Presented by Accidental Productions
Reviewed Friday 21st October 2011
http://www.accidentalproductions.com.au/Sexual_Perversity.html
http://bakehousetheatre.com/shows/2011/sexual-perversity-chicago
Venue: Bakehouse Theatre, 255 Angas Street, Adelaide
Season: 8pm Wed to Sat until 5th Nov 2011
Duration: 60mins
Tickets: adult $23/conc $19/Fringe Benefits $16
Bookings: http://bakehousetheatre.com or (08) 8227 0505 or at the door
David Mamet takes us back to 1976, a time of flared trousers, Paisley shirts, bad moustaches and hairstyles, and what today would be considered politically incorrect attitudes of a high order. Anybody familiar with Mamet's later works will find this a surprisingly lightweight comedy, with considerably less bad language than he would use in the future. Thirty five years old, it is does not have the shock value that it might have once had, but it still had the audience laughing throughout.
In numerous fragments, we are introduced to four young people: Bernie and Danny, who work together, and Deborah and Joan, who share a dwelling. When Danny and Deborah meet, end up in bed and decide begin a relationship, with her eventually moving in with him, Bernie and Joan react strongly against it, each trying to convince their own friend to abandon the idea and maintain the status quo.
Bernie constantly bales up Danny with tales of his exotic sexual exploits, which helps to pass the working day for both of them, even though it is clear that Danny is taking it all with a very generous pinch of salt. Bernie also expounds his philosophy on how women should be treated, which is no doubt why he is terminally single. Joan has no time whatsoever for men, and Deborah admits to having bisexual tendencies, from which we conclude that she is referring to Joan, who we cannot help but suspect is a lesbian. When Bernie unsuccessfully tries his pick-up techniques on Joan, we see why Danny doubts the verisimilitude of Bernie's fantastic stories.
Bernie acts as a mentor to Danny, but actually has more of a Svengali-like hold over him. Joan is a controlling woman, who imposes her ideas upon Deborah. Each pair discuss their thoughts about the opposite sex, setting up what is to come later; another skirmish in the battle of the sexes.
When Danny and Deborah get together and look as though they are moving beyond a simple fling, Bernie and Joan each start to project their influence on their friends, adding more fuel to the relationship that quickly moves from the initial sexually induced attraction to a flammable situation as they argue and hurl insults. The conversations that they had earlier with their friends about the opposite sex has become a self-fulfilling prophecy. All of their dialogue, in fact, hides their true feelings, needs and insecurities.
Nic Krieg and Hjálmar Svenna play Danny and Bernie, quickly establishing a close rapport between their characters. While Svenna postures and blusters, as Bernie, Krieg's Danny appears, at first, a much more restrained and sensitive young man. This changes as the play moves forward and we discover that Danny is as much a Chauvinist as Bernie is a misogynist.
Renee Gentle plays Deborah, by far the most likeable of the quartet and with the least hang-ups about sex. Gentle gives her character an exuberance and resilience, showing an inner strength and independence that the others lack.
Mandahla Rose plays Joan as the strong, silent type. Joan is seemingly quiet, but a control freak, both in her work teaching young children and in her dealings with Deborah. Rose gives us the understanding that Joan would be a bad person to cross. There is a feeling of suppressed power that Rose lets us glimpse occasionally.
The very fine performances together make this piece sparkle, as it relies on all four being equally balanced and convincing characterisations. First time director, Jesse Butler, has cast the production well and both establishes and maintains a good pace, as well as drawing out good performances from the four actors. After this successful beginning, his future work as a director will be worth watching.
Designer, Tammy Boden, has created a set and collected costumes that capture the bad taste of the era well, firmly placing us in the 1970s, and Stephen Dean's excellent lighting design clearly delineates the various times and locations. This is a very funny production, filled with adult humour, quirky characters and slickly presented, a good effort from everybody.
Reviewed by Barry Lenny, Arts Editor, Glam Adelaide.
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