Lunchtime Theatre
at Trades Hall until June 30, 2000 ( 12.10 & 1.10pm)
Reviewer: Kate
Herbert
It is astonishing how
an artist can leave her individual imprint on a show. Director, Maude Davey has
left her identifiable fingerprints all over Skipping by Lunchtime Theatre.
The signs are as much her personal trademarks as those of
her theatre group, Crying in Public Places. In Skipping, we see and hear à
capella songs, female voices, intimate stories told directly to audience,
moments of stillness and quirky physical performance ideas.
Davey's signature, if it may be defined, is a blending of
voice and body with a natural presence. This is how she has directed the three
women in Lunchtime Theatre's most successful piece for some time.
Amanda Armstrong, Natalie Carr and Jocelyn Evans are on an
empty stage underneath a beautifully rendered and lit metallic image of The
Skipping Girl who used to cavort on top of a factory in Richmond. This was a
Melbourne icon that should never have been allowed to be removed.
Writer, Trudy McLauchlan, gives the three actors stories to
tell us about modern romantic love, if the terms modern and romantic may be
used in the same phrase.
Her writing is brisk and often funny and the stage
collaboration between writer and director is strong.
Only the first story relates to Skipping Girl unfortunately.
The next deals with Barbie being responsible for little girls' presuming they
would be blissfully happy as adults.
Others relate to married men who lie, dates who cancel,
seemingly blissful marriages. There are some good gags about pulling the petals
off daisies. "He loves me. He stands me up" The final story is the
best - and it's about goats!
The songs are pleasant and the three women are competent
singers. There is, however, something missing. The trio lack the charisma of
their mentor's group, Crying, and they seem under-confident and sometimes
awkward on stage.
This is a swiftly-moving and cheerful 50-minute show that
fits into your lunchtime if you can get to the Trades Hall on week days. And
you get soup and bread as well. A bargain!
By Kate Herbert
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