Theatre: Watt

The Gate Theatre Dublin

for the Perth Festival

From the novel by Samuel Beckett

Selected and performed by Barry McGovern

Directed by Tom Creed

Heath Ledger Theatre

Until February 17

When the doors closed at the Heath Ledger Theatre, something happened.

The audience reduced their conversations to a whisper, in anticipation of the arrival of the actor on stage. When, however, some time had passed and the play did not begin, and as if on cue, the whisperers resumed talking at their previous volume. This sudden increase in sound suggested that an incident of some kind had occurred, impelling people to look for it. Others, seeing the direction in which many of their fellows were looking, began looking in that direction as well. People, unable to see for themselves what had occurred (because nothing had), began asking each other what was going on.

It was an auspicious beginning for a night in the company of a writer with an unsurpassed ability to describe what happens when nothing does, and an actor, in Barry McGovern, with the skill and focus to bring it to the stage.

Link here to my complete review in The West Australian

Theatre: The Strange Undoing of Prudencia Hart

by David Greig

The National Theatre of Scotland

Directed by Wils Wilson

Composer and musical director Alasdair Macrae

With Annie Grace, Melody Grove, Alasdair Macrae, Paul McCole and David McKay

Little Creatures Loft and The Melbourne Hotel until February 24 (waiting list only)

Last year you could still get a ticket to The National Theatre of Scotland’s pulverising Beautiful Burnout deep into the season. No such luck this time. The company’s third visit to the Perth Festival, The Strange Undoing of Prudencia Hart, already has a waiting list, and it’s going to get very, very long.

The rush is, in part, because of the company’s well-earned reputation here, and because the festival’s publicity promised “rip-roaring action” set, and performed, in a bar, and that’s bound to pull Perth punters.

The good news, for those of you holding tickets, is that Prudencia Hart delivers all that’s promised for it, and a whole lot besides.

Theatre: The Threepenny Opera

By Bertolt Brecht and Kurt Weill

The Berliner Ensemble

Directed and designed by Robert Wilson

His Majesty’s Theatre

Until February 11

For Robert Wilson, the celebrated American director and polymath, The Threepenny Opera is a canvas of unparalleled potential upon which to paint huge expanses of history, politics, thought and culture, and the result is a thrilling, beautifully defined piece of theatrical high art.

Wilson’s techniques arise from his belief that each element of theatre is equally important, so a prop or a lighting change, the movement of scenery or an actor’s finger is as significant as the narrative; a tiny sound effect as vital as a song.

This demands a phenomenal attention to detail, and the painstaking creation of space and hierarchies of sensation, so everything that happens or can be experienced is defined and able to register clearly.

It’s a process that needs time to deliver, and time for an audience to decipher; the rewards don’t come immediately, but they are very great indeed.

Link here to the complete review in The West Australian