Finger in the Dyke

Having read two reports of the Herding Cats’ maiden season - A Finger in the Dyke – I could only wonder if the writers had been at the same theatre, on the same night, and had witnessed the same production of the same text. Having now seen the show for myself, I prefer Ms Smith's account which, while she might have been wearing slightly rose-tinted eyeware, paid worthy attention to details and issues not touched upon by Mr Optom, whose myopia and tunnel vision seems to have led him to see the show through infra-red night vision goggles favoured by elite military units on an assassination job. He really ought to see an … oops, of course! But I am not going to try to average-out the differences between two interpretations of the show; nor am I minded to provide a third. Rather, I want to essay a tentative critique on the burden of responsibility on verbose reviewers like Mr O to set aside old prejudices and apparently unresolved issues with church halls, the Anglican Church as a whole, Bassendean, the price of inadequate (but free) programs, the price of plastic seats at what he considers to be a unacceptably high ticket-cost but which also covers snacks and drinks, (admittedly while inviting voluntary contributions to enable the venue to reach its full potential), Snoopy, etc, etc. By all means identify the faults he sees in the production but it is not helpful, to the Company or to potential audiences, to dismiss it in such swingeing terms as seem, in this case, to come readily to Mr O’s keyboard. A pity he could not get beyond such trivia to treat of the product in the wider context of the aspirations and efforts of the producing organisation and the interest of both the Bassendean Council, and the Parish in sponsoring the arts. Without Ms Smith's more positive comments, these sponsors might well have been excused for relegating this project to the back-burner. While Mr O is not a dentist he might have simply noted the teething problems facing a new, unfunded professional Company whose main assets are the energy, talent and commitment of its personnel. A few encouraging words about the innovative approach this company is developing to provide not only Bassendean but the wider community with the basis of a stimulating arts program would not have gone amiss. It's been a long time since Rolf Harris left town. Now I see that, on behalf of Herding Cats, Elaine Emm has addressed Mr O's specific complaints; it therefore remains for me only to note that, last night (Friday), I estimated that 75% of the sold seats were occupied by a warm and receptive audience, and half of the front rows allocated to invited guests of the Bassendean Council as part of the Company's collaboration with the sponsoring Council were filled by equally-entertained and well-fed folk. Certainly, as Director for the Company's 2012 season of The Merry Wives of Windsor, I look forward to working with the energetic and innovative mob at Herding Cats. Alan Malcolm, progenitor-in-chief of Herding Cats, might have the genes of Candide, Pangloss and Peter Pan; I can only hope that Mr O’s Captain Hook loses his eye patch soon. FLIPMAC