Reviews

Ever thought of including a famous writer in a plot similar in style to the same author; perhaps a close encounter with your own creation complete with antagonistic algorithms and a series of eerie twists and turns.

Herein lies this kind of intrigue in this suspenseful play surrounding the final period of famous mystery thriller novelist Patricia Highsmith's life. She is a complicated character and the various developmental outcomes that stem from this fact are not always for the faint hearted.

Play On! is an endearing comedy in the mould of Dinner For One, about an amateur theatre production that goes off the rails. It’s just three days before the opening night of Murder Most Foul and director Gerry Dunbar (Liz Bradley) is anxious. They’ve only chosen this play to get out of paying royalties, but it’s turgid, derivative twaddle, and worse, the playwright keeps amending the script—not that the edits improve it at all. The players vary from having way too much ego or none whatsoever.

Paul Capsis as the legendary and iconic Quentin Crisp is nothing short of brilliant. His magnificent performance is equally matched by the direction and the staging of Fountain’s sharp and opulent script. Crisp’s acerbic and wry humour, as well as his uncompromising controversial opinions, are sumptuously recreated in this play.

There is only one Stephen Sondheim. Though not the most popular, he is arguably the best ever composer for Musical Theatre. That, in itself, is enough reason to beg borrow or steal a ticket to this very special event. But there is also only one Nancye Hayes, whose star quality is dazzling, and one Phillip Quast (why has it taken so long for us to see him interpret Sondheim so exquisitely?); and one Lisa McCune (too young for Sally but who cares…she is divine) and one……well…