REVIEW: Murder & Mayhem in Shakespeare
Hawke's Bay Opera House, Hastings
8pm, October 18 and 19
Tickets at venue $5 - $20
Reviewed by Amanda Jackson
Three plays, Macbeth, Comedy of Errors and Othello were chosen to expose the scope and versatility not only of the writing of Shakespeare, but of a bulk of work
performed by the talented group at HaBYT.
The evening is long and embraces high drama, action, colour and humour. There are ample opportunities for many theatrical devices to be experimented with, mostly to great effect although occasionally overused. Ample use was made of lighting techniques, successfully adding to a stark stage, minimal props and high drama.
Costumes were designed for two eras, Elizabethan and the 1940s and they were really fabulous. In Comedy of Errors the large cast were dressed in a wonderful display of interesting colour and ethnicity and it really added to the visual excitement of frenzied action. Use was made of the entire auditorium - the box seats, circle and stalls as well as the substantial stage. The direction took into account the boundless energy, tangible enthusiasm and commitment from this bunch of developing actors and provided a vast space within which to move.
There were some really good performances and some less free, but on the whole it is obvious the cast have got their teeth into the words and style of Shakespeare and relished his unique gift to theatre. Coping with the challenges of a large theatre was a mixed bag in terms of clarity and enunciation at times but the volume and awareness of the audience was apparent.
In each of the plays there were charming ideas, small directional details that served the players well and added to the overall success of an enlightening evening, showcasing a standard of understanding and development seldom seen in young actors.
