Loot

Have a look in today's (Mon 7 June) West Australian for the review of Loot - "Loot rich in laughs" - for another opinion.

I am very keen to see this - i have always loved Orton's plays, but have never seen this one in production

Hi trev33 - if you want cheap tix for this Tuesday 7.30pm - email me: info@classact.com.au Angelique Class Act Theatre

Thanks Angelique. I cannot make Tues, but will come later in the week

I got a last minute offer to head to Subi to see Class Acts "Loot" on Tuesday, 8th June I had no idea what it was about or even who was in it, so it was only by chance that I happened to have a few hours spare and I threw that few hours at this show. My time was certainly not wasted and i must have seen a total different show to Gordon (who's opinion i hold very highly). The performers (whose names escapes me, sorry, i forgot to bring home a program) maintained incredibly pace and comic timing, yes, all of them. It was very rare for me to find my attention waning for any more than a minute or so (and i have the attention span of 7 year old hyped up on sugar) The chemistry between them all was fantastic. I agree with Gordon on the Irish accents but that is really the only sticking point of the performance for me. And to be fair, they where pretty good for the most of it and only slipped a few times. The biggest sticking point for me of the whole night is getting herded out of the bar by the SAC bar staff at the end of the show. There where only a few of us left, granted, but this has happened to me on more than one occasion at this venue and it frustrates the hell out of me. All in all, a great night out. Get along to it. Adam

I am so pleased to hear that things seem to have sorted themselves out. It is always difficult to give a less than enthusiastic review, when half the cast are personal friends. I often wonder whether it was just me having a bad night, or were there really problems?
What should one do? Give a poor review of friends, or just miss the review out altogether? I have seen a couple of shows this year which had virtually no redeeming features, and unworthy of me spending any time writing a review. As a result they have escaped the notoriety, when this poor show which had only some minor problems, has now been drawn to the attention of the readers. Doesn’t seem fair.
Should I have written about the really bad ones?

Gordon's post raises a very interesting issue- should one feel bad for giving a bad review? Back in the dim-darks I used to be a Finley adjudicator, and I quickly learnt of the paper-thin nature of most people's skin when it came to even mild constructive critisism. It depends I guess upon whom you're writing the review for- the (potential) audience or the cast of the show. If you think a show is worthy enough of your time to even contemplate offering a review (surely you don't just get paid to review everything that's on! ;-p) then I believe that alone points to the production having merit. But ultimately I feel that no-one benefits from a full-on hatchet job OR fawning obsequious praise.

...for Mr McCann is right and I'm sure the cast and crew of Loot have thick enough skins to not take offence at the mild criticism you levelled because that is how it reads - mild, and suggesting things may improve given the talented cast available. As an untrained actor I can put my hand up and say I cringe at obsequious praise (I've never once felt it was merited) and having had my share of brick bats I've been able (almost without exception) to decide whether or not I felt that criticism was merited or whether I should ignore it. So fear not, I doubt noses will be put out of joint irrepairably. If you stop reviewing, there may well be few reviews to actually read!!

At the risk of highjacking this tread from LOOT, I think that you 3 gentlemen raise great points. Gordon, I applaud you for your honesty. It is not something that I can do if my opinion sways towards the negative. I am a little cowardly when it comes to that situation and opt not to throw my opinion in the ring. But coming from the same position as Murray (untrained and all that) I personally love the constructive criticism on my own performances.

Loot | Class Act Theatre Written by Julia Hern Thursday, 10 June 2010 11:58 Simple and effective would be the two words I feel encapsulate this production of Loot by Joe Orton. This brilliant play was strewn with hilarious one-liners and physical comedy which only thinly veiled Orton’s social commentary on law enforcement and the sometimes disturbing aspects of human nature. It was interesting to note that just one character was seen at the conclusion to have upheld what may be considered acceptable moral standards. The play is described as “a dark farce that satirises the Roman Catholic Church, social attitudes to death, and the integrity of the police force." Orton was well known for his black comedies, but before his life was tragically cut short at age 34 in a dramatic murder/suicide, he only had the opportunity to write three full length plays, the most famous perhaps being What the Butler Saw which debuted in the West End after his death. In Loot, the dead matriarch lies waiting to be buried, her grieving husband (Kym Bidstrup) and wayward son (Nick Candy) are caught up in bank robbery, seduction, corruption, coercion, body smuggling and random dog attacks! A mass murdering nurse/serial widow (Angelique Malcolm) and a suave young funeral director of ambiguous sexual intention (Stacy Gougoulis) are added to the mix and you have a recipe for hysteria. The first act, while still engaging and funny, lays down the narrative foundations and set the scene for the second act, which is a laugh a minute. The twists and turns of allegiance between the characters may keep audiences on their toes as the dialogue is witty and fast paced. Combined with that, is the variety of accents used so the ear/brain connection needs to be switched on to get the most out of the humour. The Studio at Subiaco Arts Centre was bedecked with the basic furnishing required to simulate one room. There were no set changes to detract from the pace or distract us from the constant engagement in the action. The staging and direction was indicative of Stephen Lee’s many years of experience as both a director and performer. The cast was made up of seasoned veterans of the craft and some relatively new talent. But in all cases, their training and skill was evident in their comic timing and natural delivery. Ian Toyne in particular made the most of his double dealing character and his convoluted dialogue giving a riveting performance. Full credit must also go to Shirley Van Sanden who has given Perth audiences an array of smashing performances in the past, but I wonder if she would agree that this deceptively simple part required more physical discipline than has ever been asked of her before.