A Small Mind At The Theatre

The ultimate in relaxed festival atmosphere was achieved leading up to the start of Duality Theatre's performance with the two performers mingling effortless with the audience in the bijou NN Cafe. Sarah Kirk and Samantha Colden are our performers for a storytelling performance the like of which I haven't seen previously. This is a relaxed, lackadaisical show with a frequently bickering duo which belies the tough subject matter they are to tell. This is all about the unmentionable big C and its effect on not only the sufferer but the family and friends whom surround. During the forty minute show and despite Sarah irritatingly (for Samantha) strumming her ukulele and Samantha being challenged with accents and donning false eyebrows, some real tough material is mined. There is heavy and very detailed material in this script, certainly well researched with lots of technical terms you could only guess at the meaning of. However despite all the heavy subject, it is always kept...

A man in twenties Russia wants to kill himself. Let's all laugh hysterically, it seems right? Well it does during Moira Buffini adaption of Nikolai Erdman's satirical black comedy, The Suicide. Our protagonist Semyon Semyonovich (a masterful performance by Matt Larsson) has a double barrelled sausage and wants to have an end to it all. Indeed why wouldn't he want to end it? His failure at playing the Tuba because he doesn't have a piano, his most hideous (but, oh so funny) mother-in-law Serafima (a comic mastery performance from Sophie Poyntz Lloyd) always there giving him aggro. Then his wife Masha (a gentle, and very lovely performance from Sarah Kirk) leaves him. He really might as well top himself. If only there was a cause he could die for. Step forward neighbour Alexander (an effortless performance by Dale Endacott) and his (for a price) revolving door of potential causes for Semyon to die for. So we have through the doors in order Aristarkh (John Shelley provid...

I arrived at the avenue campus on a dull, rainy afternoon having left a pile of washing up behind me, how these pesky students knew of such things I have no idea. However, having received my ticket (a piece of string), I and the assembled crowd were invited into the Isham Studios (dark edition no less). Inside was a set consisting mainly of string, either hanging from the ceiling or pooling upon the floor. Also present was one of the actors wafting incense around which was leaving a pleasant aroma. Also music, a soothing, soulful song was playing, perfect to fall asleep to. Taking our seats (please take them, oh the agony), we waited for proceedings to begin. Our introduction came from Lydia Rose Blagg, one of those that I was able to identify in the show (thanking you Twitter), and I say now from the outset that I am yet to be able to know all of the stars in the show, but this detracts from not one of you, because, you were all mighty fine. However Lydia spirited us away from the...