The story has been adapted and developed from Mary Shelley’s 200-year old classic by the Feet First team especially for this production.

The performances are 80 minutes without intermission. They take the audience through the ancient, innermost rooms of Fremantle’s iconic Moores Building with its Contemporary Art Gallery at 46 Henry Street, Fremantle. The voyeuristic audience members are required to stand, walk and climb stairs (on several occasions) during the performance, as they move from one intimate location to another.

Please note that the Moores Building does not have wheelchair access to the first floor.

The performances are at 7.00 and 9.00 pm, nightly until 6^th November. The numbers for each performance are strictly limited so booking is strongly advised.

The scene is the year 1800, in Frankenstein’s Gothic family home. There are several rooms used for this presentation, all of them have been carefully furnished with antiques. Towards the end of the performance, we arrive in a cold forest. Exhibition, set and costume design by Olivia Faraone and Olivia Tartaglia, with costume construction by Bianca Roose and Hannah Miller. Props by Kelly Fregon.

     On arrival, the audience are guided into a large, old-fashioned dining room, furnished with quality antiques even including a Grandmother clock. On the large dining tables are flutes of wine and an array of nibbles (generously provided by Moore and Moore Café). Two young girls in cream silk dresses, mingle with the assembled guests, introducing themselves as the bridesmaids. They are Mary (Bubble Maynard) and Justine (Jessica Moyle) relatives of Victor Frankenstein (Andrew David Sutherland).

     Into the room strides Henry (Declan Brown), Victor’s manservant. He is dressed in top hat and tails. After warmly welcoming us to the Frankenstein home, he tells us that we are guests at the wedding of Victor and Elizabeth Lavenza (Zoe Hollyoak). The doors from the street open and the happy couple enter.

     The lights flicker, there is loud clash and Victor appears to go into a trance. Time for the wedding party seems to stand still. The reception takes an evil turn. The lights return to normal and the warm, convivial atmosphere returns to the celebration. Strains of a violin – being played rather poorly – can be heard from upstairs. Victor invites us to join the happy couple and watch his young brother playing the violin.

     We pass into the master bedroom with its tasteful décor of drapes and furnishings. Soon we venture into Victor’s eerie laboratory, where we observe the pathetic sight of The Creature (Haydon Wilson) with numerous wires attached, he is strapped onto an operating bench.

     As the story progresses, the lonely Creature begs for a true companion and friend – a female friend.

The Director and movement coach, Teresa Izzard, has been nominated for prestigious awards, including an Equity Award, for her previous productions. Teresa, who is an inaugural member of the Australian Directors Lab, is assisted in the directing by actor and TV personality, Bubble Maynard. She has further dramaturg advice from the admired playwright, Finn O’Branagáin.

Because of the number of room used, the lighting and sound had to be operated remotely with instructions from the stage manager, Georgia Smith or her assistant Kennah Parker. This unusual prompt system worked perfectly, with all of the lighting cues (Lighting Design, Dana Ioppolo) and sound effects precisely cued (Sound and AV Design by George Ashforth).

Thanks to the vocal coach, Donald Woodburn, the cast delivered their lines in a style compatible with the era. The Creature – Haydon Wilson – was magnificent as he portrayed a poor soul attempting to achieve co-ordination of movement and speech; he really grabbed your heart and sympathy.

Unlike the clunky, mindless cinema monsters, this creature had an exceptional brain and could sum up those around him. Sutherland’s Frankenstein was disturbing as we watched his bipolar, schizophrenic tendencies. Hollyoak was strong as the heartbroken bride, coping with her new marital world. Master of Ceremonies, Henry, had a joie de vivre that contrasted perfectly with the turmoil. Sensitivity was brought to the play with the beautiful, caring bridesmaids doing their duty and protecting the bride.

The visual and auditory effects of the laboratory were clever, inventive and thoroughly disturbing. Who was really the monster? Could things have ended differently?

This play was fresh, innovative and succeeded on so many levels. Possibly draining and disturbing for the actors, but thank you, it was worthy your suffering. Congratulations.

In her youth, Churchill started writing with feminist or Brechtian themes, but in her later years has swung around to the more surreal and ‘open writing’ approach.

This 95-minute collection of vignettes, produced by Theatre Arts at Curtin, can be seen at Hayman Theatre Upstairs, in building 102, Curtin University, Kent Street, Bentley. The parking in Carpark B13 is free after 5.00 pm. The performances are nightly at 7.00 pm until the 5^th March at the low-ticket price of $15.

The set was designed by Sally Phipps with input from Amy Tamati, and built by the Hayman stalwart, Ian Stewart. Sally has built a low-level stage, with three sides of plain white flats, allowing the audience to spy effectively in private, into the white box. There are three flush, white doors leading into the box. Half a dozen, 60 cms white wooden cubes symbolised such diverse objects as ‘hedgehogs’ and ‘cinema seats’. Dylan Dorotich and Sally Davies managed the stage.

Maddy Mullins conceived the massive selection of costumes. With the show being so fast moving, one wonders how the characters managed to change in time for their next appearance. I suspect that the assistant stage managers (Jack Bengough, Paris Fields, Ellen Parfrey) were also acting as dressers for the cast.

Lighting and projection designer, George Ashforth had a myriad of well thought out lighting combinations. He employed under floor lights and colourful lasers, as well as the normal LEDs. George also provided difficult to obtain videos, and projection slides. Monique Bertolini operated the lighting flawlessly. Ryan Hunt’s audio design was excellent.

With 57 different ‘Acts’, some lasting a couple of minutes and others as short as even ten seconds, I will simply list the hard working and impressive actors, who had roughly 10 parts each.

 

Lauren Beeton

Declan Brown

Eloise Carter

Chelsea Gibson

Anna Lindstedt

Holly Mason

Nelson Mondlane

Jess Nyanda Moyle.

Director Teresa Izzard and her assistant director Becca Jackson were faced with a cliff face to tackle in presenting this play. The playwright has not created any characters, names and often, even the gender is not mentioned. There are no direction instructions, nor hints on how to approach the extremely varied topics – just dialogue. Subjects like sex – it had to be there – along with torture, children’s problems, marriage and anti-vivisection are all included in the three-score topics. The director had to invent the scenarios and then encourage the cast to add any of their own experiences to the story threads. This major challenge was proficiently conquered with the whole cast giving the numerous characters instant and recognisable personalities.

The show went at a tremendous pace, with only two or three of the stories not working (the writer perhaps being a little too adventurous). A very enjoyable night at the theatre, with something a little offbeat. It is always pleasant to see a team trying something new.

Curtin’s Performance Students and The Hayman Theatre Company have combined to present this Stage One production. Stage One is a Curtin University initiative that annually gives a WA playwright the chance to see their own work brought to the stage.

‘IN a BONY EMBRACE’ can be seen at the Blue Room Theatre, 53 James Street, Northbridge. The 70-minute performances are nightly at 7.00 pm until Thursday 10^th; on Friday 11^th and Saturday 12^th there are two shows, one at 6.00 pm and the other at 8.30 pm.

Designer, Sally Phipps’ impressive set is of an office, home and bar – all in pink. The floor and walls are bright carnation pink. The furniture is stylish Scandinavian and in the corner is a bunch of helium balloons. The chairs are matching pink, emerald green and mauve. Sally was helped in her design by Daisy Coyle, Madeleine Mullins and Sally Davies; with the numerous props sourced by Anna Lindstedt and Jess Fowles.

The hanging lights are 70s style, but are trendy and coming back into fashion. The lighting design by Rhiannon Petersen, assisted by Dylan Dorotich, is very well thought out and most effective. Lauren Beeton was lucky enough to have one of Perth’s top sound designers, Ben Collins, mentoring her. Production manager, Karen Cook was helped by her stage managers, Daniel Suelto and Becca Jackson, and ASMs Mai Han and Reef Jennings.

Luciana Kember and Annika Jane had to design costumes from the sexy, to nerdy and suave.

        In the dark, ten young people file onto the stage area. When the lights come on, there is a fight for the prime ‘star’ position in the line. This is to be the aim of the youngsters for the next 80 minutes – just to be that little bit better than their partners.

      At the breakfast table, April (Chelsea Gibson) decides that she has gone off her fun-loving partner, Sam (Alexander Gerrans). When the two arrive at work in the same office, the tension is high.

     Left behind in the flat are randy Lila (Beth Tremlett) and her long-term lover, Gavin (Nathan Whitebrook). They decide it is time to start a family, Gavin’s way, slowly and responsibly!!

     At work, shy and nervous (and possibly never-been-kissed) Harry (Daisy Coyle) confides to Danny (Tristan McInnes) how much she loves him; but she knows that at work, one should never mess on their own doorstep. Sylvia (Anna Lindstedt) loves men, but seems happy to just sort out people’s romance troubles.

     Holly (Jessica Nyanda Moyle) is a deep thinker, having deep, heart-breaking conversations with her absent partner and herself. In the corner of the bar sits the ‘sex magnet’ known as Jaxon (Sean Guastavino), always waiting to tell the next girl just how wonderful he is, or to point out to poor shy Matt (Kane Parker) what an ugly loser he is.

Gita’s script is superbly observed. The audience roared with laughter, not just at the hilarious dialogue but at the situations; situations that we have all experienced, and cringed at in retrospect.

Directed sensitively and subtly by Adam Mitchell, with Teresa Izzard looking after the movement, this play travels at an express pace, carrying the audience smoothly along for the bumpy ride. The acting was completely natural, adding to the madcap situations that kept cropping up.

An exceptionally funny play that has you recalling the many times you too have escaped from such terrible situations. Exceptionally funny and highly recommended.

Even in 1963, after being hacked by the English censors, the run was only for two nights. A much lighter Broadway musical version of this play was presented in 2006.

This translation from German is by Johnathan Franzen, with creative collaboration by the cast.

The two and three-quarter hour drama can be seen at the Hayman Theatre Upstairs, building 102 on the Curtin University campus, Bentley. Performances each night are at the early time of 7.00 until Saturday 7^th March.

The stunning set is of a silver birch and bamboo (?) woodland in a German provincial town -the year 1894. The designer, Sally Phipps and her assistant Sean Guastavino, have covered the auditorium walls with bandage width, white strips with bark pattern printed on. The stage is of a bower in a wood. Construction by the ever-reliable, still alive, Ian Stewart.

The set is brought to life by Karen Cook’s brilliant lighting. Karen has employed strong side lights combined with multiple ‘pups’ (small low power spots). The warm soft lighting puts a glow on the walls, and the actors are lit by the incident glow. Lighting operated by Maddi Mullins.

Elliot Macri’s delightful music and soundscape is just the simple unobtrusive style and level required. Sound operated by Georgia Smith.

        Lying on the bank of the wooded creek in the sunlight is innocent, fourteen years old, Wendla (Beth Tremlett), she is dreaming of love and not wearing knickers. Upon awakening, she meets her equally naïve, good friends, Martha (Savannah Wood) and Thea (Amelia Tuttleby). As they are chatting, the handsome Melchior (Sean Guastavino) walks past and their bodies experience a brand new feeling.

       Back at home, Wendla learns that her cousin has had a baby and so once again tackles her mother as to how exactly babies are ‘initiated’. Her overprotective Mum (Kayla MacGillvray) explains about ‘the stork’, which does little to satisfy even naïve Wendla. Not surprisingly, when Wendla meets Melchior later in the hayloft, the inevitable occurs.

       Melchior meets his school pal, the shy and often teased, Moritz (Alexander Gerrans); they discuss women, and what they know about them – mainly innocent lies. Whilst Melchior faces the mechanical facts of sex with excitement, Moritz seems somewhat traumatised. Their friend, Hansy (Jeremy Bunny) is having more advanced fantasies and imagines himself making kinky love to Thea.

      In the second Act, the cruel and bullying headmaster, Heart Payne (Jarryd Dobson), finds Melchior’s sexually blatant letter to Moritz. Backed by the school teaching staff, the headmaster gets the poor janitor, Fetch (Terence Smith) to carry out his outrageous demands. With little support from their parents – especially Moritz’s father (Aaron Smith) – terrible consequences follow for the two young teenagers. Wendla has just discovered that she is anaemic – or could she be pregnant? The doctor (Gemma Middleton) is called in.

     A masked figure (Nathan Whitebrook) appears, he seems to be the conscience or fate of the people around.

Director Teresa Izzard, with a dozen cast and two dozen techies to cope with, has taken on the dramaturg help of Nathan Whitebrook, and acting coach Phil Miolin. The production is topped off with make-up by Heather Jerrems and a talented costume team (Chelsea Johnston, Kate Phipps) led by Hannah Miller.

This complex play has been admirably stage managed by Samantha Barrett and her deputies, Dylan Dorotich and Laura Beeton.

There are a couple of areas that the script could have been thinned out slightly, but the director kept the pace moving on beautifully. Most of the cast had several parts, but managed to move between the personalities smoothly and still portray their characters with depth. The four or five leading parts were extremely well acted, and were backed faultlessly by the remaining cast.

The first Act of the play (it is the first two Acts of the book) shows the awakening of the children’s youth and their becoming aware of sex. The second Act shows the darker side and consequences of acquiring too much knowledge of intimacy.

The tickets for this epic are almost sold out, but try and get one if you can. There are quite a few players in their first major production, and yet the result is wonderful. Very many congratulations, a most professional production.