La Mama at The Courthouse, May 30 until June 15, 2002
Reviewer: Kate
Herbert
Sam Sejavka's play,
the Lord of Misrule, is a contemporary gothic parable about drug addiction and
inner urban angst.
Sejavka employs his
eccentric style yet again. It is a blend of futuristic sci-fi and the absurd. The
play is successful in part.
There is violence,
sexual perversion and drug references obviously. Any publicity could read like
an ABC television rating warning.
Sejavka is inclined to surprise us with
flights of fancy, poetic interludes and mad collisions of the contemporary, the
poetic, the mythic and the absurd. However, the play is probably an hour longer
than it needs to be and could do with a rigorous editor.
Luther (Anthony Johnston ) lives alone, tending
his peculiar chemical experiment in a bottle and doping himself daily on the
juices it exudes.
He is visited by his
equally addicted friend, Sugar, (Carmen
Mascia) who prostitutes herself to
a thug called Theudas. (Ben Grant
)
Luther's new
neighbour, Nira, ( Jessamy Dyer)
attempts to rescue Luther from his addiction only to become an addict herself. Complicated?
Yes. And a little confusing.
The narrative begins
with Luther as central character but takes an odd diversion into the increasingly
addictive behaviour of his neighbour, Nira.
This resolves itself
when she enters his life and tried to seduce him with insane combinations of
food: frankfurts and custard for example.
Johnston is engaging
as the manic, secretive Luther. Mascia brings warmth and sympathy to Sugar
while Dyer is energetic yet relaxed as Nira; even when another actor missed her
cue by several minutes.
Grant, unfortunately,
works in such a state of tension he is uncomfortable to watch. He is contorted
and overwrought, both vocally and physically.
Director, Christian
Leavesley emphasises a sense of menace
on stage. The design (Phil
Rolfe) is an interesting blend of suburban kitchen, aeroplane galley
and urinal wall.
Dramatic and vivid
lighting by Nick Merrylees and sound
design (Nadav Rayman, Boyd Korab) create an eerie atmosphere. There is a grungey
feel to this play and the space reflects student houses and druggy dives we
have known.
The Lord of Misrule has
merit as a piece of contemporary absurdism but it needs some clarification of
its vision.
By Kate Herbert
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