The Standover Man

‘The Standover Man’ was devised by award winning writer and director Jessica Messenger. Arena Arts and Entertainment Inc. have supported this Stained Glass Robot production. This 60-minute, Fringeworld play about good and evil is at the Bakery Main Space (entry through the back of the car park), 233, James Street, Northbridge. Performances start at 7.30 pm and run until the 21^st February.

 The open stage is situated in a cabaret-style venue. The set is a single bed, table, chairs and an antique coat stand. Seated at the left rear corner of the stage is a cellist, Emma Hayes, who plays softly throughout the performance.

            The Boss, despite having lost his daughter to drugs, is still the main dealer in the area. Pope (Mario Piccoli), a mountain of a man, has worked for The Boss for decades enrolling and controlling street kids. There is one kid (Esther Longhurst) who is selling but not paying her drug debts. This does not please The Accountant (Theo Messenger) who holds Pope personally responsible, and deals with him in a special way, before appeasing his anger with a visit to his seedy ‘girlfriend’ (Jess Messenger).

          Can there be any happiness for this miserable bunch? Does any one have a scrap of decency?

This script is much bolder than Jess Messenger’s normal, with a great deal of strong language in the well-structured script. The storyline was a little thin, and most of the actors on this very hot, opening night did not really get into the powerful vocal delivery demanded by the story. The exception was Esther Longhurst who was excellent. She had two very good accents, great body movement and attitude, super performance.

The lighting was either coloured floods or the use of powerful torches. This follow-spotlight effect was most effective, giving a dramatic and threatening appearance to the stage and actors.

It was a nightmare trying to park in Northbridge on the Chinese Year, but it was worth the 45 minutes I spent finding a place.