Black Books by Blak Yak

That would be the Red Dwarf that came third in the 2003 Finley Awards, right? (http://www.theatre.asn.au/comment/reply/27542/31364#comment-31364) Here are the main results from last night's Finley Awards, held at the Kalamunda Performing Arts Centre. PLAYS: 1. KADS for 'Johnny Belinda' 2. Old Mill Theatre for 'Out of Order' 3. Blak Yak for 'Red Dwarf' And reviews like these, you mean?: (http://www.theatre.asn.au/node/10463 ) RED DWARF, BLAK YAK THEATRE INC., KALAMUNDA PERFORMING ARTS CENTRE: Well done to casti, crewi and director of Blak Yak's Red Dwarf. I'm not a huge sci fi fan so I haven't seen or heard much of Red Dwarf before, but that is (thankfully) irrelevant as far as this production goes. Apparently the first script of the series was used so it was easy to follow and a great introduction to the characters. Lots of light humor and cartoony silliness! The use of pre-recorded and 'live' video was a little bumpy, but very clever. Sadly, there were a few technical hitches in the first act, but the casti carried on admirably. Kalamunda PAC is CAVERNOUS so please, please PROJECT!! I'm always being told this anyway, but particularly when I've been on stage up there! The lack of volume is, of course, particularly noticable when some actors are miked and others aren't. However, I never missed a word from about half-way back which is, given the high ceiling and vast stage, a commendable effort. I believe most writers choose to create a screenplay over a stage play for good reasons. It is difficult to do a snappy scene change unless lighting cues are spot-on and, sadly, cross-fades and close-ups aren't possible on stage. This is something that seems to cause trouble when a screenplay or tv script is adapted for stage. With our amateur theatre budgets and limited rehearsal time, I think its worth keeping in mind limitations as far as effects go. Well written and imaginative script with smooth comedic dialogue. Delivery is important and I feel an essential element of comedy is timing and pace. All cues need to be snatched without pause. Lister, Rimmer and Holly worked well together as a reluctant trio, each character well-defined, 'bouncing' off each other nicely. Perhaps a little caffeine or jelly beans back stage for some energy wouldn't go astray though, boys! But, as I said, it ain't easy to sail on by those nasty technical gremlins when they rear their ugly heads. Maybe you should also beware of picking up on each other's tempo, although the contrast between the laid-back, slovenly Lister, and the fussy, manic Rimmer was still crisp. Neat, simplistic costumes that clearly served their purpose as uniforms, and a simple change of shirt for Lister every now and then was a great way of demonstrating his lack of conformity. A seti of fangs and some clever posturing made a convincing highly-evolved Cat! The bunks, a closely placed table and a well-defined patch of light were all that was needed to effectively convey the cramped, military style quarters the two principal characters shared. Although the flats are, of course, only background, the fact that they were not clearly painted I found strangely distracting. I feel that if a little more effort had gone into the seti, simplistic or otherwise, it would have enhanced the feel of a lost and aging space craft so much more. Remember that the audiencei is looking upon the whole scene from a distance, and Kalamunda is HUGE! I feel even a simple seti needs to give the appearance of filling the space so that we aren't given the impression of watching a show through a telescope. The other casti members were extremely giggle-worthy! Elements of trademark Blak Yak Pratchett townsfolk snuck in there... don't think I didn't notice!! And I must have heard about half a dozen audiencei members say how adorable they found Cat to be! He was also nicely distant from the other characters (just like a cat) while at the same time still fitting into the quirky ensemble. More highly enjoyable light-hearted weird stuff from Blak Yak. Great work all. I feel it was a 'jolly good' choice for me to see as first show after a long hiatus from 'am dram'. Go see it guys, its worth the trip up that darn hill! ~Tracey. previous forum topic | next forum topic | email this forum topic | 156 reads Re: Red Dwarf Author: Julia Dalby (not verified) Date: 20/10/2002 - 19:18 TS's review has critiqued the show far more eloquently than I ever could. I too would ask the casti to really concentrate on PROJECTING!!!!!! Speak UP y'all! Almost every line is a winner, the people up the back need to hear them. You are in constant contest with a sound system which reminds one of a harriet jump jet engine, but hey, don't let that put you off! The pace on both the nights I saw it, was for the most part, good. Perhaps a few Red Bulls/cocaine suppositories before Act 1? It gets there, but starting big would certainly seti a nice trott for the rest of the show. I'm beginning to think our Alex has some comic genius hidden in depths of his being. His wonderful facial expressions and general annoying twat presence, lend a lovely geeky (it's a legitimate theatrical term! Look it up!)edge to the hapless Rimmer. At times I wanted to reach up on stage and bitch slap him with his clip boardi. Tosser. The scouse git who plays Lister in the series WISHES he could be the feckless slobby bastard Nick Donald molests us with in his portrayal. Jee-zuz, he's revolting! I LOVED the boiler suit Look, by the way! The expression Hubba Hubba comes to mind. The ubiquitous Holly was played quite beautifully by Dr Jarrod Buttery. The image of him on screen was projected, however I couldn't shake the feeling that he was looking down my top..... And such an angelic face!! One would almost believe the man behind it WASN'T a depraved lunatic.... Chris Thomas gives great Cat. Terrific costumes, although we now all have a pretty good idea what religion you are, from the one-piece outfit in act two.......goodness! I would love to see more manic smiling and laughing from this character however. Oh, and the brushing of the chest hair was one of my personal highlights. The remainder of the casti worked well with the leads. One in particular made my jaw drop from the minute he came on though........Scott Northover as Confidence. He is a bloody SCREAM! Exactly how talented do these Northover people need to be? I ask you in all sincerity.... Technical gliches will always be a part of life with these types of productions. Sadly, when all the gizmos don't do as they should, the entire show suffers. This play is particularly reliant on the tech stuff, and it seems to be it's biggest downfall. This aside, it is a great laugh! Congradulations to Tim and his casti and crewi! A top little night of entertainment, and you've only got three more nights to see it!!! So GO! Go on! J x Re: Red Dwarf Author: rc (not verified) Date: 21/10/2002 - 22:23 I saw Tim's first adaption of Red Dwarf as a one act play and really enjoyed it, and so was looking forward to the extended version and as predicted did, was not dissapointed. Technical difficulties are to be expected in any show that involves technology. Let's face it you cant beat a human, and being a big fan of the series it fits in with the actual space ship Red Dwarf which always has it's gliches. The acting was smegging brilliant. The casti do an excellent job of portaying the characters of the series, and yet still able to add their own touch to their character. In some parts, sitting nearer to the back, I found that it was a little hard to hear. But you can still get the general gist. Other then that the whole play is excellent. Keep up the good work guys, looking forward to the sequel....