The Perth Theatre Company’s most creative Artistic Director, Melissa Cantwell, has written this innovative piece.

If it was not for directors and playwrights like Melissa, the Perth theatre programme would consist of the ‘old faithful’ plays trotted out annually. Ms Cantwell fearlessly tries new scripts, with daring scenes and brand new approaches to regular themes, giving us intelligent productions; WAAPA postgraduate, Melissa has provided for us some of Perth’s most exciting, cutting edge and memorable plays over the past few years. Theatre MUST progress, and thankfully, WA has a talented leader who is determined to take the Arts to the community.

The scene is the 1970s in an Australian city. To the left is an upright piano. The stage is filled with a display of 1-metre high photographs (set design – Bruce McKinven, photographs by Melissa Cantwell).

      The curtains open to show an art gallery, where dozens of people are milling around admiring the stunning images by French photographer, Cécile (Astrid Grant). At the side of the gallery a Bohemian pianist, Christian (Felix Jozeps) is playing. As the guests leave, Christian starts to play Beethoven’s ‘Moonlight Sonata’, when his eyes catch those of Cécile, it is love at first sight. He finds his fingers turning the famous sonata into how he feels for the photographer, thus creating Cécile’s theme (composed by Nick Wales).

      Soon the couple are living together and enjoying a passionate affair. However, not surprisingly with two artists, finances become tough and Parisian Cécile becomes homesick.

      We jump forward about 40 years to the present day. A blind man (George Shevtsov) is pushing a pram along the pavement; is this simply a more stable version of the white cane? Or could he have another reason for pushing it. A man (Thomas Papathanassiou) with tears in his eyes is standing looking at the flowers surrounding a florist kiosk on the street corner, he asks the young girl in charge (Jacinta Larcombe) for best bunch as he meeting someone special, someone he has waited to meet all of his life. The next customer is a proud mother (Sarah Nelson), who on seeking advice, has the significance of each of the flowers explained to her.

       The blind man falls in the street and the florist helps him to his feet, a strong bond develops between the two.

       We go back four decades to Christian, and find him a sick man, alone, penniless and distraught, but still filled with determination to seek out Cécile and rekindle their immense love. Will this be the case? Or is he too late?

Cantwell’s play is richly layered, with numerous story threads crossing three generations. It is a tale that requires a great deal of thought, concentration and consideration. You may well go home pondering dozens of questions, such as ‘Did she plant those flower seeds to suggest human fertilisation?’, ‘Was she in the womb?’ and ‘Were those two characters the same person?’ This rare quality of a writing skill demands a second viewing.

Assisted by award winning director, Ian Sinclair, with dramaturgic support from Peter Matheson and John Carter, director Cantwell has gathered a magnificent team of lateral thinkers. She has given them a chance to use their imagination, thus producing a beautiful and exciting visual experience. Some of the audience may leave the theatre asking themselves what certain scenes or symbolism meant, e.g. Christian being so depressed that he became ‘rooted’ to the earth. Little touches like the white contact lenses showing the corneal dystrophy of the blind person. The plane trip, with Sarah Nelson as the passenger, was so well observed that I found myself laughing aloud.

Lisa Scott-Murphy and Sarah Nelson took the standard, plodding stage movement into a breathtaking, almost balletic style. For example, in a crowded street scene – with lines of shoes on the floor representing the crowds – the actors swayed as they ‘danced’ with their spinning umbrellas. Later, there was another piece of visual magic from designer Bruce McKinven, as Christian stood in the pouring rain with water streaming from his umbrella, yet there was no rain from above! Bruce also gave us numerous surreal, ‘living’ locations, including a hospital, the Paris Metro and an ethereal woodland scene. The visual ingenuity was complemented by Ben Collins’ superb sound effects. Cye Wood and Jason Noble played Nick Wales’s subtle, melodic string and woodwind music.

Renowned Australian designer Aurelio Costarella, who was partnered by Fleur Kingsland, gave us the perfect costumes. Cécile at the photographic exhibition wore a stunning, sheer – almost diaphanous – gown with an unusual nylon sheen to the textile. In one scene, the flower girl wore a colourful tie-and-dye dress with a massive train, giving a dreamlike appearance.

Lighting designer, Matthew Marshall, shared the massive task with his associate, Chris Donnelly. There was hardly a floodlight in sight, instead there were tiny floor level ‘pups’, mobile light boxes containing battery powered LEDs – controlled by an i-Pad, Pendant lights, lights inside umbrellas, an internally lit light-table and a myriad of flowers in the park each one having its own small glow. A huge amount of work but worth every second of effort. Truly an extraordinary design team.

The two main characters not only had to be great performers but have a natural rhythm and musical talent. Cécile, Astrid Grant, worked with the Paris troupe, Théâtre du Soleil, before travelling to Argentina for further theatre know-how. This experience gave her a natural, authentic French accent. Christian’s (Felix) beautifully acted demise certainly hit a few heartstrings. The whole cast did not miss a beat on this complex production.

The stage management was a huge task for SM Louise Wardle and her ASM Rhianne Perrie (production interns – Meabh Walton and Sean Guastavino) as the scenes changed almost every couple of minutes throughout the play. The set moves, props – in and out – and the organisation of the actors, who not only had to play several characters, but also doubled as sceneshifters. The stage work was slick and silent. A memorable visual experience throughout.

There will be the odd audience member who thought it a little too long, with not enough exciting action. Forget them; this is amazing quality in every section of theatrical practise. See this show, be blown away and remember it for years to come.

The fun-filled 45-minute performances can be seen each night at 6.30 and 8.00, with extra 4.00 pm shows on Saturdays and Sundays. The season runs until 10^th May.

The set is on the theatre floor level. The 74 audience seats are arranged in the ‘round’ – or to be more accurate – in the ‘square’. On each chair lies a headset and a smart phone.

The stage square in the centre is about 20 by 20 metres, the size of a large retirement unit. Drawn onto the black floor are white lines, these are the ‘walls’ of the sitting room, kitchen, double bedroom, single bedroom, offices and backyard. The rooms are fully furnished and the garden substantial.

       The theatre lights dim and six spotlights glow (lighting designer – Lucy Birkinshaw), highlighting the six audience volunteers, the actors for this show. The large, non-claustrophobic masks are constructed of fly wire; they are then beautifully decorated with a bright face that suits each character’s personality (mask designer – Rebecca Baumann). Under the ‘head’, the actor wears a headset that guides them through the story, giving them instructions of what to do next.

       There is no script for any actor to learn, the pre-recorded dialogue track features vocal performances by some of Perth’s finest actors Igor Sas, Brendan Ewing, Andrew Hale, Talei Howell Price, Kate Neylon, Adriane Daff, Mikala Westall, Will O’Mahony, Sean Walsh, Kym Bidstrup and Brent Hill. The audience hear the full sound track, however, the cast only the narration and the dialogue of the other cast members in the room. Actors in other rooms do not hear another room’s dialogue. Also missing to the actors is the wonderful soundscape / music by composer Ash Gibson Greig, and the work of sound designer Sam Price.

       The actor is in the same position as the audience members. The gripping tale being whispered into the actor’s ears, it unfolds as in real life with the participants not knowing any of the storyline in advance.

       Using their headphones, the audience can eavesdrop on characters’ private thoughts. They can also chose, which area of the action they wish to follow by selecting from six buttons on the Smartphone, inventive storytelling at its most memorable.

        When a friend arrives at Peter’s house with a large sports bag full of cash, his family find themselves caught up in a sinister and disturbing chain of events. The ‘Confidence Man’ is the story of an ordinary family placed in an extraordinary situation. What should they do?

Director Zoë Pepper with assistant director and creator, Adriane Daff, have devised an ingenious, interactive audio experience that gives the audience and actors a novel happening. The ease of use of the audience and participants’ system, hides what must have been extremely complex to create. Brilliant.

If you do want to take part in this exceptional experience, as I did for this review, get to the theatre early and speak to one of the friendly ushers.

Yet again members of the talented and highly inventive, Pepper Family (Zoë and Gemma) have come up with a piece of dynamic theatre to blow your mind away. With every performance unique, this is the most fun that I have had since my honeymoon night!

This Perth Theatre Company’s fascinating and gobsmacking production employs paper, projection and performance. It is presented in association with the Perth Institute of Contemporary Arts, at the PICA theatre performance space in Northbridge.

The 1-hour enthralling performance starts each evening – Tuesday until Saturday – at 7.30 until Saturday the 28^th March. There are various matinees and school performances (for years 9 – 12), at 11 am and 2.00 pm.

The stage is enclosed by the front of three, whitewashed mud and brick houses in a Middle East remote area. Rubble is strewn around the conflict zone. The town appears deserted.

       Three young girls (Tina Torabi, Mikala Westall and Mei Saraswati) are playing in the rubble, dreaming of owning a home. A home being somewhere that they can have their family and a few treasured belongings, rather than the room they exist in at present, with 50 relatives.

      Well-known TV new reporter, Tracey Vo, cowers as she relates the terrible happenings taking place around her.

      We follow them through war, attempts of escape, along with the deaths of their relatives. We learn of their hunger and having to survive in an area covered by the toxic white dust of bombs.

       Raed Al Athamnen sums up his story in a brief film.

Perth Theatre Company’s Artistic Director, Melissa Cantwell, has proven herself many times over the years, giving Perth a selection of top rate plays. However, she reaches a new zenith with this magnificently conceived production. PTC’s writer-in-residence Ian Sinclair being Melissa’s most capable assistant director,

Much-admired, audio-visual designer, Mia Holton has produced an hour of video that, in its precision and beguiling content, surpasses any AV that I have ever seen in the past. Total genius. The visual artist, Fleur Elise Noble, used stop motion animation of her clever puppets.

Along with the outstanding soundscape from Joe Lui that ranged from exploding hand grenades, full warzone effects, to the beautiful melodies of a honkey-tonk piano, eastern instruments, and of course the flutter of symbolic doves. The sweet tones of Mei Saraswati, in her theatre debut, were a wonderful poignant contrast to the distressing clamours of war. The audience did not simply watch the lives of these poor unfortunates, they were there, immersed in the dust and rubble, suffering it with them.

Stage Manager, Hugo Aguilar Lopez, has created and controls the many special effects, then has to rebuild the set. Stunning work.

This is not a heartless, ill-informed lecture on refugees. At the end of this masterpiece, the audience sat stunned, struggling to find enough energy to produce a VERY well earned applause. This was after only 60 minutes, these poor people have had years of unrelenting suffering, and yet the one thing that shone through at every stage of this play was their constant optimism and that light at the end of the tunnel.

Prepare to be stunned. Tremendous.

This 90-minute co-production is by the Griffin Theatre Company with the Perth Theatre Company, in conjunction with the presenting partner, the City of Perth’s Winter Arts Season. This mesmerising play can be seen at the Studio Underground theatre, in the State Theatre Centre of WA, Northbridge nightly at 7.30 until 12^th July.

Designer, Marg Horwell’s setting is simple but most effective. It consists of a huge, cream shag-pile carpet with two wooden, kitchen chairs. The background is a wall of white vertical blinds that are brought to life by lighting designer, Matthew Marshall’s colourful illumination. The scene was rounded off by composer Rachael Dease’s delicate music.

        The two actors are pacing around the stage as the theatre fills.

      A voice over says ‘One’ and scene one begins. A chubby, middle-aged male chauvinist (Steve Rodgers) is sitting at his computer, filling in the application form for a dating agency. He is married but he and his wife, despite living together and still sharing a bed, both live their own sad lives. In another part of the town is an attractive but lonely nurse (Andrea Gibbs) in her mid-thirties, she is the mother of two vile kids. She is also completing the dating club’s questionnaire on her computer. Like a tennis match, we hear their answers alternating from each side of the stage. Typical of the answers given by such love seekers, the truth and descriptions given are not too accurate.

      Eventually a meeting takes place between this ‘IT genius’ and the ‘fun loving, unattached’ woman.

     Through a dozen or so, gripping and sensitive scenes, their relationship rollercoasters along.

The writer is a very young, gay man who makes the rich quality of the topic even more amazing. The bizarre storyline shows in the deepest intimacy and with the most lucid understanding, the inner feelings of both the man and the troubled young woman. Many writers who much more older and seen decades of married life would have trouble capturing such candid depth of the characters.

The director, Lee Lewis and her assistant, Luke Rogers have managed to achieve a natural flow to the characters. With two superb actors, the personalities reach an incredible richness. Very quickly, you are groaning at the total, self-centred attitude of the lecherous man and seconds later feeling true sympathy for the woman, genuinely trying her best just to get a little back from life in return for her hard input.

Andrea Gibbs is famous around Perth for her warmth on morning radio and her hilarious stand-up comedy. She starts this performance in her comedy genre and then slowly, she skilfully turns her persona into that of a pathetic woman fighting life. I have known Andrea for more years than I dare tell, and have always admired her work, but the skills shown here was something that I have not seen before, she left the whole audience stunned. Steve has been acting for decades and perfectly captured the lazy greedy slob; the two actors were symbiotic, feeding each other in perfect tune.

You need to see this play. Pitilessly frank with fantastic writing, perfectly performed.