The last Hammond Fleet Production was the sell-out season of ‘These Things Happen’ that won the ‘Best Theatre’ award at the Adelaide Fringe.

This joint Blue Room Theatre and Hammond Fleet Production can be seen at the Blue Room main theatre, Perth Cultural Centre, Northbridge nightly at 7.00 pm until Saturday 3^rd December.

A 60 cms dais is central stage; crowned with a beautifully Manchestered, double bed. The bedhead has drapes up to the ceiling. This muslin acts as a screen for superbly filmed and acted AV – set design by Joe Lui. The soundscape and video are the work of Joe Leach. Kennah Parker is the Stage Manager.

       It is early morning, Paul Macbeth (Greg Fleet) awakes and cuddles his wife Lainey (Nicola Bartlett). After a personal tragedy, could this special day breathe new life into the Macbeths? It is Election Day in Cannington, and the Liberal candidate, Paul Macbeth is hopeful of winning the seat. However, in his sleep he dreamt of three crony constituents (Sarah McNeill, Summer Williams, Russya Connor) who tell him that he will become Thane of Cannington, Thane of Claremont and King hereafter – but with a few limitations, including ‘until lions crawl the street of Perth’.

      ‘Mac’ is a charismatic person but with a shortage of brain cells. On the other hand, Lainey is an ambitious and powerful manipulator. They watch Dennis Commeti (Matt Dyktynski) on TV as he passes to the live reporter, Caitlyn Beresford-Ord in Cannington for a vox pop. A magician (Matt Penny) is trying to work his election wizardry, but a snarling, venom spitting woman (Kate Keady) states her disgust at Macbeth and the whole election.

      Soon the WA State Premiere (Shaun Micallef) is congratulating Macbeth on his success, not realising that Lainey has a devilish scheme to push her husband’s career further. The congratulatory TV interview turns sour when the reporter (Roz Hammond) asks a few pertinent questions. Even Macbeth’s best friend, Banquo (Luke Hewitt) has doubts about Mac and Lainey’s tactics.

      What has the future in store for the Macbeths?

The show is a two-hander, with all of the other characters appearing on the screen. Some of WA’s top actors present these multi-media, cameo performances, at times very funny, then extremely dark.

Joe Leach’s soundscape had a few masterful touches, such as the sound of a massive storm breaking when a certain email is sent. By using a wide angled lens, Joe has created a slightly distorted appearance to the facial features, adding an extra depth of menacing, especially to the ghost scenes. Joe Lui’s lighting was warm and dim.

Normally the public suspect some of the dirty tricks that take place behind the scenes, but after Donald Trump bringing the dirt to the surface, this wonderful play brings plenty of smiles, chortles and gasps.

Greg Fleet has presented us with a script that blends action, several hundred years apart that is high drama whilst presenting the farce that is politics today. The dialogue is contemporary, although the many appropriate Shakespearean quotes make one think how current the Bard’s stories still are.

Greg presented the character of the arrogant, incompetent politician perfectly. Nicola Bartlett was amazing as the ambitious wife, who starts as a caring partner and gradually melds into a schizophrenic megalomaniac, and finally becoming a pathetically, sad case.

Both actors gave rich and powerful performances.

It is always good to see theatre with something new, clever and brilliantly presented. Loved it.

This tightly written, cleverly structured, 55-minute play can be seen Studio Theatre at the Subiaco Arts Centre, 180 Hamersley Road, Subiaco each evening at 7.30 until Saturday 25^th June.

The set shows several roadside shrines, shaded by overhanging branches. Memorials set up by the families and friends for their recently departed. The tree stumps are surrounded by a collection of their friend’s personal treasures, varying from religious statues to fun junk.

The scene is completed with Joe Lui’s incredible lighting and soundscape. The tech operator is Jarrod (?) who applied one of the slowest and most subtle light changes I have seen – great work.

      A young couple are laughing and joking as they drive along a remote Australian country road. Suddenly, their car runs off the road and into a tree. Luckily, they are not injured, but their car is in a sorry state. Even when they realise that they are stuck in the middle of nowhere, the young girl, Abby (Amy Johnston) just chuckles nervously at having avoided death; and asks her angry boyfriend, Sam (Barnaby Pollock) what the Hell had made him run off the road.

     As Sam explains, unconvincingly, how he thought he had seen someone and had swerved to avoid hitting her, a dishevelled old woman steps out of the forest. She introduces herself as Ruth (Nicola Bartlett) and starts chatting to Abby. She asks what Abby does for a living, and discovers that she works for a company called ‘Moving On Inc.’ that carries out house clearances for the traumatised families of recently deceased. Abby chuckles as she explains how many unusual treasures she seems to gather.

      After a while, Ruth says she can get the couple’s car repaired, if they can do her a favour in return. A rather demanding favour!

 

There are plenty of laughs in this creepy and haunting play, as it grabs your attention and keeps you in its grip throughout. The three, very different characters are beautifully portrayed by the cast. Amy Johnston, who is in her first major professional production, played Abby; WAAPA graduate, Barnaby Pollock, accompanies her. Nicola Bartlett, who has been much admired for decades as one of WA’s finest actors, gives a superb performance as Ruth.

Directed by Mikala Westall and dramaturged by Will O’Mahony, the body language and chemistry flow naturally in this most enjoyable piece.

This production oozes quality in every department. Many congratulations to all concerned.

This 75-minute, hilarious tale that was adroitly written by Chris Isaacs, can be seen in the main theatre at the Blue Room, James Street, Northbridge nightly at 7.00 pm, until Saturday 2^nd May.

The scene is a sitting room in a large suburban house. Joe Lui’s lighting was used to ‘freeze’ time and allow the characters’ thoughts to materialise. Atmosphere reinforced by Brett Smith’s sound design.

       Beautiful Gabby (Arielle Gray) returns home after a hard day at the office, to find that her partner, Jim (Nick Maclaine), despite being on his day off, has still not cleaned the house as promised. To make things even worse, Jim has invited his good friend, Bobby (Tim Watts) around for a drink; partly as a friendly gesture, but mainly for them to meet his new girlfriend, Florence (Nicola Bartlett), about whom Bobby has been raving for weeks.

      When the guest couple arrive, Gabby and Jim’s jaws drop. This ‘wonderful, superhuman woman’ is twice Bobby’s age. Flo is an aging, but smartly dressed Hippy, who fawns over Bobby taking every chance to give him a loving peck. In return, Bobby just glows with happiness, smitten at his new partner’s worldly experiences.

      Gabby has trouble holding back on her inner feelings on this impeccable woman.

Prize-winning writer, Chris Isaacs has proved many times in the past to be a clever writer. He has the knack of very subtle changes in sentence structure and story threads, allowing his plays to smoothly develop whilst taking the story into unknown territory.

Over the years, almost all of this talented team, from the director to techies have been nominated for, or won, major theatrical awards. Director, Jeffrey Jay Fowler and his assistant Adriane Daff, have brought out the wonderful humour hinted at between the lines of the perfectly structured script. Isaacs has created four very different, rich characters and the fabulous cast members, with dramaturg guidance by Gita Bezard, have given a brilliant depth to their persona.

Tim Watts was hilarious as the besotted lover. As the older woman, Nicola oozed cougar-sex from every pore. Arielle displayed her distaste at the situation with venom almost dripping. Nick as the househusband seemed happy just to tag along with whatever happened. Superb team work.

A very funny, fresh and original play with a bit of a sting in the tail. Immaculately presented.