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Pymble Players: The 39 Steps

31 October 202431 October 2024 Melissa Marsh

Pymble Players 39 Steps Rating

★★★★★

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For their final production, before they move to Chatswood, the Pymble Players present The 39 Steps. David Allsopp directed Patrick Barlow’s 2005 play, which was adapted from John Buchan’s 1915 novel and, of course, Alfred Hitchcock’s 1935 film.

If you are not already familiar with the story, let me assure you that you already know it even if you have yet to see it. The 39 Steps is easily where we get the plot of every spy thriller ever written. There is a beautiful woman with a mysterious accent who drags a hapless Englishman into a wild caper involving secret plans and hidden agents, which leads to a madcap chase across the Scottish moors. What is offered is a delightfully self-aware parody that the audience is invited to be a part of, and all of this is done by a stellar cast of only four actors.

Leading the cast and leading us through the story is Daniel Ferris as Richard Hannay. Richard, an average Englishman who was reluctantly dragged into the plot. At his side is Cassandra Gorman as Annabella, Margaret and Pamela, all of whom are very distinct from each other. The highlight of the evening, however, are Mitch Doran and Faith Jessel as our two clowns, playing at least 100 characters between them.

This rapid-fire performance required rapid costume changes, sometimes even on stage in the middle of dialogue, and all were done flawlessly without disrupting the comedic timing. If Ferris and Gorman form the structure of the play, Doran and Jessel are very much the energy.

Allsopp’s minimalist production design means the focus is almost entirely on our actors. I say “almost” because it is quite cheeky to see the stage managers directly interact with our cast, whether it’s a hand taking a prop or even two of them visible onstage with a fog machine and a pedestal fan.

The sound design brings richness to the performance, but even that is not above having a joke with us. When the phone keeps ringing after the character picks it up, was that deliberate or an opening night flub? I don’t care; either way, I’m laughing.

But I think what I admired the most was the real intimacy of the production, all the more emphasised by Pymble Players’ being in a small theatre. The action is not confined to the stage; the actors come through the audience and play part of the scene even directly in front of where I was sitting.

In the end, I think I enjoyed the play far more than I enjoyed watching Hitchcock’s film. Much has happened in the almost ninety years since the film first appeared. And while back then, Hitchcock played it completely seriously; now we can all have a lot of fun being part of the joke.

There are not many productions that can purport themselves to be “Hitchcock meets Monty Python” and can actually deliver on that promise. If you’d like to see it, I suggest you get in quickly as tickets are selling rapidly and it is easy to see why.

The season is almost SOLD OUT.

For a chance to purchase tickets to Pymble Players The 39 Steps please get to this link urgently @ https://pymbleplayers.com.au/the-39-steps

Session Dates/Times
November 1 Friday at – 8:00 PM
November 2 Saturday at – 3.00 PM
November 3 Sunday at – 3.00 PM
November 8 Friday at – 8:00 PM
November 9 Saturday at – 3:00 PM
November 10 Sunday at – 3.00 PM
November 13 Wednesday at – 8:00 PM
November 14 Thursday at – 8:00 PM
November 15 Friday at – 8:00 PM
November 16 Saturday at – 3:00 PM
November 17 Sunday at – 3:00 PM
November 22 Friday at – 8:00 PM
November 23 Saturday at – 3:00 PM
November 23 Saturday at – 8.00 PM

This review also appears on It’s On The House. Check out more reviews at Whats The Show to see what else is on in your town.

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Keep Moving Forward Along the Sweet Road

12 August 202410 August 2024 Linda Lokhee

Sweet Road Rating

★★★★★

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Come along for the ride into the Australian outback with Pymble Players’ Sweet Road. Literary award-winning playwright and scriptwriter Debra Oswald describes her play as a “road movie on stage” and directors Leah White and Rob White have successfully incorporated the stories of multiple characters to create this feel.

A strong part of the production that wove the story together as a quintessential Australian play was the sound design and soundscapes by Wayne Chee. Whether it be cicadas accompanying the stars, or the snippets of meaningful lyrics from Aussie song artists such as James Reyne’s “Reckless”, INXS’s “New Sensation” and Crowded House’s “Better Be Home Soon”, the song choice brought the audience into Australia’s heart.

With the recurring theme of being on the road, six characters revolve around each other, their lives intersecting during a time when they’re moving through stressful periods. Some characters are travellers by choice, others find themselves unexpectedly in front of the wheel heading somewhere else.

Jo (Tonia Davis) leads the opening scene as she narrates how she found herself hitting the road solo after witnessing a life changing incident. Tonia Davis portrays her character’s growth well, from being scattered to feeling whole again. Jo comes across teenage hitchhiker Yasmin (Ome Wu) who is on the way to being reunited with her boyfriend who is up north. Ome Wu successfully captured the high spirited buoyancy of youth in her character which made me smile. I felt that the young naive love struck Yasmin had a lesson to learn in this play, and when she returned in the second act, her storyline confirmed this.

Michael (Nick Roberts) has a job which takes him away from home, restocking soft drink vendor machines. He’s always moving around, never in one place for long and far away in kilometres and mind from his previous life; he’s running away. Michael’s story is tragic, and Nick Robert’s depiction of his character’s depth is admirable.

The fourth lone traveller is Frank (Murray Fane). We meet affable Frank at the caravan park, sitting contentedly on his camping chair, listening to his transistor radio. Frank is what Aussie’s term a ‘grey nomad’ traveller, and Frank’s story is touching and elicits empathy from the audience.

The only couple in Sweet Road are played by Chloe Callow as Carla and Dimitri Armatas as Andy. Married with two children and a dog (unseen but all three spoken frequently to – so the audience can imagine their little personalities), they are heaped inside an unreliable car, relocating to a potential job (not for the first time) that Andy is hoping to get. Andy is clearly hyperactive, bouncing with chatter, big dreams and even bigger positivity whilst Carla is the opposite. At first, we view Carla as a pessimist, stressed and uptight. As their story unfolds, I began to understand her frustration to Andy’s promises and subsequent disappointments and relate to why Carla was this way. Both Chloe Callow and Dimitri Armatas brought their characters to life with strong portrayals of their characters. With Carla carrying her daughter’s tiny Hello Kitty backpack, I hoped that this road trip would not be their last.

Jordan Andrews played 5 characters, each an integral supporting part of the story. Diverse roles such as The Policeman brought some laughs with his interaction with Carla and as Curtis, the hitchhiker, he brought tension and drama to the stage.

The set design by Rob and Leah White was minimal, but effective in combination with the lighting and projections by Wayne Chee. With some scenes being set in country servos (petrol stations), a caravan park and on the road, the wide open spaces of the Australian highways and towns were translated onto the stage with projections. Many scenes were set with the characters sitting in their car seats, miming steering. A standout with the lighting design were these scenes. When they were driving, we would know that they were on the road, with headlight beams showing the passing steady stream of cars and traffic light colours illuminating their drive. Some scenes where characters remained onstage but not lit, to show they were not on, whilst other scenes took place were masterfully done by all.

Due to the script, the first act was dialogue heavy and if the second act was similar, the play may have dragged. However, when drama occurs in the second act, it is here where the play comes together. The first act was needed to set up the characters’ stories in preparation.

Being on the road for everyone is a journey – you are travelling either towards or away from something. These characters’ lives intertwining, show the bones of humanity and the ripples of love, grief and acceptance. For some, what Sweet Road illuminates is that there is beauty in the freedom of the open road, but also for others it provides a safe space.

The Pymble Player’s Theatre have created an emotive play which many people will be able to relate to, from the young starry eyed teenager to the grey nomads amongst us – it’s a journey not to be missed.

Running Time: Two hours and 20 minutes, including a 20 minutes interval.

Season: 7-31 August 2024
Pymble Players Theatre
55A Mona Vale Road, entrance via Bromley Ave

https://pymbleplayers.com.au/sweet-road

This review also appears on It’s On The House. Check out more reviews at Whats The Show to see what else is on in your town.

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The Spook

3 June 202416 May 2024 Faith Jessel

The Spook Rating

★★★★★

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Travel back to the heart of 1960s working class Australia with ‘The Spook,’ by Melissa Reeves, where the spectre of betrayal looms large and true friendships are put to the test.

Set within the sleepy country town of Bendigo, we are drawn into an examination of the impact of external threats on community dynamics, and the frenzy of Cold War paranoia. These themes are personal, local and global. What makes them resonate is that this biting satire is based on real life events.

Director Casey Moon-Watton presents a thought provoking and at times confronting plot packed with political discourse and fiery debates. Audiences will listen carefully, perhaps even access Google afterwards when words like ‘Trotskyist’ and ‘neo-Marxism’ are casually dropped into the conversation. Loyalty, camaraderie and treachery interweave, yet despite the seriousness of these themes, it’s also unexpectedly funny and at times wryly witty.

In the tense Menzies era, where neighbours could be seen as enemies, the characters are vividly real in their flaws. Moon-Wattons’ open, minimalist and deliberately incomplete set design places each character’s emotional journey front and centre while serving as an ironic metaphor of the story’s exploration of hidden truths and obscured realities.

We experience this story through the eyes of young and naive Martin (Cameron Drake), who is teetering on the brink of adulthood, yet lacks direction and ambition. Struggling to find his identity, he is trapped within the confines of a stifling and banally homogenous community. As with most young adults, Martin just wants to be liked, seen and belong. This makes him perfect fodder for recruitment as a spy against the local Communist Party. Drake presents an agonising mix of adolescent awkwardness and bravado. As Martin slowly comes of age, he is forced to find his moral compass through the gradual realisation that life isn’t a game of heroes and villains.

Trixie, his watchful and disapproving mother, (Courtney Farrow) is everything you’d expect to be in a middle aged woman living in a small post war country town; stoic, repressed and afraid of change. Farrow did well to widen the generational gap despite being quite young for this role. She juggles quick costume and character changes with aplomb to also play Phyllis, the bright but unwitting member and partner of world weary party leader Frank (Rawdon Waller). Frank is the strong but abrasive voice of reason and Waller displayed an accurate understanding of an angry man battling within a system that is rapidly heading towards self-destruction.

Brett Joachim is Martin’s amusingly aloof Controller – in every sense of the word. He is oily and snarky as he manipulates and corrupts his charge’s innocence. He knows Martin is missing a father figure and confidante, which makes his actions and nonchalant lack of empathy quite ghastly.

Tida Dhanommitrapap has the daunting task of playing triple roles. Jean, a perpetually late party member and a stiff-upper lipped policewoman in Act 2. Her main role is Annette, Martin’s girlfriend, who delights in having something apart from Pick-a-Box to distract herself from her utter boredom of small town, small minded constraints and complete indifference to her pending marriage. Both an accomplice and hindrance, she enjoys the perceived glamour of her second-hand status without any of the moral repercussions.

(Nathan Heinrich and Kate Kelly) deliver solid and authentic performances, while producing credible accents as the mysterious Greek couple George and Eli Tassak. Their sad plight and immigration journey is compelling and raises the stakes in forcing Martin to see the real people and motivation behind the “right little nest of dirty Reds”.

Geoff Jones cleverly weaves a subtly chilling soundscape, complemented by an array of pop music and protest songs during scene changes. This enhanced the atmosphere of the era, adding tension and mood, while Anthea Brown’s costumes captured the ultimately conservative modesty of a country town lagging behind the trends and heady days of the swinging 60’s.

We have the indulgence to observe this distinctly Australian zeitgeist through the unique lens of historical context. In light of current politics around China, Palestine and Russia, it is more relevant today than ever. Will it never not be relevant?

‘The Spook’ serves as a timely reminder, highlighting the cyclical nature of history while injecting fresh perspectives into ongoing debates, with a distinctly nostalgic flavour. See this show to reignite your political fervour, embrace your apathy, or simply laugh at the consequences of both.

‘The Spook’ by The Pymble Players plays from 15th May – 8th June 2024. See https://pymbleplayers.com.au/the-spook for details.

This review also appears on It’s On The House. Check out more reviews at Whats The Show to see what else is on in your town.

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A Victorian Domestic Noir – Gaslight

6 November 20235 November 2023 Linda Lokhee

Patrick Hamilton’s play Gaslight is a classic domestic noir, performed with careful consideration by the Pymble Players. The English novelist and playwright wrote Gaslight in 1938. After its popularity with the resulting plays and the 1944 Hollywood film, ‘To Gaslight’ became synonymous with the meaning of someone psychologically manipulating another for their advantage, to make them doubt their memory, perception of reality and their own sanity.

Gaslight, directed by Joy Sweeney, is set in Victorian England. It revolves around the Manninghams – Jack and Bella. From the first introduction to these characters, we see an upper-class, seemingly happy couple. They are in the drawing room, where we subtly recognise wealth in the Manningham’s furniture and locked fold-up wooden writing cabinet. This is where tea is served in dainty teacups by the servants, a place where they can engage in relaxing conversation.

However, things do not remain relaxing for long. We soon see Jack, portrayed by Nick Roberts, turn from being a supportive and loving husband into an aggressive and accusatory bully. This flip-of-a-switch was acted with such credibility that it took the audience by surprise, which is how director Joy Sweeney wanted to present this psychological abuse “to create a feeling of severity”.

Amelia Conway’s fragile portrayal of Bella is outstanding, and as she goes from being joyfully excited by the invitation from her husband to attend the theatre to having him rescind it, we witness the disintegration of her mind. When she is victimised and scorned by Jack, we flinch. When Jack abruptly leaves the room, we feel his weighty presence in Bella’s nervous disposition.

There are clear delineations of class and power in this household.

The servants have different personalities, and both play a significant supporting role with strong performances. Georgia Drewe’s Nancy is bold, teetering on defiance towards her mistress. Kate Kelly’s Elizabeth is a strong, motherly and caring woman, reminiscent of perhaps a governess in another period drama.

As the play progresses, a stranger enters and begins to unravel a twenty-year mystery involving the house and the characters within. Retired Detective Rough, portrayed with finesse by David Kirkham, brings a sense of much-needed comedic levity to balance out the sharp points in a play involving domestic abuse. When explaining his visit to Bella, David’s Detective Rough, particularly during the first act, was a guiding narrator of the unfolding past. Therefore, his script was noticeably long, and David handled this task beautifully.

Gaslight is more of a slow burn than a thriller, where the audience is exposed to the intricacies of a mystery as it is revealed. It slots into the era of Agatha Christie, where we examine each character and try to figure out motives.

The cast’s wardrobe, by director Joy Sweeney, packaged up the Victorian era and captured the upper class wholly, down to the dress ruffles, long heavy capes and expensive hats.

Sound design by Geoff Jones kept the audience’s attention and ratcheted up the uneasy atmosphere throughout the play.

Gaslight highlights the domestic abuse darkness that lives behind closed doors, and though set in London in the 1880s, it remains as relevant and prevalent in modern society today.

Running Time: Two hours and 25 minutes, including one 20-minute intermission.

Season: 1st -26th November 2023
Pymble Players – 55A Mona Vale Road, entrance via Bromley Ave

Photographer: Daniel Ferris

This review also appears on It’s On The House, or check out more reviews at Dark Stories Theatre Reviews.

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