REVIEW: The Crucible / Romeo and Juliet, Eagle's Nest Theatre

As posted on Arts Hub By Chris Thorpe. THE CRUCIBLE Independent theatre company Eagle’s Nest have produced some excellent theatre during the last few years, but with the Arthur Miller classic The Crucible they have missed the mark. The tagline for this production should read: “How to ruin a classic in three hours”. This is drama school performance at its best. There are many points at which this production fails – and much of it is shared by the ‘creative collective’ – acting, direction, costumes and set… Some of the performers are miscast, which can either be a flaw easily brushed aside by a spectator, or something that jabs at the sides every time the actor does or says something that is very typical of and/or important for their character. Visually, it was Melissa Magarici as Tituba and Matthew Molony as John Proctor; trying as she was, the broken English and Barbados accent was too much of a distraction coming from a Caucasian actress. And Molony had to (unfortunately) over-compensate for Proctor’s pride, as his stage presence was no match for such a complex yet simple man. Worse was that a few of the actors should not have been cast at all! Saving graces, however, were Anthony Winnick as Giles Corey and Pip Edwards as Abigail Williams, both giving relief to what were, for the most part, wooden and melodramatic performances. Director Matt Scholten didn’t seem to have much time to direct the production, as the staging looked stilted, and the performances awkward, making the weight of the dialogue and character emotions lost. As for the actors that weren’t meant to be on stage, they became stylised set pieces/spectators that either moved in slow motion or tried to conjure up some sort of impulse work – all very dated. That sense of crucial action – involving those off-stage characters – that happens behind the scenes, was lost due to the ensemble becoming a silent and absurd Greek chorus at the back. Both set and costuming were unimaginative. The large, beautiful wooden table setting that dominated the space was only a hindrance to the beginning and hardly used at all when there was a perfect opportunity. Also, the large tree trunk (or what I assumed was a tree trunk) to the rear of the table did not symbolise the starkness of the piece, nor the emptiness of the community’s faith in their God and each other. The costumes seemed neither here nor there, with bland colouring the only real way to distinguish certain characters’ occupation and social standing. Composer Dave Howell, whose music was suitably haunting and gave some scenes some sort of tension, played live during the production. It could have worked to great effect had the rest of the performance not been dreadfully sub-standard. ROMEO & JULIET Oh no… not another production of Romeo and Juliet! This time the Eagle’s Nest production promised to be a mixture of West Side Story and the mod cult film Quadrophenia. Numerous performances of this classic text have been witnessed, with various themes, however one set in 1960s UK, sparked by the infamous Mods and Rockers riot on Brighton Beach, had not been one of them and I was excited to see what Eagle’s Nest would come up with. But I was sorely disappointed not to mention frustrated. Similar to the company’s other production, The Crucible, it seems the weight and ‘importance’ of the text – and how it could and should be communicated – overwhelmed the simple drive needed to tell a story which, surprisingly, the text allows one to do with ease. From the introduction by Dane Botfield, who also played the Prince of Verona, there was always going to be an off-target sensibility about the production. In particular, in a play where there is much important inner dialogue, there wasn’t the great contrast from bravado and brashness of the clans to the quietness and hope of the genuinely sensitive – that is, Romeo and Juliet. Camille Meghaizel was almost passable as Romeo – however his sincerity was lost to the mundane contemporary accent that director Peita Collard seemed to allow nearly all her cast. Rhythms were nowhere to be seen and even the scenes that sprout the most well-known of lines in the play weren’t given enough creativity to find their real meanings relevant to the two leading actors. Syrie Payne was suitably innocent as Juliet, but this is where it started and ended. Her inexperience showed. In the balcony scene outside Juliet’s bedroom, both actors seemed to court each other as though they were at a debutante ball, whilst proclaiming words and phrases of true love that become so crucial to not only the story proper, but to the tragedies that ensue. Most uncreative however, was the set design (if you could call it that) by Naomi Wong. Large painted wooden student-theatre boxes as raised platforms do not lend much help to a production that is already scant in symmetry. It also doesn’t help when the actors are told to walk in a confusing fashion around and on top of these loud and creaking platforms. A couple of shining lights within the dark tunnel were the promising performances of Laura Hill as the Nurse and Angus Brown as Tybalt. Both not only delivered the right presence to their respective roles, but also wanted (alas, not quite succeeding) to bring their own individuality and verve into the characters. Ultimately, the production lacked any sort of clarity – was it a period piece with real events used as the launching pad for the action? If so, the costuming, accents and overall nuance of the production needed to be syncronised with one another and the tension between the differing camps heightened. Otherwise what you’re left with are merely ingredients for a great meal, prepared and cooked incorrectly and leaving the consumer sick and nauseous. EAGLE'S NEST THEATRE - SEASON ONE Shakespeare's Romeo & Juliet / Arthur Miller's The Crucible Venue: Auspicious Arts Incubator | 166 Sturt Street, Southbank; opposite VCA and Malthouse Theatre Dates: May 1st - 11th | For specific times www.eaglesnesttheatre.com