Error Flynn at Harbour Theatre

Four of us drove away from Fremantle on Saturday night, shocked and deeply concerned at what we’d just witnessed at Harbour Theatre, a production of Rob George’s ”Errol Flynn’s Great Big Adventure Book For Boys,” directed by Peter Nettleton.

We spent the next half hour debating the merits of writing a review or not, simply because the production is so awful it almost defies logic, I was embarrassed to be in the audience. We vacillated between, “It’s better to say nothing, than to hurt people” and “No, somebody has to tell them.” Yes, perhaps it would be better to say nothing, but at a time when community theatres are trying to attract larger (and new) audiences, then it’s probably best to say something, when standards seem a little low.

There were obviously some talented people in the production, but dear God what a disjointed shambolic piece. The script is so bad it should be left in a bottom drawer - forever. I have no idea whether it’s a comedy (black or otherwise), a drama, or a musical, or perhaps a combination of all three. Whatever, it fails on every score. The comedy lines are dreadful Benny Hill type crass jokes with no subtlety and no clever edge. There is drama - for the last seven minutes - and there is music, BUT the music is so totally out of place and context it’s beyond comprehension.

Don’t get me wrong, the musicians are all very competent, I just couldn’t figure out the country and western style. it was illogical. Then there came a beautiful solo voice and guitar piece by Norma Holmes, as Errol sailed across the Atlantic. What on earth was a gentle, sorrowful piece of folk music doing there? The era was wrong, the feeling was wrong. It was as if Norma has mistakenly wandered in from Clancy’s next door and found herself on the wrong stage. Australian Crawl did the only song to use, or why not chuck in some Glenn Miller?

Unfortunately, a further major problem exists in casting Tony Clarke as Errol Flynn, certainly there is a visual similarity, but this is not a role for Tony to play. It was never believable and sadly there was no life to the character, although there was a little glimpse in the last three minutes or so. Errol Flynn was not a wimp, he was a smooth talking, aggressive, misogynist bastard, an “eats, roots and leaves” sort of prick. I felt I was watching somebody trying to be Flynn in an audition, who hadn't had the character explained to him, which leads me to direction.

I’m sorry Peter, I think you’ve taken on (perhaps had to?) too much with this production. The play appeared blocked, but not directed and your acting mistakes just kept on happening, from early entries to constant line-dropping, it was truly a terrible, terrible, cringe educing performance. There is a lesson there for all of us, in that a complicated (and I’m being charitable, I think it’s a dreadfully written play) work needs a director’s undivided attention. Then there’s the set, I realise there’s enormous difficulty in covering so many vastly different scene changes, but what was gong on with the walls, it just looked like the painted scenery from a previous play that you were rehearsing in.

John Deasy and John Forde are obviously capable actors and I’d certainly go to see them again. Although neither are strong singers, they carried their tunes. Matt Coccovia’s barman roles were small and he was nervous, but he has a nice presence, that again, needs direction.

Thank God for the women in this production, they almost manage to save, through sheer talent, what is basically an unmitigated disaster. They can sing and their characterisations are believable, with the added difficulty of playing multiple roles. Sadly, Kirstie Chorley and Sherrilee Walsh were so far ahead of the men in this production, it was embarrassing to watch.

Then there is Katherine English. Fan – bloody – tastic! She was the show! And carried it (with Kirstie and Sherrilee). Here was a master of her craft; it was a joy to watch her nuances of expression and her portrayal of emotion. I’m assuming her role is probably myth, but the curious thing is, she turns it into something credible and utterly believable.

Peter writes in the programme, that his view of theatre is, ”Keep it funny, throw in some tunes and you can’t lose.” This abomination of a work, is not funny … well, it is funny peculiar, the tunes are so utterly out of place and context that it’s nonsensical and we’ve all lost with this production – the cast and crew who have given their time and effort and the audience who are treated to something that should never have sent the light of day.

Greg Ross