| St Abdul's Picturedrome by Michael Walters |
| First presented in 2005 by Antic Corporation |
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cast size:3
synopsis: Can you remember when this was something else? What's a building anyway? Did you want to get married? Are the films really as good as they used to be? Did we really promise to look after each other for ever? In here? Where are the desperate souls sharing their silence? Are you hungry? Drink more first. Drink much more first. Hottest thing on the menu please! Fresh from their success in last year's festival, Antic Coporation premiere a new play by Michael Waters commissioned especially by Swansea Fringe. The Company bring their distinctive performance style combining exciting visual theatre and video projection to create a world where everybody can be a in the movies, and the temptation of the voyeuer is too compelling to ignore. |
There are 2 reviews of Antic Corporation's St Abdul's Picturedrome in our database:
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St Abdul's Picturedrome
by Michael Waters
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[print] |
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venue Depot Studio, Grand Theatre, Swansea |
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October 18, 2005 |
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| Part of the Swansea Fringe 2005 Can you remember when this was something else? What’s a building anyway? Did you want to get married? Are the films really as good as they used to be? Did we really promise to look after each other for ever? In here? Where are the desperate souls sharing their silence? Are you hungry? Drink more first. Drink much more first. Hottest thing on the menu please! After the success of Gull and their outstanding production of Crazy Gary’s Mobile Disco in the Taste of the Fringe last October, Antic Corporation have done it again with the sell out premiere run of their fourth production, St Abdul’s Picturedrome. Commissioned especially for the 2005 Swansea Fringe writer Michael Waters and director Nikki Neale have created a dark, clever, visually arresting tale of home movies and movie stars, voyeurs and performers, heroes and cowards played out upon their trademark sparse set of video projections and white sheets. The play is set in a deserted Swansea church turned adult movie house on the eve before it’s transformation into an Indian Restaurant. Besotted young squaddie Gil (Craig Russell) is trying to make a night to remember for the object of his affection, slapper-come-starlet Tammy (LLanelli-born Catherine Morris), fearing if he fails, he could lose her forever. Watching from the shadows is the ghostlike, dickie-bowed form of jaded old John (Peter Richards). Each of the three have their own agenda for the evening, all quite different, yet forced to be in the same place for the night. Their captivating life stories unfurl with both wit and heartbreaking pathos. Poignantly passing comment on Generation Y’s obsession with fame, celebrity and Reality TV, Waters writes absorbing, believable characters. These are portrayed fantastically by the cast; homegrown acting talents enticed back from the bright lights for a rare chance to work on such a well-written piece on their own turf. Tammy, steered away from her planned night out on the town by Gil and his pre-planned chocolate box romance, throws a couple of TamTamtrums. Morris convincingly reveals her character’s needy, manipulative streak with both outbursts. Firstly, upon failing to seduce John, as she doesn’t know how to react to a man who doesn’t want to sleep with her; secondly, when her ploy to get a proposal, and thus an expensive ring out of Gil, and then run off to work for Disney…land without him, falls flat on it’s face. Meanwhile Russell is A* as the gullible little Gil, back from service with his shell-shocked, quick-to-snap temper being taken for a ride by his tactile tease and her TamTamTime. But why is John there? Which purpose of the building has ties that hold him so closely to its demise? Religion? Sex? Both? The true talent of the show, Richards’ outbursts and silences, weave the web together, stamping on the egotistical dreams of the youngsters and showing in turn how his own life dreams were shattered. Antic hopes to tour St Abdul’s early next summer. This fledgling company is old-before-it’s years talented yet still as contemporary as when it took its first breath. Impressive. |
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| reviewer: Susie Wild |
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St Abdul's Picturedrome
by Michael Walters
|
[print] |
|
venue Depot Studio, Grand Theatre, Swansea |
|
|
October 18, 2005 |
|
| Part of the Swansea Fringe 2005 Can you remember when this was something else? What’s a building anyway? Did you want to get married? Are the films really as good as they used to be? Did we really promise to look after each other for ever? In here? Where are the desperate souls sharing their silence? Are you hungry? Drink more first. Drink much more first. Hottest thing on the menu please! After the success of Gull and their outstanding production of Crazy Gary’s Mobile Disco in the Taste of the Fringe last October, Antic Corporation have done it again with the sell out premiere run of their fourth production, St Abdul’s Picturedrome. Commissioned especially for the 2005 Swansea Fringe writer Michael Waters and director Nikki Neale have created a dark, clever, visually arresting tale of home movies and movie stars, voyeurs and performers, heroes and cowards played out upon their trademark sparse set of video projections and white sheets. The play is set in a deserted Swansea church turned adult movie house on the eve before it’s transformation into an Indian Restaurant. Besotted young squaddie Gil (Craig Russell) is trying to make a night to remember for the object of his affection, slapper-come-starlet Tammy (LLanelli-born Catherine Morris), fearing if he fails, he could lose her forever. Watching from the shadows is the ghostlike, dickie-bowed form of jaded old John (Peter Richards). Each of the three have their own agenda for the evening, all quite different, yet forced to be in the same place for the night. Their captivating life stories unfurl with both wit and heartbreaking pathos. Poignantly passing comment on Generation Y’s obsession with fame, celebrity and Reality TV, Waters writes absorbing, believable characters. These are portrayed fantastically by the cast; homegrown acting talents enticed back from the bright lights for a rare chance to work on such a well-written piece on their own turf. Tammy, steered away from her planned night out on the town by Gil and his pre-planned chocolate box romance, throws a couple of TamTamtrums. Morris convincingly reveals her character’s needy, manipulative streak with both outbursts. Firstly, upon failing to seduce John, as she doesn’t know how to react to a man who doesn’t want to sleep with her; secondly, when her ploy to get a proposal, and thus an expensive ring out of Gil, and then run off to work for Disney…land without him, falls flat on it’s face. Meanwhile Russell is A* as the gullible little Gil, back from service with his shell-shocked, quick-to-snap temper being taken for a ride by his tactile tease and her TamTamTime. But why is John there? Which purpose of the building has ties that hold him so closely to its demise? Religion? Sex? Both? The true talent of the show, Richards’ outbursts and silences, weave the web together, stamping on the egotistical dreams of the youngsters and showing in turn how his own life dreams were shattered. Antic hopes to tour St Abdul’s early next summer. This fledgling company is old-before-it’s years talented yet still as contemporary as when it took its first breath. Impressive. |
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| reviewer: Susie Wild |
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