“… eerily good theatre”
Julia Newbould
4 Stars
Venue: Old Fitz
Woolloomooloo Sydney
Dates: Until Nov 1st
Fitz Happens: Where the haunt is
Five talented Australian playwrights have written ghostly monologues, delivered by five incredible actors for a night of eerily good theatre.
Coinciding with Halloween, each play creates the ambience of eerie campfire storytelling. Lights that go on and off spookily, a single chair here and there, fake hands, lonely scarves and a set that can easily accompany each performance in a different way.
This starts with Louis Nowra’s piece of a stage manager talking about travelling to an outback station to put on a show of Shakespeare’s The Tempest. Ava Madon’s delivery of the monologue is animated, hooking the audience into the winding tale with unexpected turns. Melanie Tait’s piece is next, which is more of a humorous look at what happens after you die young. Who cares, who remembers, and are your own memories real? Jennifer Rani brilliantly inhabits her character who you feel could be your best friend.
Next was my favourite, and not just because it was performed by Charles Wu – who cannot put a foot wrong – but because it was written by Kate Mulvany with a clever conceit around death and death clowns. Nicholas Brown offers a different type of tale told by a teenager, played by Kelsey Jeanell, who conjures up her own types of ghosts. Rounding out the five was Belinda Giblin performing Mary Rachel Brown’s ghost story. Another well told tale.
Director Mehhma Malhi has brought together the five monologues in a well-considered sequence and has brought out the best in each performer.
Fitz Happens: where the haunt is provides not only a great night out to celebrate great talent but it is a community fund raiser for the Old Fitz Theatre’s new Playwright Fund – an initiative designed to champion Australian playwrights. All participating artists are generously donating their time and talent, ensuring 100% of proceeds go directly to supporting the fund. This fund will be exclusively dedicated to advancing new Australian plays and the careers of playwrights. It will provide invaluable support to writers at every stage of their journey, helping to nurture the rich diversity and innovation that defines Australian theatre.
Four tricks and treats
Juia Newbould, Theatre Now
