Life x 3
Fri, 12 Aug 2011, 09:00 amGordon the Optom1 post in thread
Life x 3
Fri, 12 Aug 2011, 09:00 am‘Life x 3’ written by French playwright and actress, Yasmina Reza, has been beautifully translated by Christopher Hampton. Reza’s ‘God of Carnage’ and ‘Art’ have both been presented in Perth in the past couple of years, and were huge hits. ‘Life x 3’ is now showing at the Old Mill Theatre in Mends Street, South Perth nightly at 8.00 pm, until Saturday 20th August. There is one matinee on Sunday 14th August at 2.00 pm.
It is 9.30 in a Paris apartment. After another typical domestic evening, solicitor Sonia (Lisa Skrypichayko) is in her pyjamas and catching up with paperwork, meanwhile her geophysicist husband, Henri (Adrian Wood) has just tucked up their son, Arnaud, in bed. An argument is starting about whether or not Arnaud (voiced by Davis and Isaac McCann) should be allowed something to eat after having brushed his teeth. The doorbell rings.
To their horror, on the doorstep is Henri’s smart business acquaintance, Hubert (Eddie Stowers) and his young wife, Inès (Jennifer O’Meara), who have arrived 24 hours early for a dinner party.
Finding that they – the hosts – are in fact at fault with the date, they feel obliged to invite the couple in and supply improvised ‘finger’ food. As the wine flows, tongues become loosened, private secrets are revealed and then the problems really start.
There follows two more half hour acts that show the same situation, each in a very different light.
This funny, yet sophisticated, play calls for excellent tight direction and high quality actors. With three very similar views of the same story being run in succession, it could be very easy for an actor to become confused or to lose the tightness of the very well constructed script. Whilst retaining their overall place in society, the moral fibre and temperament for each character changes in each of the acts.
The cast were well focused and truly excellent, they really captured the subtleties of the situations as they change from wimpish to empowered, chauvinistic to understanding, dull to passionate, the number of emotions were immense. I don’t want to go into too much detail as this would spoil the themes created, but each cast member had their own outstanding and wonderful moment.
The director, accomplished actor, Eliot McCann was faced with what could, in weak hands, be a repetitive and almost boring ‘Ground Hog Day’ series of events, has created a fast moving and engrossing set of situations.
The noises-off were realistically reproduced by Molly Johnson. The lighting design, with a different cyc colour for the mood of the act worked well.
A tricky comedy to tackle, but most successfully executed. If you haven’t seen this play before, then I can strongly recommend The Old Mill’s version. You will love the situations and characters. Very well done.
‘Life x 3’ written by French playwright and actress, Yasmina Reza, has been beautifully translated by Christopher Hampton. Reza’s ‘God of Carnage’ and ‘Art’ have both been presented in Perth in the past couple of years, and were huge hits. ‘Life x 3’ is now showing at the Old Mill Theatre in Mends Street, South Perth nightly at 8.00 pm, until Saturday 20th August. There is one matinee on Sunday 14th August at 2.00 pm.
It is 9.30 in a Paris apartment. After another typical domestic evening, solicitor Sonia (Lisa Skrypichayko) is in her pyjamas and catching up with paperwork, meanwhile her geophysicist husband, Henri (Adrian Wood) has just tucked up their son, Arnaud, in bed. An argument is starting about whether or not Arnaud (voiced by Davis and Isaac McCann) should be allowed something to eat after having brushed his teeth. The doorbell rings.
To their horror, on the doorstep is Henri’s smart business acquaintance, Hubert (Eddie Stowers) and his young wife, Inès (Jennifer O’Meara), who have arrived 24 hours early for a dinner party.
Finding that they – the hosts – are in fact at fault with the date, they feel obliged to invite the couple in and supply improvised ‘finger’ food. As the wine flows, tongues become loosened, private secrets are revealed and then the problems really start.
There follows two more half hour acts that show the same situation, each in a very different light.
This funny, yet sophisticated, play calls for excellent tight direction and high quality actors. With three very similar views of the same story being run in succession, it could be very easy for an actor to become confused or to lose the tightness of the very well constructed script. Whilst retaining their overall place in society, the moral fibre and temperament for each character changes in each of the acts.
The cast were well focused and truly excellent, they really captured the subtleties of the situations as they change from wimpish to empowered, chauvinistic to understanding, dull to passionate, the number of emotions were immense. I don’t want to go into too much detail as this would spoil the themes created, but each cast member had their own outstanding and wonderful moment.
The director, accomplished actor, Eliot McCann was faced with what could, in weak hands, be a repetitive and almost boring ‘Ground Hog Day’ series of events, has created a fast moving and engrossing set of situations.
The noises-off were realistically reproduced by Molly Johnson. The lighting design, with a different cyc colour for the mood of the act worked well.
A tricky comedy to tackle, but most successfully executed. If you haven’t seen this play before, then I can strongly recommend The Old Mill’s version. You will love the situations and characters. Very well done.