It's Dark Outside

‘It’s Dark Outside’ is the breathtaking follow-up production by the team of Tim Watts, Arielle Gray and Chris Isaacs that have literally given the whole world, the ‘Adventures of Alvin Sputnik’ experience. This new 75-minute masterpiece, which is on the sad topic of dementia, is a Perth Theatre Company commissioned presentation. It can be seen at the Studio Underground Theatre, in the State Theatre Centre of WA, 174 William Street in Perth, nightly at 8.00 pm until Saturday 14^th July.

 

          An old man (Arielle Gray), still dressed in his anorak and trilby, whilst enjoying a mug of tea, settles down in his armchair to watch his favourite cowboy show on the TV. As he sits partly attentive of the western and occasionally daydreaming, he repeatedly reaches out for his mug only to find that it is not quite, where he thought he had put it on the table. Is there someone else in the room? On the other hand, could this be the start of Sundowning Syndrome and is he just becoming a little confused?

        Befuddled, he sets out to escape the complications of the world by trekking and camping in the wilds, only to find that a mysterious tracker is now following him, and catching his every thought in a butterfly net  – not much wonder his memory is becoming erratic. 

       As he travels on, this senior citizen vividly recalls periods of his life, many are happy, some rather frightening. Sadly, he becomes more confused as the days go by, and the division between real life and his memories blurs.

 

Melissa Cantwell, who has won awards for her talented theatrical direction of actors, now bravely and ingeniously tackles directing this tremendously moving, more abstract, puppet-orientated show.

The main puppeteers, Tim Watts and Chris Isaacs, bring to life numerous inanimate objects, including a tent and a cloud. The puppets and props truly came alive - each with their own quirky character.

The dazzling musical compositions of Rachael Dease matched the storyline perfectly. They ranged from a cowboy theme, in the style of Ennio Morricone’s ‘The Good the Bad and the Ugly’, to some romantic and catchy accordion music. There were booming chords, through to a couple of quiet and sad themes, one with a short touching lyric. The music recording was of outstanding fidelity and crammed with interesting passages.

The puppetry and shadowgraphs were amazing. The backlighting of the actors called for pinpoint accuracy and just the correct amount of beam angle. The shadows were crisp and highly detailed. The cartoon backdrop was beautifully drawn, with several layers giving huge depth to the images. Just as the old man did, you very quickly believed that inanimate objects could actually come alive (prop design by Anthony Watts), and that the old fellow’s thoughts were truly happening.

Who would possibly be interested in seeing play about an Alzheimer sufferer? The answer is every adult in the audience was mesmerised as the never-ending insights into this condition were brilliantly portrayed. This is a deeply moving tale that any adult with an elderly relative would immediately connect with and appreciate. The sensitive way the whole production has been handled really got through to me, and I have to admit wiping away a few tears. Having said this, the production is far from depressing; in fact, it was very funny in parts. With the help of research assistant, Julie Watts, along with the acute accuracy of the director and actors’ observation, the portrayal was first class.

A show, following any immensely successful production like ‘Alvin Sputnik’, can often be such a disappointment; however, this team have proved that with time, patience and an immense amount of thought they are capable of producing another guaranteed success.
A ‘must see’ that will rivet your eyes lovingly to the old character as his touching story unfolds.