A Review for Rick!

As we have no-one in SA who lodges reviews on this site I decided to pinch this from the Adelaide Theatre Guide. If this results in any copyright contravention then I am solely responsible. This is the review for my play Rick which opened last Thursday and is part of the reason that I haven't been on TA as often as usual. A mixed review although as I see it the critiscism is mostly of my writing and directing and is probably justified. RICK Spotlight Theatre Company Holden Street Theatres Until 22 Sep 2007 Review by Stephanie Johnson School reunions – two words that should spark dread in the mind of any intelligent human being. Something is sorely amiss with the idea of reuniting with friends from youthful days. The mere thought of such a reunion inevitably sparks a hornet’s nest of mixed emotions, unfavourable comparisons and wishful thinking. Tony Moore’s world premiere of “Rick” takes the school reunion to a new low, revealing the underbelly of dark issues as a group of school friends gather to tell tales and bite nails. On the positive side of the ledger, Moore’s setting is ideal for exposing topics such as rape, murder, abandonment and betrayal. This is a playwright with a social conscience. In “Rick” a group of classmates gather from all walks of life and rapidly old tensions surface. Gradually the façade slips and the truth of the past is revealed. This play has moments that are gems. Moore easily captures the atmosphere, the child within each adult, the horror that surfaces in some of the individuals as they recall repressed memories. The trouble with this play is the lack of pace, the timing, and the wordiness. As a result it lags in places. Each actor brings something to the stage, but together they are somehow mismatched and out of step, except for rare shining moments. Maxine Grubel-Wilson goes to top of the class with her edgy performance of Jenny, and Damien White is uncannily realistic as the brooding Phil. Joanna Webb is a forceful, if not particularly likeable Anne, and Marc Brown plays a delightfully camp Dean. Sean Wellsmore needs to do a little more homework to graduate from likeable to playboy as Geoff, Shideh Faramund is a passable Mandy and John Frangos scores well as Barry. It is easy to see any of these characters at a school reunion. Perhaps herein lies the problem.