Review | Weights
February 27th 2010 01:49
:
Weights | Review
Category: Reviews
In short, I think we have a great monologue here that needs to be edited a little and further illustrated, I am confident that this gifted wordsmith will continue to develop his craft.
Weights has been a great show to look at for two reasons: it gives me a chance to address the illustrated monologue four years since the last time I wrote about it, and it presents an opportunity to discuss the phenomenon of the UK's Guy Masterson and the Adelaide Fringe.
Guest Editor Alexander Broun invited me to write for Dialogue, the Australian National Playwrights Centre newsletter in 2006 (the brief was new work in the local gay and lesbian theatre scene, where it was at and where it seemed to be going) at the time I eschewed a couple of things - soothsaying for one - and adhering to the - gay and lesbian tags - for the other. I did not eschew a marked shift towards the illustrated monologue.
The way I see it, there is the old school monologue one single theatre practitioner acting on the stage, using the skills applicable in theatre to illustrate something of their experience to the audience; and there is the illustrated monologue more theatrical, drawing on more than just the individual actor in the stage.
Over the past few years the form of the old school monologue has evolved in Australian theatre into what I call the illustrated monologue. More people are presenting their story in different ways.
Some use a little slide show, some create art and integrate it into their presentation, there have been a whole range of things; laying in a glass case naked to display the subject in the foyer before the show, looping old childhood footage and playing it on televisions around the venue, revealing aspects of the personality as represented on stage by particular signs or objects, many ways indeed.
Its a fair step away from the simple yet extraordinary complexities of standing on bare boards with a passion, remembering scripted lines, and feeling the correct way of delivering them as you deliver them. I've done it myself. It is not an easy call.
The telling of ones own story on stage is no easy feat, not if you want to keep an audience with you on the journey.
Guy Masterson has had some success with the one man show. The material Ive seen coming from Guy Masterson productions over the past few Fringe Festivals has included one person shows, Under Milkwood, Animal Farm. They travel well and you can present them in an intimate space usually relatively easily.
Mr Masterson himself is well known for his award winning single handed rendition of Under Milkwood; nothing to scoff at.
Masterson is with the Fringe this year bringing us the Centre for International Theatre at Higher Ground.
It seems a little amusing to me, a fellow from the United Kingdom raising his voice about International Theatre as part of his marketing and sales pitch for a season of shows in Adelaide, Australia; where our International Arts Festival is celebrating 50 years. We are actually quite accustomed to theatre and music and film from all over the planet. We have been, I think, for quite some years now.
Masterson presents a very particular product, but it is not necessarily always particularly contemporary, timeless possibly. Good on him for returning so often; not so great if his song remains the same ad infinitum. Some variety is a good thing.
I can not say I have seen everything presented by Masterson, only a few works, all monologues, all somewhat in need of a bit of a shave and a few more little sparkling moments.
This is a true rendition of a life changed by fate or possibly not, but life changed nonetheless. A man becomes blind. The potential for compelling theatre is massive.
It is described as a dramatic, literary hybrid of engaging narrative and poignant poetry.
It certainly contains some strong themes and difficult plot turns and the poetry is, in this context, quite poignant.
The performer presenting the show tells his own story. A story of losing his sight and learning to pee standing up among other things. Theres a particularly fascinating mother son relationship through this journey. As the son develops his emotional maturity, his mother degenerates into alcoholism and so many bad choices.
It is easily one of the most challenging things for a person to do - write about their life and then perform it. The fact that the performer is blind, and it may take some time before you realise this, is chilling. He speaks the truth; this is very raw and basic in terms of an emotional bond growing with the audience, however there does need to be development in the story telling as well. The presentation needs to have clear emotional transitions.
I think Weights is in early stages of development and could do with some editing. The performers work has not ended, and he would do well to explore more ways of presenting himself to demonstrate his craft in a corporeal way on the stage. Watching the program now while it is still in a fringe stage, a stage of development, not quite fully rounded and polished, requires a certain amount of focus and concentration on the part of the audience.
It is well worth checking it out if you like to see raw material finding its legs on the stage.
David Jobling
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David Jobling
