| Setting THE SCENE... |
| Written by Olive Ann Walden & Sian Rafferty |
| Sunday, 07 June 2009 16:29 |
 Charlie (Stephen Lovatt) is an aging, out of work actor, who is sharply coming to terms with being on the wrong side of his best-before date. Stella (Josephine Davison) is his successful wife, the quintessential modern woman in everyway possible, with money, power and fame (plus the adopted baby from China, on the way of course). Lewis (Edwin Wright) is Charlie and Stella's best friend and perpetual third wheel. Enter Clea (Sophie Henderson), a sassy blonde tornado, who suddenly tears through Charlie and Stella's world in a way so perfectly silly, yet crafted... that none of them, ever see her coming. 'The Scene' is set. The curtain opens to Manhattan and four souls, trying to make their way in life anyway possible. But don't expect 'Sex and the City' all over again. If you are looking for a light-hearted romantic comedy, you took a wrong turn. Here, 'The Scene' is a scandalous mid-life crisis; a drama written by Theresa Rebeck and brought to life in the Silo Theatre's latest production. It is a satirical social commentary, encompassing everything from infertility to infidelity. It spells a warning against crimes of passion... and tells the home-truth of settling for less than ideal, to get what you ultimately desire. The four leads, all fit their parts to a tee. Clea is ridiculously blonde and over-the-top, playing up the wide eye small-town girl in the big city to her best advantage, spouting classic lines like – "Oh it's just so hard, men are always falling in love with me. And I just don't know what to do. I mean I'm from Ohio. It's so different there." Some of the things that come out of her self-assured mouth are so incredibly ridiculous, yet she is all the things you have come to expect in this modern society. According to Clea, food will be the death of all of us. Oh and before you ask, her mother was an alcoholic. So she doesn’t drink. Usually. Yet in our world of the internet, plastic surgery and gossip-rags, her every exclamation seems so utterly at home. The other actors also give strong performances. It was interesting to see Stephen Lovatt move from 'Go Girls' to something more dynamic, as his character goes from a powerless man seeking a bit of excitement, to unceremoniously crashing and burning. Lewis was interesting too, played out to subtly mirror Charlie’s life, but in reverse. Stella was fierce, a character so-named by Clea as the Nazi-priestess. Yet she is the most normal of the lot and the easiest to relate to, as a woman. There's no denying though, that Sophie Henderson as Clea, was the stand-out performance. The audience always kept on edge, waiting for her return to the stage and the ensuing hilarity. Scenes without Henderson, were spent in anticipation of her return. The staging of the play was also brilliant. The clean set had a modern feel to it. A definite props to the minimalism equals money school of thought. The simplicity meant the scenery lent itself to a number of different scenes without too much fuss, moving from a hip rooftop party, to Charlie and Stella's high-flying apartment, to Clea's small, pink bedroom. Yet the genius of the staging, was in the way the audience was pulled into the scene in close proximity. The shouts of laughter and gasps of astonishment, created a homey and sociable environment. Yet the performance of an especially raunchy scene, centimetres away from an awkwardly embarrassed male audience member, made me chuckle; the squeamish way in which he wasn't sure whether to avert his gaze or keep watching... was priceless. Kudos must also go to Stephen Lovatt and Sophie Henderson for staying in character, while virtually acting on top of the audience. 'The Scene' was enjoyable; a comedy with a dramatic message which left me pondering for a long time afterwards. So head on over to the Herald Theatre between the 29th of May and the 27th of June if you are in the mood for a bit of culture and comedy, a slap of ditzy banter and a hearty dose of life long lessons we all need to learn... as this is one play well worth braving the cold for. |
