Turned on to the Vibrator Play

On a whim today, I went along to the matinee of "In the next room, or the Vibrator Play" at the New Theatre in Sydney. The play, witten in 2009 by Sarah Ruhl was surprisingly thought provoking, as well as very amusing. It is set in victorian era USA. A progressive physician is using the newly invented electric vibrator to treat nervous conditions, while failing to pay attention to his young wife. This allows for some humour about the effect the treatment has, as well as more serious issues of the effects of the narrow lives women were forced to lead. The play runs until Saturday 17 May at the New Theatre, Newtown, Sydney.

The set design by Tom Baderman is lavish, unlike the usual New Theatre austerity. There were some fun effects, with the lights dimming each time the industrial strength vibrator was switched on. Costumes were also lavish, but had to be practical, with several of the cast shedding their outer garments on stage. 

Sarah Greenwood stood out in a uniformly good cast. Her american accent was unobtrusive, reminding me of a young Meg Ryan, in one of her quirky rom com roles. 

The play seemed to be descending into farce, with people popping in through different doors, catching the characters in compromising positions, but that passed. Also the playwright tried perhaps a little too hard to cram too many social issues into the script. However, this can be treated as simply entertainment, or you can try to catch all the references. 

Some elements of the play are stranger than fiction, such as mention of Edison electrocuting assorted animals, to try to discredit his rival Tesla's ACS current electric system. 

New Theatre Sydney 2024 Season

In the Foyer at the New Theatre. 
Photo by Marghanita da Cruz 2023

The New Theatre launch was exciting, a theatrical performance in itself. I suggest starting a night out with an early meal in one of the cafes in King Street. Ask for a table overlooking the street and you can watch the passing parade of interesting characters. Then a drink in the foyer of the theatre.

For the launch we were each handed a colored plastic token. I wondered if there was going to be some form of audience participation, with all green tokens told to do something, and red something else. But these turned out to be free drink tokens for the opening. After some people watching in the foyer, we filled the seats in the theatre, wit the directors for next year on stage. The set was dressed for the last production of the year, THE BALLAD OF MARIA MARTEN BY BETH FLINTOFF, which finishes 16 DECEMBER and is suitably ethereal. The 2024 season opens with Homos, or Everyone in America by JORDAN SEAVEY (6 FEBRUARY,) then Atlantis by LALLY KATZ (19 MARCH), The Front Page by BEN HECHT AND CHARLES MACARTHUR (23 APRIL), Ink by JAMES GRAHAM (28 MAY), Sunset Strip by SUZIE MILLER (9 JULY), Hangmen by MARTIN MCDONAGH (13 AUGUST), Wife by SAMUEL ADAMSON (8 OCTOBER), Shakespeare in Love BASED ON THE SCREENPLAY BY MARC NORMAN & TOM STOPPARD ADAPTED FOR THE STAGE BY LEE HALL (12 NOVEMBER). That was a lot to take in. Each director was asked about the play and their approach. This is a little like asking a teacher what their star pupil is like. I wanted someone to say "It was the only play left, so I had to take it", but they didn't. Plays for the year go through a selection process, and the rights have to be available. Like looking at clouds, reading a pattern into the selection of plays says more about the viewer, than what is viewed. In this case there are two about the print media: The Front Page and Ink, which neatly bracket the golden age of newspapers from the 1920s to the 1970s. Similarly Everyone in America and Wife explore sexual identity. Normally I will try to find a movie or TV show to relate a play to, as an easy way to explain it to non-theater goers (those of us who are middle upper class but still use public transport, was we were categorized last night). This is going to be easy with the last of the season Shakespeare in Love, based on the film of the same name. That should provide the opportunity for the New Theatre to do what it does best, a big boisterous production.eet. Ask for a table overlooking the street and you can watch the passing parade of interesting characters. Then a drink in the foyer of the theatre.

The New Theatre launch was exciting, a theatrical performance in itself. I suggest starting a night out at the Net Theatre with an early meal in one of the cafes in King Street. Ask for a table overlooking the street and you can watch the passing parade of interesting characters. Then a drink in the foyer of the theatre. 

For the launch we were each handed a colored plastic token. I wondered if there was going to be some form of audience participation, with all green tokens told to do something, and red something else. But these turned out to be free drink tokens for the opening.

After some people watching in the foyer, we filled the seats in the theatre, wit the directors for next year on stage. The set was dressed for the last production of the year, THE BALLAD OF MARIA MARTEN

BY BETH FLINTOFF, which finishes 16 DECEMBER and is suitably ethereal. 

The 2024 season opens with Homos, or Everyone in America by  JORDAN SEAVEY (6 FEBRUARY,) then Atlantis by LALLY KATZ (19 MARCH), The Front Page by BEN HECHT AND CHARLES MACARTHUR (23 APRIL), Ink by JAMES GRAHAM (28 MAY),  

Sunset Strip by SUZIE MILLER (9 JULY), Hangmen by MARTIN MCDONAGH (13 AUGUST), Wife by SAMUEL ADAMSON (8 OCTOBER), Shakespeare in Love BASED ON THE SCREENPLAY BY MARC NORMAN & TOM STOPPARD ADAPTED FOR THE STAGE BY LEE HALL (12 NOVEMBER).

That was a lot to take in. Each director was asked about the play and their approach. This is a little like asking a teacher what their star pupil is like. I wanted someone to say "It was the only play left, so I had to take it", but they didn't. 

Plays for the year go through a selection process, and the rights have to be available. Like looking at clouds, reading a pattern into the selection of plays says more about the viewer, than what is viewed. In this case there are two about the print media: The Front Page and Ink, which neatly bracket the golden age of newspapers from the 1920s to the 1970s. Similarly Everyone in America and Wife explore sexual identity. 

Normally I will try to find a movie or TV show to relate a play to, as an easy way to explain it to non-theater goers (those of us who are middle upper class but still use public transport, was we were categorized last night). This is going to be easy with the last of the season Shakespeare in Love, based on the film of the same name. That should provide the opportunity for the New Theatre to do what it does best, a big boisterous production.

For the launch we were each handed a colored plastic token. I wondered if there was going to be some form of audience participation, with all green tokens told to do something, and red something else. But these turned out to be free drink tokens for the opening.

After some people watching in the foyer, we filled the seats in the theatre, wit the directors for next year on stage. The set was dressed for the last production of the year, THE BALLAD OF MARIA MARTEN
BY BETH FLINTOFF, which finishes 16 DECEMBER and is suitably ethereal.

The 2024 season opens with Homos, or Everyone in America by JORDAN SEAVEY (6 FEBRUARY,) then Atlantis by LALLY KATZ (19 MARCH), The Front Page by BEN HECHT AND CHARLES MACARTHUR (23 APRIL), Ink by JAMES GRAHAM (28 MAY),
Sunset Strip by SUZIE MILLER (9 JULY), Hangmen by MARTIN MCDONAGH (13 AUGUST), Wife by SAMUEL ADAMSON (8 OCTOBER), Shakespeare in Love BASED ON THE SCREENPLAY BY MARC NORMAN & TOM STOPPARD ADAPTED FOR THE STAGE BY LEE HALL (12 NOVEMBER).

That was a lot to take in. Each director was asked about the play and their approach. This is a little like asking a teacher what their star pupil is like. I wanted someone to say "It was the only play left, so I had to take it", but they didn't.

Plays for the year go through a selection process, and the rights have to be available. Like looking at clouds, reading a pattern into the selection of plays says more about the viewer, than what is viewed. In this case there are two about the print media: The Front Page and Ink, which neatly bracket the golden age of newspapers from the 1920s to the 1970s. Similarly Everyone in America and Wife explore sexual identity.

Normally I will try to find a movie or TV show to relate a play to, as an easy way to explain it to non-theater goers (those of us who are middle upper class but still use public transport, was we were categorized last night). This is going to be easy with the last of the season Shakespeare in Love, based on the film of the same name. That should provide the opportunity for the New Theatre to do what it does best, a big boisterous production.

Black Mirror Meets Dr Who at the New Theater Sydney

Control by Keziah Warner at the New Theatre Sydney, has a Black Mirror sensibility, with Dr Who 60's set design. This is a dystopian future where Big Brother is always watching, memories can be edited, and the robots have more emotion than the people. The cast all do a fine job of switching characters from empty headed social media influencer, to more sympathetic robot. The set looks suitably sci-fi and bleak. 

Some seems of a far distant future, and some looks like my day job. Earlier today I was discussing the benefits of Augmented versus Virtual Reality for teaching English to Japanese students, with researchers around the world, on Zoom, of course. Also, yes, in the office there is a robot.

You can purchase a copy of Control, or catch it at the New Theatre, until 30 July, or wait for it to come true. 

ps: For an immersive sc-fi conspiracy theory experience, join International Strategic Deepspace Command (ISDC), hidden behind the Milesham Organisation, on Paramatta Road, Sydney. ;-)

Silent Disco Loud on Teen Angst

The play "Silent Disco" opened at the New Theater in Sydney on Saturday. Set in a typical Australian city suburban school, teenagers come to terms with relationships and a bleak future working at the local supermarket checkout. At the same time their teacher exhausted from caring about their charges reminisces over their teen years.

This performance suffered from a number of handicaps. The play, by Australian Lachlan Philpott, was first presented in 2011, but already sounds a little dated. References to iPods and SMS do not match contemporary teen language. The actors playing the teens are too old to be believable. A teenager having to go all the way to Kings Cross to buy drugs seems old fashioned.

Set designer Ester Karuso-Thurn has produced a suitably bleak representation of a school classroom (reminding me of a demountable I spent many hours in). Sound designer Jessica Dunn uses loud brash music for raging teens.

"Silent Disco" is at the New Theater, Newtown, Sydney until 14 April 2018.

The Clean House, Sarah Ruhl, New Theatre, Newtown, Sydney

On Sunday I attended the play The Clean House by Sarah Ruhl at the New Theatre in Newtown, Sydney. The play begins with someone telling a joke in Portuguese, a long joke. The person telling the joke is clearly enjoying it, but I don't speak Portuguese and so did not get it. The rest of the play was in English, mostly, which I do speak, but I still didn't get what this play was about.

Set mostly in a comfortable apartment of a professional American couple, the play's central character is a Portuguese speaking Brazilian maid, who like telling jokes more than cleaning. She becomes tied up the breakdown of the relationship of the couple. It all becomes a bit silly when one party goes off to Alaska to chop down a tree.

The mix of the surreal and the buttoned-up professionals did not work for me. The cast is clearly having fun, and Alice Livingstone in particular as a frumpy sister with an urge to break out and get a job. However, I don't find comedies about rich people with fantasies of having to work for a living that funny.

The Clean House by Sarah Ruhl is on at the New Theatre in Newtown, Sydney until 8 July 2017.

Rake's Progress at ANU

Yesterday I had the pleasure of attending a lunchtime talk by actor Richard Roxburgh at the Australian National University (ANU) in Canberra. Richard is an ANU economics graduate and now a children’s book author, in Canberra to launch "Artie and the Grime Wave". He is best know for his role in TV comedy "Rake", as Cleaver Greene, a character usually claimed to be based on Sydney barrister Charles Waterstreet. Roxburgh asserted that this was untrue and the character was based on someone who drank at the ANU bar.

House of Games at New Theater Sydney

The play "House of Games" is set in a Chicago poker club, where it is hard to know who is conning who. Set in the present day, Kate Shearer plays a therapist drawn into this seedy world to help one of her patents.

Kate Shearer makes a very believable Harvard trained therapist, who's frosty exterior begins to melt.  The rest of the cast struggle with their American accents, although they are playing con-artists, so are they acting at sounding fake?

Set Designer John Cervenka's poker club perhaps need some neon "Budweiser" signs and more clutter, whereas the therapist's office is suitably minimal. Costume Designer Deborah Mulhall succeeds with the look of Chicago high and low life. Playwright Richard Bean, provides some humor (especially at the expense of bankers), but they play has an untidy conclusion, with a new character and at the end.

"House of Games" is on at the New Theater, Newtown Sydney, until 10 September 2016 (my ticket was courtesy of the New Theater).