Real Inspector Hound
Sat, 12 Feb 2005, 01:21 amJonno2 posts in thread
Real Inspector Hound
Sat, 12 Feb 2005, 01:21 amA brief report on an excellent evening yesterday.
I attended Attic Theatre's double production, Chekhov's 'The Bear' followed by Stoppard's 'Hound'. The plays are both great, but let me first rave about the venue.
No Perth resident could have failed to notice the elegant redbrick St George's College at the Uni end of Mounts Bay Rd, but how many of us have ever been inside? Not I, for sure.
Well, you pass through a broad corridor and emerge in a wonderful, cloistered and ivy'd courtyard. Like a time warp, it suddenly doesn't quite seem like Perth or the 21st Century.
Lovely spot for a picnic before the show, but if you do so... BYO. There is no bar. Luckily, that didn't turn my evening into a catastrophe, as I met some wiser friends armed with wine.
Then it's showtime. There is seating, but also plenty of room for your own grade-A portable chair if you prefer. The "stage" is set across one corner of the courtyard against the background of cloister arches, ivy and some phenomenally large roaches stealing the occasional scene.
The entertainment kicks off with "The Bear"; Chekhov's hilarious vignette of a bullying creditor hassling a grieving widow to pay her husband's debts. Stephen Lee and Angelique Malcolm handle the two main roles expertly, with the subtlety and timing required to make a lot of anger an amusing thing. Full marks. A very tasty entree, and after a brief interval comes the main course.
I had never seen "The Real Inspector Hound" before, but of course knew it by reputation. A spoof. A parody, out-Christieing Agatha.
Well it's all of that! Hyper-archetypal characters, super-contrived scenario, ultra-convoluted (incomprehensible) plot, and scores of hilarious moments. Brilliant.
All the cast were strong in their roles, and it wouldn't be fair to single out anyone for particular praise. A really tight ensemble, which I always think reflects most favourably on the Director. Hats off to Mr Lee.
This show continues next week, and I'd heartily recommend the evening out. The ambience of the venue pre-show is worth the visit, and the two plays are a whopper of a bonus. Bring extra wine.
I attended Attic Theatre's double production, Chekhov's 'The Bear' followed by Stoppard's 'Hound'. The plays are both great, but let me first rave about the venue.
No Perth resident could have failed to notice the elegant redbrick St George's College at the Uni end of Mounts Bay Rd, but how many of us have ever been inside? Not I, for sure.
Well, you pass through a broad corridor and emerge in a wonderful, cloistered and ivy'd courtyard. Like a time warp, it suddenly doesn't quite seem like Perth or the 21st Century.
Lovely spot for a picnic before the show, but if you do so... BYO. There is no bar. Luckily, that didn't turn my evening into a catastrophe, as I met some wiser friends armed with wine.
Then it's showtime. There is seating, but also plenty of room for your own grade-A portable chair if you prefer. The "stage" is set across one corner of the courtyard against the background of cloister arches, ivy and some phenomenally large roaches stealing the occasional scene.
The entertainment kicks off with "The Bear"; Chekhov's hilarious vignette of a bullying creditor hassling a grieving widow to pay her husband's debts. Stephen Lee and Angelique Malcolm handle the two main roles expertly, with the subtlety and timing required to make a lot of anger an amusing thing. Full marks. A very tasty entree, and after a brief interval comes the main course.
I had never seen "The Real Inspector Hound" before, but of course knew it by reputation. A spoof. A parody, out-Christieing Agatha.
Well it's all of that! Hyper-archetypal characters, super-contrived scenario, ultra-convoluted (incomprehensible) plot, and scores of hilarious moments. Brilliant.
All the cast were strong in their roles, and it wouldn't be fair to single out anyone for particular praise. A really tight ensemble, which I always think reflects most favourably on the Director. Hats off to Mr Lee.
This show continues next week, and I'd heartily recommend the evening out. The ambience of the venue pre-show is worth the visit, and the two plays are a whopper of a bonus. Bring extra wine.