Catalpa
Sun, 13 Mar 2011, 06:50 pmGordon the Optom1 post in thread
Catalpa
Sun, 13 Mar 2011, 06:50 pm‘Catalpa’, the chronicles of a ship’s epic journey, was written by the Dublin playwright, Donal O'Kelly. This joint production has been brought to Perth by the Perth Theatre Trust, Subiaco Arts Centre and ITCH Productions, after an immensely successful run on the East Coast.
In 2008, ‘Catalpa’ received two Green Room Award Nominations for Direction and Music. This two-hour West Australian premiere is a one-man play starring Cork born Des Fleming; it is showing at the Subiaco Arts Centre, 180 Hamersley Street, Subiaco nightly at 7.30, until Saturday 19th March.
It is the present day and the author awakes, types a few more words into his play, and then leaps out of bed. Thoroughly frustrated that his story should have been rejected by the major film companies in Hollywood, he wonders how he can make them reconsider. He knows that he has a treasure of a tale, but how can he present his account better?
Eventually, he decides that his approach should have been much more visual, than simply handing over a script, and so he sets out to dramatise the whole story. He works his way through the script, adding directions and editing prompts as he goes.
As he enacts his script, we are taken back to 1876 and New Bedford, Massachusetts. In the home of retired whaling captain, George Anthony, we find the old sea dog playing with his small daughter, Pearl. In the next room his wife, Greta, cares for her dying mother.
There is a knock on the front door; it is a Fenian businessman who is offering big money for George to do just one more whaling trip on his old ship ‘The Catalpa’. It must be kept absolutely secret and oh yes, there is a small detour on the way. George refuses, but seeing that his family aren’t quite as comfortable as he would like, he decides to accept the offer. His wife is most upset – and then there is the promise that he has made to his dying mother-in-law.
As George leaves America, he learns of another man called Breslin whom he will meet in Fremantle. This trip to Western Australia, being the small detour of some 36,000 miles. With Breslin he is to pick up six supporters of the Irish Republic Brotherhood - jail escapees - and return them to America.
Des Fleming in two amazing one-hour monologue Acts, gave us more than a dozen characters, spoke with several very different accents and produced numerous vocal sound effects. For each person he displayed a full persona, complete with mannerisms and expressions. So convincing was Fleming that it was hard to believe at times that we weren’t watching a full cast perform.
The script was written in a Dylan Thomas style of prose, c.f. ‘Under Milkwood’. With an abundance of onomatopoeia and rhythm. I thought that I would very quickly bore of having a tale related for two hours, but with the exceptionally fine direction from Alice Bishop, the stage was filled with life as Fleming moved rapidly around the various locations represented by the superb lighting (Bronwyn Pringle) and simple props. The performer switched from haunting sadness, to an Irish jig in a split second. He flawlessly changed characters in a microsecond, never hesitating or stumbling.
The stirring original music by Wally Gunn was blended with sound effects and string music. This was complemented by the fine live piano accompaniment of James Rushford. The director lifted us to highs and then sent us diving into panic about the possible outcome of these six prisoners.
There are few productions which are of true interest to blind patrons, but thanks to the lyrical writing and brilliant linguistics, one such lady probably had her best night at the theatre in years. Don’t think for a second, ‘Oh this is simply a one-man boring show’ - This is a wonderful story, told perfectly in words and action. A performance to remember. A must see and a real WOW.
‘Catalpa’, the chronicles of a ship’s epic journey, was written by the Dublin playwright, Donal O'Kelly. This joint production has been brought to Perth by the Perth Theatre Trust, Subiaco Arts Centre and ITCH Productions, after an immensely successful run on the East Coast.
In 2008, ‘Catalpa’ received two Green Room Award Nominations for Direction and Music. This two-hour West Australian premiere is a one-man play starring Cork born Des Fleming; it is showing at the Subiaco Arts Centre, 180 Hamersley Street, Subiaco nightly at 7.30, until Saturday 19th March.
It is the present day and the author awakes, types a few more words into his play, and then leaps out of bed. Thoroughly frustrated that his story should have been rejected by the major film companies in Hollywood, he wonders how he can make them reconsider. He knows that he has a treasure of a tale, but how can he present his account better?
Eventually, he decides that his approach should have been much more visual, than simply handing over a script, and so he sets out to dramatise the whole story. He works his way through the script, adding directions and editing prompts as he goes.
As he enacts his script, we are taken back to 1876 and New Bedford, Massachusetts. In the home of retired whaling captain, George Anthony, we find the old sea dog playing with his small daughter, Pearl. In the next room his wife, Greta, cares for her dying mother.
There is a knock on the front door; it is a Fenian businessman who is offering big money for George to do just one more whaling trip on his old ship ‘The Catalpa’. It must be kept absolutely secret and oh yes, there is a small detour on the way. George refuses, but seeing that his family aren’t quite as comfortable as he would like, he decides to accept the offer. His wife is most upset – and then there is the promise that he has made to his dying mother-in-law.
As George leaves America, he learns of another man called Breslin whom he will meet in Fremantle. This trip to Western Australia, being the small detour of some 36,000 miles. With Breslin he is to pick up six supporters of the Irish Republic Brotherhood - jail escapees - and return them to America.
Des Fleming in two amazing one-hour monologue Acts, gave us more than a dozen characters, spoke with several very different accents and produced numerous vocal sound effects. For each person he displayed a full persona, complete with mannerisms and expressions. So convincing was Fleming that it was hard to believe at times that we weren’t watching a full cast perform.
The script was written in a Dylan Thomas style of prose, c.f. ‘Under Milkwood’. With an abundance of onomatopoeia and rhythm. I thought that I would very quickly bore of having a tale related for two hours, but with the exceptionally fine direction from Alice Bishop, the stage was filled with life as Fleming moved rapidly around the various locations represented by the superb lighting (Bronwyn Pringle) and simple props. The performer switched from haunting sadness, to an Irish jig in a split second. He flawlessly changed characters in a microsecond, never hesitating or stumbling.
The stirring original music by Wally Gunn was blended with sound effects and string music. This was complemented by the fine live piano accompaniment of James Rushford. The director lifted us to highs and then sent us diving into panic about the possible outcome of these six prisoners.
There are few productions which are of true interest to blind patrons, but thanks to the lyrical writing and brilliant linguistics, one such lady probably had her best night at the theatre in years. Don’t think for a second, ‘Oh this is simply a one-man boring show’ - This is a wonderful story, told perfectly in words and action. A performance to remember. A must see and a real WOW.