Reviews

Since January 2018 Adelaide’s STARC productions has produced seven plays where the focus is clearly on the actor and the text. Over this time the pairing of two of its founders, Stefani Rossi and Marc Clement has seen this tight acting partnership blossom into a mutually enriching team that is somewhat reminiscent of the pairings of legendary actors Katherine Hepburn and Spencer Tracy.

A comedy sci-fi satire in three parts, Control is about variations of ‘control’: being controlled, attempting to regain control, and losing control.  In its way, it is reminiscent of Charlie Brooker and Annabel Jones’ Black Mirror television series in which the characters adopt and use technology, only to face unintended consequences when they find that they are trapped and the outcomes are not at all what was expected.  One austere set, designed by Emily Collett serves for all three stories, with atmospheric light changes by Lisa Mibus.

In his program note, director Porter James says he wants to ‘tell [this] story today to continue the education for the younger generation on how far the gay community has come, and how we evolved into the LGBTI community of now’.  This production is a revival – and I suspect something of a reworking?

Entering a performance by the Gilbert and Sullivan Opera Sydney is unlike any other amateur company in Sydney. You settle into your seat in the very posh Shore School theatre and look into the pit. There are members of the orchestra as far as the eye can see. I lost count when I got past 30.

Under the baton of Rod Mounjed the melodies of Arthur Sullivan were polished and sparkling.  As for the words, well that is a different matter. Wordsmith Melvyn Morrow was commissioned to write some updates.