Malthouse Theatre, Edinburgh International Festival, Sydney Theatre Company and Sydney Festival
30 May 2009
Merlyn Theatre, CUB Malthouse
When the next generation of theatre writers wax lyrical about Australian Theatre in the mid- to late-noughties, the Kantor-Malthouse style will not be forgotten. Since 2004, Kantor has led Playbox to Malthouse and invigorated one of Australia’s favourite companies.
Kantor’s style is to re-fashion a classic work with a very-now re-write, cast a well-known performer (preferably not an actor) alongside some very experienced ones (preferably with names like Barry, Alison and Francis) and some great newcomers, throw in a collection of songs from Kantor’s CD collection and hope that Anna Tregloan can design it. Sometimes it works a treat (Sleeping Beauty) and other times I’m left wondering (Woyzeck).
In Optimism, Voltaire’s Candide gets the Tom Wright script treatment; Frank Woodley is the outsider; Otto, Whyte and Greenslade are on board; 40-somethings cringe because we know the words to Haysi Fantaysee’s “Shiny Shiny” and growl because the program notes didn’t list the right name of The Go-Between’s song; and Tregloan let the stage fly with a wonderful use of giant fans and plastic curtains.
All the top-notch ingredients are there, but I was still left wondering.
The songs are a hoot and the performances worthy of Australia’s Got Talent - but do they serve the story? The mix-tape of contemporary music in Sleeping Beauty showed character and moved the story, but here they felt like they were chosen for their joke value, or to let an unused cast member sing, or to prove that Barry Otto knows he can’t dance. The took us away of the story and each time it was harder to come back to a point of empathy and caring.
Story telling is about caring. Now I’ve loved Frank Woodley since he was a Found Object back in the 80s and find myself singing his “get on the bus” ad each time I get on a tram. ‘”Frank” is one of our great comic characters and was the ideal cho ice for the optimistic and confused Candide. But it’s still Frank. Frank talks to the audience, improvises beautifully, causes his fellow-performers to giggle and lets us all laugh at the fun he’s having – but then it’s back to the “play”, and it’s still Frank we’re watching, not Candide. It’s hardto care about Candide, when we know it’s Frank playing. Woodley is a terrific performer and I would love to have seen what Optimism could have been if he’d been given some really strong direction and been made to leave Frank outside with a pile of comics and one of those never-ending packets of Tim Tams.
No artistic director will ever please us all or get it right every time. I don’t like every decision Kantor makes for Malthouse, but I love that he takes risks, nurtures our independent companies and lets some incredible artists shine. What frustrates me is that I can see what he wants his shows to be. I can see the thought process, the ideas, the research and the intelligence behind his choices, but too often the amazing show that is running in his head, isn’t running on the stage.
Optimism is off to the Edinburgh International Festival in August and will be at the Sydney Festival next year. Works like this need time with audiences to settle and develop, so of course I’m optimistic that the festival audiences are in for a treat and hope that I get the chance to see what it becomes.
This review originally appeared on AussieTheatre.com.
