is what the show requires. Tony Petani sets new records for the achievement of those born without gorm. His Sgt Match is bizarre in the way he falls into the mania of the situation without blinking or pause. Jenny McCannÂ’s portrayal as the nymphomaniac harridan was too close to home for me to consider it acting- but by God itÂ’s convincing.
The most FRIGHTENING portrayal in recent history belongs not to that Welsh pretender Hopkins, but the demented Grant Malcolm as Dr Rance. His Murnau-esque take on the character (eyes a-twitch, shoulders a-hunch, voice a-boom) is hysterically funny and unnerving at the same time- and consequently does little to counter my lack of faith in the Western Health System.
Bravura doesnÂ’t begin to describe the efforts of cast and crew for this show. And if opening night had hiccups, these will be ironed out and the show will become unfathomably slick. This is a play that will reward a repeated viewing- theyÂ’re getting more risque as the season progresses. Well, thatÂ’s the rumour IÂ’m going to be spreadingÂ….
El
What the Butler Saw - Leece's Rambling Review
Thu, 29 Sept 2005, 12:03 pmWalter Plinge
What The Butler Saw by Joe Orton, performed by Grads at The Dolphin.
One word to describe this production: frantic!
Of course we all know that I'd go to see Stephen Lee direct traffic. What a great job he's done. Again.
Oh my giddy aunt! I saw this last night (Sept 28). I had been warned of the outrageous play, and so forth, I was ready there with my popcorn and my open mind.
Well there are bits that are in apalling taste, but you laugh and laugh anyway. You hate yourself, but you do. Rape, incest, madness, drug abuse, all treated with wicked lightheartedness that must have been overwhelming in 1967, and even now can raise a blush!
It's an excellent production, you can really see the cast feeding off each others' and the audience's energy, and in the second act it's amazing. It just snowballs into one great kaledescopic chaotic maelstrom, which bears down on the (ahem) climax with the inexorability of Hurricane Katrina on New Orleans.
Really witty lines, delivered in an invigorated manner! Actually, at some points it seems like a cross between Shakespeare on crack, and Wilde at his wittiest!
It's really funny, it's a bit like an incestuous pantomine. It's a madhouse!
My mum, who also went to see it with me, said that it brings serious and taboo subjects out into the open using humour and comedy (as human nature does).
I don't have the script, but one exchange goes something like this:
Dr Rance: "Why are there so many doors? Was the house designed by a lunatic?"
Dr Prentice "Actually, yes. He's a patient here from time to time."
and
"You were born with your legs apart. They'll send you to the grave in a Y shaped coffin."
The set design is inspired, especially the hospital colours! Watch out for the ward names! Look out for Munch's The Scream. "Bloody" excellent moulage too - certainly made the audience jump.
Dr Prentice, whose life is turned upside down by his mistimed seduction attempt is played well, his increasingly frenetic and desperate attempts to get out of the closing trap must be exhausting work. Great to watch.
Jessyca Hutchens played Geraldine Barclay, and she is so forlorn, waif like and a picture of sweet innocence trapped in the cogs of the machine the audience as one goes awwwwww....and hopes that she'll get out alright. In fact some of the audience were looking like they wanted to mount a rescue mission to get her out of there! No, it was NOT just because she was in her underwear!
Jenny McCann let fierce energy to Mrs Prentice, her expressions were wonderful, especially when she's listening to the rantings of Dr Rance about her husband.
Dr Rance, a stalking inspector of mental institutions, manically driven, possessed by a demonic drive. Played by the redoubtable Grant Malcolm whose voice shares its richness with Lindt 85% chocolate. Dr Rance is scarey. He's medical beauracracy gone haywire, he's the lunatic in charge of the asylum. He is a force to be reckoned with, and Mr Malcolm makes him look positively demonic at times.
"Who are YOU to decide what is real?!"
Scott Sheriden makes us laugh guiltily at the antics of his character, Nicholas Becket, a totally reprehensible fellow...who among other things "misbehaved himself with a bunch of schoolgirls" but we can't really dislike him. Naturally youthful high spirits. Apparently quite gifted, this fellow. The schoolmistress was missed out, you see, and it was she who raised the alarm. The female policewoman who examined the girls afterwoulds is quite anxious to meet Nicholas in person!
Ahem. This is the sort of thing that keeps happening in this play. Be warned!
Sergeant Match is played by Tony Petani, who starts as the Jungian archtype of the British Bobby, and then gives a wonderful display of the effect of mind altering drugs on the same. He carries off the finale absolutely wonderfully.
Kudos also must be given to the cast, because it must've been hell to get all those clothes exchanged and on and off so rapidly! Well done!
Sound and lighting went off really well, no mars that I could hear or see, and it gave some great feel to the scenes. When the circuit overloads and Dr Rance is at his peak the red lighting and the shadow of the hands behind reaching up in the window behind (clearly disturbed patients) make it a disturbing and somewhat hellish scene.
Then at the end, the red light is replaced by the shining white it's all very allegorical, well done and thought out.
That was certainly a guilty pleasure of a play! You've been warned!
What I do in real life: http://www.cafepress.com/aliciasmith
Thou venomed folly-fallen moldwarp!
One word to describe this production: frantic!
Of course we all know that I'd go to see Stephen Lee direct traffic. What a great job he's done. Again.
Oh my giddy aunt! I saw this last night (Sept 28). I had been warned of the outrageous play, and so forth, I was ready there with my popcorn and my open mind.
Well there are bits that are in apalling taste, but you laugh and laugh anyway. You hate yourself, but you do. Rape, incest, madness, drug abuse, all treated with wicked lightheartedness that must have been overwhelming in 1967, and even now can raise a blush!
It's an excellent production, you can really see the cast feeding off each others' and the audience's energy, and in the second act it's amazing. It just snowballs into one great kaledescopic chaotic maelstrom, which bears down on the (ahem) climax with the inexorability of Hurricane Katrina on New Orleans.
Really witty lines, delivered in an invigorated manner! Actually, at some points it seems like a cross between Shakespeare on crack, and Wilde at his wittiest!
It's really funny, it's a bit like an incestuous pantomine. It's a madhouse!
My mum, who also went to see it with me, said that it brings serious and taboo subjects out into the open using humour and comedy (as human nature does).
I don't have the script, but one exchange goes something like this:
Dr Rance: "Why are there so many doors? Was the house designed by a lunatic?"
Dr Prentice "Actually, yes. He's a patient here from time to time."
and
"You were born with your legs apart. They'll send you to the grave in a Y shaped coffin."
The set design is inspired, especially the hospital colours! Watch out for the ward names! Look out for Munch's The Scream. "Bloody" excellent moulage too - certainly made the audience jump.
Dr Prentice, whose life is turned upside down by his mistimed seduction attempt is played well, his increasingly frenetic and desperate attempts to get out of the closing trap must be exhausting work. Great to watch.
Jessyca Hutchens played Geraldine Barclay, and she is so forlorn, waif like and a picture of sweet innocence trapped in the cogs of the machine the audience as one goes awwwwww....and hopes that she'll get out alright. In fact some of the audience were looking like they wanted to mount a rescue mission to get her out of there! No, it was NOT just because she was in her underwear!
Jenny McCann let fierce energy to Mrs Prentice, her expressions were wonderful, especially when she's listening to the rantings of Dr Rance about her husband.
Dr Rance, a stalking inspector of mental institutions, manically driven, possessed by a demonic drive. Played by the redoubtable Grant Malcolm whose voice shares its richness with Lindt 85% chocolate. Dr Rance is scarey. He's medical beauracracy gone haywire, he's the lunatic in charge of the asylum. He is a force to be reckoned with, and Mr Malcolm makes him look positively demonic at times.
"Who are YOU to decide what is real?!"
Scott Sheriden makes us laugh guiltily at the antics of his character, Nicholas Becket, a totally reprehensible fellow...who among other things "misbehaved himself with a bunch of schoolgirls" but we can't really dislike him. Naturally youthful high spirits. Apparently quite gifted, this fellow. The schoolmistress was missed out, you see, and it was she who raised the alarm. The female policewoman who examined the girls afterwoulds is quite anxious to meet Nicholas in person!
Ahem. This is the sort of thing that keeps happening in this play. Be warned!
Sergeant Match is played by Tony Petani, who starts as the Jungian archtype of the British Bobby, and then gives a wonderful display of the effect of mind altering drugs on the same. He carries off the finale absolutely wonderfully.
Kudos also must be given to the cast, because it must've been hell to get all those clothes exchanged and on and off so rapidly! Well done!
Sound and lighting went off really well, no mars that I could hear or see, and it gave some great feel to the scenes. When the circuit overloads and Dr Rance is at his peak the red lighting and the shadow of the hands behind reaching up in the window behind (clearly disturbed patients) make it a disturbing and somewhat hellish scene.
Then at the end, the red light is replaced by the shining white it's all very allegorical, well done and thought out.
That was certainly a guilty pleasure of a play! You've been warned!
What I do in real life: http://www.cafepress.com/aliciasmith
Thou venomed folly-fallen moldwarp!
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