The things you find amongst your desktop clutter...

The things you find amongst your desktop clutter...in this case, computer desktop. A review from almost a year ago, published now merely for interest's sake. But also as I'm currently directing Class Act's 'Romeo & Juliet', and am trying to avoid similar pitfalls. When we open next week, I will welcome any similar feedback....whenever it arrives! As a response to : http://www.theatre.asn.au/theatre_reviews/richard_111_at_waapa 'Now is the winter of our discontent' is a slightly misleading quote. It doesn't mean it is NOW winter and we are discontent. It means it WAS, but now it is "...made glorious summer by this son of York". Of course, Richard speaks the line with irony and sarcasm, so the intent is the same. I saw the production tonight, and thought there was a lot to like about it. Scott's performance as Richard 3 was solid and charismatic. I'm afraid the clown make up detracted in a few ways, though. It seemed obviously modeled on the Heath Ledger 'Joker' character, and the performance borrowed a bit from this, but it gave Richard a one-dimensional nature which rather stole from the character. It is full credit to Scott that he was able to portray a good range of depth through this one dimensional veneer, but I couldn't help but think without the mask it would have been even stronger. Billythekid says above that even though R3 is a murderous monster, "with that clown's face I could not help but be charmed, I liked him". But to my mind, this weakens the character if you attribute it to the clown's face. In a normal production done well, the audience SHOULD be charmed and like him, even though he is a monstrous villain. That's the beauty of the character that we've all come to see! The clownface is convenient, but the wrong justification. Also, in a standard production, Richard is disfigured and disformed, and stands out starkly and completely from those around him. In this production, with so many whitefaced and grotesque clowns, he didn't tend to stand out from the crowd as much as Shakespeare intended him to. Again, it is a credit to Scott that he held our attention so well, because to be honest the design was working a bit against him. Other aspects of the circus setting worked very well. His progression to a Ringmaster, and the general feeling of him always being in the centre of the ring were strong motifs. The clown character played by the girl on the bike (sorry, no program!) was excellent and menacing, as well as providing great humour. All of the death scenes were beautifully conceived and ...well, executed!...particularly the one accompanied by the tall singer (who was also a stand-out actor for me. Someone please respond with their names, so they get due credit). Although getting splattered with blood in the front row was a little disconcerting...it annoyed me and drew me out of a good dramatic moment. I'd have liked to have worn a different jacket! The cross-gender casting, bizarre costumes, and element of spectacle, together with the lighting design, all remained consistent and pleasing to the circus theme, although I didn't find the actual concept of a circus tent that brilliant. Given the nature of the roundhouse venue, a circus ring is almost too obvious. I'm sure many plays that go on there have an element of circus, even if not explicitly. And also, there were a few instances of the cast not quite playing the stage to its potential. The spider-like black Queen (Elizabeth?) had one large speech which she performed with her back to us, which was fine, but I was disappointed when she moved away to speak again that she continually kept her back to us, when it would have been very easy to have opened up at least once to our side. This is a basic requirement of playing in the round, and I would have thought the 3rd years would be more tutored in this. Generally strong, and a great performance by Scott, but I think undermined by the design concept. Cheers, Craig ~<8>-/====\---------