LOVE? It’s the eternal theme, isn’t it? And a group of talented independent artists have been getting together lately at Smith’s to perform a potpourri of love poems and short plays on the subject under the enticing banner of poet Rumi’s words, “You that love lovers, this is your home – welcome.”
The format of the evening was to intercut poems and plays, so the evening began with a very quiet, almost inaudible performance of Rumi’s “The Music Master” by John Lombard. Other poems during the evening included “The Mad girl’s Love Song’ by Sylvia Plath, which somewhat overwhelmed the performer, John Donne’s notorious poem “The Flea,” performed sotto voce by Lombard, two “Drunk Sonnets” by Daniel Bailey performed by Brendan Kelly and Shakespeare’s ‘true love’ Sonnet 116 – “Let me not to the marriage of true minds” performed by Jess Waterhouse.
The idea of into cutting poems was a good one, but needed more theatrical pizzazz.
In “Mirror you,” Written by Raphael Kabo and directed by Rachel Hogan, Kelly and Waterhouse play out the frustrating situation of two would-be lovers separated by a mirror. It’s not quite a conceptual Zen mirror, as they can feel each other through it, but it is a clever device based on one of the best known theatre improvisation exercises.
In Kirsty Budding’s short play, “Counselling”, Budding and Tom Shortt play the incompatible husband and wife whose biggest problem is that they still love each other. His idea that they could save their relationship by having a child is presented as a miraculous revelation.
In Lombard’s play “Bonds,” Waterhouse and Colin Gilles played the two lovers thwarted by an interesting dilemma – she is not into romantic love, preferring bondage, but he’s actually fallen in love with her. It’s a great idea for a play, but proves difficult to bring to an apt conclusion.
Actor Darcy Stanford made a meal of “Thurgoona Abattoir Blues” written and directed by Angus Algie, in which a hapless boyfriend is armed only with the toolkit of masculinity to defend a totally dysfunctional relationship.
Lombard’s second play, “Therapist,” turns on a useful device – the shrink falling in love with the patient. This proved to be a good way of exploring intimate encounters between two people.
This unpretentious evening of short plays about love proved an effective showcase for the writing skills of local playwrights without subjecting cast and writers to the spotlight of mainstage production. The acting was generally very convincing in the tiny surrounds of Smith’s, which is plainly providing a very good service for local artists.
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