It's my party (and I'll die if I want to)

‘It’s my party (and I’ll die if I want to)’ is a hilarious comedy by Elizabeth Coleman. This Ellenbrook Theatre Company production is showing at the Midland Arts Centre, on the corner of Great Eastern Highway and Cale Street. After a very short run, the last performance is tonight, 8^th May, at 7.30 pm.

          The family are gathered in the Patterson household as father, Ron (Paul Whitehead) has a tragic announcement to make – he has 111 minutes left to live. He received the bad news from the doctor three months earlier, but has withheld the news from the family until now. His wife, dizzy Dawn (Mary Milbourn), seems to miss the poignancy of the situation, and takes the news with a pinch of salt.

          Their son, Michael (Michael Bayliss), has been married several years and is a successful businessman, despite having very little personal encouragement from his father. The older sister, Debbie (Francesca McDade) is approaching middle age and to her father’s horror, has still not found a partner, whereas Karen (Ines Tedesco) – the darling of her father’s eye – is perfect. All he ever wished for, and she is about to be married. Perfect!

          Ron has his impending death fully organised, even down to the visit from the funeral director (Ryan Morano).

This play is only about 70 minutes long, but it is tightly written. Extremely funny, well directed (Chris Bedding) and considering that this is the very first production from Ellenbrook Theatre, most professional. The cast were first class with their pace and line delivery. The body actions and facial expressions required for such a comedy were perfect, good chemistry.

This being a new venture, the capital required for a full set was naturally missing. Hence the set was only basic,  but with good props. Lighting was minimal, poorly aligned but they did the best with what was available.

A most enjoyable night out in a comfortable, 120-seat theatre that has a good, audience-viewing rake. No proscenium arch or stage – but who cares? The entertainment value was there. Congratulations and good luck for the future to this group.

We're doing Arsenic at the same venue Gordon - so it's good to hear your positive review of the space from an audience's perspective.

Sinéad

Thanks for the feedback, your comments about the cast warm the cockles of my heart. These things don't happen by accident!

The lighting in the venue was extremely troublesome, not least because most of didn't work and we didn't discover this until the tech run, 24 hours before we performed at MJAC. If ETC perform at MJAC again, we will have to factor a lighting rig into our plans - which could be quite expensive given that a scissor lift is required.

The set design was not so dependent on budget and was, in fact, the most expensive part of the production. It was deliberately stylised but probably worked better at Ellenbrook PAC because it was surrounded by black drapes and had a black floor and a better quality lighting rig. The 'house' was made of canvas over timber frames. It looked great when it was first made, OK for the first shows, and very tired once it had been transported a few times... a learning curve.

ETC is hoping to stage another production about the same time next year.

++If you always do what you've always done, you'll always get what you've always got++

MJAC is not much more than a gymeatre or at best a theatorium bcause of the retactable seating.

With it's 7 meatre ceiling & patch system just as far out of reach, it is what it is, not more than just another local village community hall, without the need to arrange the chairs.

It probably works fine for static visual arts, but with performing arts it leaves a lot to be desired.

I'll be opting to rig & under sling an FOH lighting bar with it's own patch circuits, rather than rely on those installed, or attempt to use a sissor lift or talescope to focus.