Review??
Tue, 17 May 2005, 03:50 pmNimrod4 posts in thread
Review??
Tue, 17 May 2005, 03:50 pmWas wondering if anyone that has seen new BSX show 'The Visit'. It would be good to get some insight into what people thought. Cheers
NimrodTue, 17 May 2005, 03:50 pm
Was wondering if anyone that has seen new BSX show 'The Visit'. It would be good to get some insight into what people thought. Cheers
Walter PlingeWed, 18 May 2005, 06:28 pm
The Visit
Saw the BSX show - The Visit last week, was very impressed with the imagination and sensitivity put into this production. There were lots of great concepts utilised in drawing the audience in to this engaging tale.
The character of Claire Zachanassian was strong, immediately captivating from the first entrance and her physical performance was incredibly well maintained. Her certain melancholy drew the audience in to this character's plight, despite her cold design.
The performance of Alfred Ill was another notable. This actor showed an unerring commitment to characterisation throughout the production. It was remarkable to observe even the slight finger movements and posture that gave this performer great energy throughout.
The transformation of Alfred to his ultimate demise was an enthralling journey, and the clever trickery with digital effects (not giving anything away here) kept the audience guessing until the very end.
The overall impression of this show was the commitment of the young ensemble. Being "on stage" for almost the entire duration of the piece would take considerable concentration and I noted a supremely professional, could I say... "calmness" about all the performers - remaining in character, not pulling focus yet still energised and aware when waiting in the visible-the-the-audience "wings". A small blaze in the lighting system was also admirably and creatively handled and the audience were not lost or alienated from the production after this took place.
Digital camera effects, props, costume and attention to detail gave The Visit a good edge on many production involving such a young cast and I must say that every character had its own style & personality withheld admirably.
Well done - fantastic effort on such a interesting, challenging play.
Keep it coming BSX!
Belle x
Thou fawning bat-fowling puttock!
The character of Claire Zachanassian was strong, immediately captivating from the first entrance and her physical performance was incredibly well maintained. Her certain melancholy drew the audience in to this character's plight, despite her cold design.
The performance of Alfred Ill was another notable. This actor showed an unerring commitment to characterisation throughout the production. It was remarkable to observe even the slight finger movements and posture that gave this performer great energy throughout.
The transformation of Alfred to his ultimate demise was an enthralling journey, and the clever trickery with digital effects (not giving anything away here) kept the audience guessing until the very end.
The overall impression of this show was the commitment of the young ensemble. Being "on stage" for almost the entire duration of the piece would take considerable concentration and I noted a supremely professional, could I say... "calmness" about all the performers - remaining in character, not pulling focus yet still energised and aware when waiting in the visible-the-the-audience "wings". A small blaze in the lighting system was also admirably and creatively handled and the audience were not lost or alienated from the production after this took place.
Digital camera effects, props, costume and attention to detail gave The Visit a good edge on many production involving such a young cast and I must say that every character had its own style & personality withheld admirably.
Well done - fantastic effort on such a interesting, challenging play.
Keep it coming BSX!
Belle x
Thou fawning bat-fowling puttock!
Walter PlingeSat, 21 May 2005, 01:05 am
Re: The Visit
I have just returned from a performance of The Visit.
It was a night of great Theatre, performed by a talented and enthusiastic cast under the direction an innovative and inspirational director.
This production could need a couple of visits to fully appreciate. Never has so much been done by so many for so few. And it was the "so few" that was disappointing.
Performances like this deserve full houses. That they don't get them is an indictment on Perth's ever-whingeing so called "theatre going public" who keep on complaining that Perth needs more theatre venues. What for? So that productions like this can play to half full houses. Perth's so called "theatre going public" deserve nowt' if they cannot support the youth theatre of the city in productions that engage as much as this one does.
Congratulations to all concerned; how refreshing to see a cast list of twenty two players all great, with outstanding performances from Michelle Fornasier and Brendan Ewing. And Matthew Lutton continues to dazzle, challenge and please with his direction.
I will be back for a second viewing to take in all that I missed in my first visit, and I will be urging all of my "theatre going" friends to fill the bleachers with their butts!! This production must play to full houses! It deserves nothing less.
It was a night of great Theatre, performed by a talented and enthusiastic cast under the direction an innovative and inspirational director.
This production could need a couple of visits to fully appreciate. Never has so much been done by so many for so few. And it was the "so few" that was disappointing.
Performances like this deserve full houses. That they don't get them is an indictment on Perth's ever-whingeing so called "theatre going public" who keep on complaining that Perth needs more theatre venues. What for? So that productions like this can play to half full houses. Perth's so called "theatre going public" deserve nowt' if they cannot support the youth theatre of the city in productions that engage as much as this one does.
Congratulations to all concerned; how refreshing to see a cast list of twenty two players all great, with outstanding performances from Michelle Fornasier and Brendan Ewing. And Matthew Lutton continues to dazzle, challenge and please with his direction.
I will be back for a second viewing to take in all that I missed in my first visit, and I will be urging all of my "theatre going" friends to fill the bleachers with their butts!! This production must play to full houses! It deserves nothing less.
tomasfordWed, 25 May 2005, 01:47 am
Re: The Visit
Massive props to The Visit, I just got home from it and have to say it was a a brilliant trip from start to end. The theatrical equivelant of an early 80's post punk record, all social dissolusionment, excellent design, cool experimental wierd stuff and twitchy, disorienting pacing. It's the best show I've seen from a major WA theatre company, youth or otherwise, in Perth for aaaaages.
The acting is a combination of detailed, committed characterisations and heavily stylised movement. All the performances are full of well made, intriguing choices and there is not a weak link present onstage. In fact, the only flaw I could spot in the whole production was that the otherwise ensemble cast didn't take their bows simultaneously and all applauded the two leads - who, while doing an fine job, were more focus characters than "lead actors". That and it would have been nice if one of my fellow audience members had got up onstage and knocked out the citizens of the town the play is set in, thereby saving the protagonist from his fate. But maybe that's a better thought than reality.
The design was soooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo cool. A scratchy, lo-fi live video feed was projected on two screens behind the stage, which would usually be a little distracting, but it was used as a way to magnify and recontextualise the action on stage and added enormously to the feeling of the final scene. The sound design was also very well thought, with echoing bassy hits enhancing some of the physical bombshells the actors dropped on stage.
I can't reccomend getting along to see this production enough. The images and tragedy of the piece will stick with me for a long time and I was never once bored during its 2 1/2 hours (I think it was that long, anyway). Tickets aren't that expensive either, so git yo' ass down there.
The acting is a combination of detailed, committed characterisations and heavily stylised movement. All the performances are full of well made, intriguing choices and there is not a weak link present onstage. In fact, the only flaw I could spot in the whole production was that the otherwise ensemble cast didn't take their bows simultaneously and all applauded the two leads - who, while doing an fine job, were more focus characters than "lead actors". That and it would have been nice if one of my fellow audience members had got up onstage and knocked out the citizens of the town the play is set in, thereby saving the protagonist from his fate. But maybe that's a better thought than reality.
The design was soooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo cool. A scratchy, lo-fi live video feed was projected on two screens behind the stage, which would usually be a little distracting, but it was used as a way to magnify and recontextualise the action on stage and added enormously to the feeling of the final scene. The sound design was also very well thought, with echoing bassy hits enhancing some of the physical bombshells the actors dropped on stage.
I can't reccomend getting along to see this production enough. The images and tragedy of the piece will stick with me for a long time and I was never once bored during its 2 1/2 hours (I think it was that long, anyway). Tickets aren't that expensive either, so git yo' ass down there.