Summer of the Aliens
Thu, 1 Mar 2012, 09:09 amGordon the Optom2 posts in thread
Summer of the Aliens
Thu, 1 Mar 2012, 09:09 am‘Summer of the Aliens’ is by one of Australia’s foremost playwrights, Louis Nowra. Born Mark Doyle he changed his name in his early twenties. ‘Summer of the Aliens’ was first written in 1989 as an ABC radio play, it went on to win the 1990 Prix Italia for Fiction. Two years later it was adapted into a stage three-act play, with an amazing 28 scenes within the three acts. It is the prequel to the highly successful ‘Cosi’.
This Blak Yak production is in association with KADS, being performed by the Kalamunda Dramatic Society at the Town Square Theatre, Barber Street, Kalamunda nightly until Saturday 17th March. Curtain up at 8.00 pm.
Set in 1962, when the world was worrying about the Kennedy Cuban missile crisis. Many people genuinely thought that the world was about to come to an end. This story is semi-autobiographical, hence the main character being called Lewis.
In a state housing unit in Fawkner, on the outskirts of Melbourne, an insecure and naïve 14-year-old youngster, Lewis (Jackson Wimhurst - brilliant) lives with his Glaswegian Gran (Helen Bevan – good accent) who, because of her dementia, spends most of her time teaching him Scottish history or listening to the radio commentaries (Lindsay Goodwin). Lewis’s mother, Norma (Sherryl Spencer) has struggled hard since her husband, Eric (Jonathan Young) walked out leaving her and the kids to fend for themselves.
Everywhere Lewis goes, Dulcie (Róisín Bevan - congratulations) who is desperate for love and attention, appears. With a Bible-thumping mother (Kate Hart) and a drunken step-father (Ben Yeates) she looks for any excuse to get out of the house.
Lewis’s best friend is Brian (Matt Austin – frighteningly real), who is being brought up by his father – his mother works abroad - is an inquisitive teenager, having studied photos of breast and pubic hair, now wants to move onto the ‘real thing’ and asks Lewis to sell him a treat from Dulcie.
Good looking Lewis also attracts attention from Beatrice (Mariah O’Dea), a new Dutch immigrant living in the local camp, but he has only one thing on his mind, how to cope with the many aliens that are constantly invading Australia and inhabiting people’s bodies.
One day Uncle Richard (Ben Yeates) arrives to see the family, and brings his latest Oriental partner, a beautiful Japanese girl (Belinda Wong). Richard confides in Lewis and his younger sister, Bev (Katie Cameron) that these Orientals do things that mere Aussie girls won’t even consider.
The local postman, Italian immigrant, Pisano (John Bevan) who loves to keep fit, has noticed that his garden is disappearing!
The story is narrated by an adult Lewis (Matthew Randall - excellent) as he looks back emotionally at the happy times, the sad times and the missed opportunities.
This is a beautifully written script, very well constructed, with great dialogue and a multitude of situations that many men will look back and say ‘been there, done that!’ The language in this play is raw, politically incorrect but perfectly observed. Some of the acting is necessarily blatant, but not gratuitous, life really is like this. However, I have sadly learnt that some of the older audience regulars have walked out, and later strongly stated their objection to the play. The play, which is a schoolbook this year, is crammed with humour and family life, although once again, some of the older audience whilst enjoying the jokes, were obviously were too embarrassed to laugh aloud.
With themes such as teenage sexuality, prejudice and cultural identity, the play might not be to their liking, but it is right on the mark and daringly presented.
With strong direction from Sinéad Bevan the many scenes run flawlessly from one to the next. There are no scene-shifting interruptions to impede the pace. Sinéad could easily have watered the whole approach down to a meaningless level that might have pleased the prudes, but she boldly presented the play as it should have been seen, and great credit to her brave cast for carrying it through.
There were some very strong performances, a couple a little too forceful, but overall it really brought the era to life.
Excellent costumes, typical of the 60s (Barb Walton), a well constructed soundscape by Tim Edwards and simple but effective lighting by Rupert Duckworth.
A most enjoyable production, although obviously not for everyone. Very good.
‘Summer of the Aliens’ is by one of Australia’s foremost playwrights, Louis Nowra. Born Mark Doyle he changed his name in his early twenties. ‘Summer of the Aliens’ was first written in 1989 as an ABC radio play, it went on to win the 1990 Prix Italia for Fiction. Two years later it was adapted into a stage three-act play, with an amazing 28 scenes within the three acts. It is the prequel to the highly successful ‘Cosi’.
This Blak Yak production is in association with KADS, being performed by the Kalamunda Dramatic Society at the Town Square Theatre, Barber Street, Kalamunda nightly until Saturday 17th March. Curtain up at 8.00 pm.
Set in 1962, when the world was worrying about the Kennedy Cuban missile crisis. Many people genuinely thought that the world was about to come to an end. This story is semi-autobiographical, hence the main character being called Lewis.
In a state housing unit in Fawkner, on the outskirts of Melbourne, an insecure and naïve 14-year-old youngster, Lewis (Jackson Wimhurst - brilliant) lives with his Glaswegian Gran (Helen Bevan – good accent) who, because of her dementia, spends most of her time teaching him Scottish history or listening to the radio commentaries (Lindsay Goodwin). Lewis’s mother, Norma (Sherryl Spencer) has struggled hard since her husband, Eric (Jonathan Young) walked out leaving her and the kids to fend for themselves.
Everywhere Lewis goes, Dulcie (Róisín Bevan - congratulations) who is desperate for love and attention, appears. With a Bible-thumping mother (Kate Hart) and a drunken step-father (Ben Yeates) she looks for any excuse to get out of the house.
Lewis’s best friend is Brian (Matt Austin – frighteningly real), who is being brought up by his father – his mother works abroad - is an inquisitive teenager, having studied photos of breast and pubic hair, now wants to move onto the ‘real thing’ and asks Lewis to sell him a treat from Dulcie.
Good looking Lewis also attracts attention from Beatrice (Mariah O’Dea), a new Dutch immigrant living in the local camp, but he has only one thing on his mind, how to cope with the many aliens that are constantly invading Australia and inhabiting people’s bodies.
One day Uncle Richard (Ben Yeates) arrives to see the family, and brings his latest Oriental partner, a beautiful Japanese girl (Belinda Wong). Richard confides in Lewis and his younger sister, Bev (Katie Cameron) that these Orientals do things that mere Aussie girls won’t even consider.
The local postman, Italian immigrant, Pisano (John Bevan) who loves to keep fit, has noticed that his garden is disappearing!
The story is narrated by an adult Lewis (Matthew Randall - excellent) as he looks back emotionally at the happy times, the sad times and the missed opportunities.
This is a beautifully written script, very well constructed, with great dialogue and a multitude of situations that many men will look back and say ‘been there, done that!’ The language in this play is raw, politically incorrect but perfectly observed. Some of the acting is necessarily blatant, but not gratuitous, life really is like this. However, I have sadly learnt that some of the older audience regulars have walked out, and later strongly stated their objection to the play. The play, which is a schoolbook this year, is crammed with humour and family life, although once again, some of the older audience whilst enjoying the jokes, were obviously were too embarrassed to laugh aloud.
With themes such as teenage sexuality, prejudice and cultural identity, the play might not be to their liking, but it is right on the mark and daringly presented.
With strong direction from Sinéad Bevan the many scenes run flawlessly from one to the next. There are no scene-shifting interruptions to impede the pace. Sinéad could easily have watered the whole approach down to a meaningless level that might have pleased the prudes, but she boldly presented the play as it should have been seen, and great credit to her brave cast for carrying it through.
There were some very strong performances, a couple a little too forceful, but overall it really brought the era to life.
Excellent costumes, typical of the 60s (Barb Walton), a well constructed soundscape by Tim Edwards and simple but effective lighting by Rupert Duckworth.
A most enjoyable production, although obviously not for everyone. Very good.
Hitching a ride on Gordon't coat tails