Delicate balance ****

Pocket Theatre’s latest production, ‘Delicate Balance’ consists of three, very different, half-hour plays by local dramatists. It is showing at the Swan Hotel in Queen Victoria Street, North Fremantle at 8.00 nightly until Saturday 4^th November.
This 60-seat theatre has atmosphere, and the talented stage managers made the basic ‘boards’ appear to have all the qualities of a professional theatre.

The Wall          is sensitively scripted and directed by Helen Brett. It has a simple story line, and beautifully acted by Costa Ronin. It is the story of a Polish youth, Tarzan, who wishes to escape to the west; initially to West Berlin but with the ultimate aim of seeing ‘the land which is so warm that oranges can grow’.
Ronin plays three or four characters with energy, and convincingly displays the stresses of leaving one’s family and home, mixed with the potential joy of the future. Excellent.

Ordinary Blokes          the latest play by Liz Hoffmann will be mostly appreciated by the older audience. It shows sibling rivalry and suspected parent favouritism. Then there is the inevitable, older sick relative.
The keen observations of family life shown in the writing will ring many a bell with most parents. Tightly written and a great deal packed into the short length of the show. As in all of the plays, the acting skills were well above average.

Mobile Phoney            by Gordon MacNish, is a comedy set in a restaurant, with a couple of passages very reminiscent of ‘Fawlty Towers’. A few good plot twists and ideas show how the annoying mobile phones can be conquered.
            There was an unfortunate short disturbance in the audience, but the strong cast carried on - undeterred troupers! With fine tuning of the script and tighter direction this play would have been even better. Still, there were plenty of laughs.

A good night out – most enjoyable