The Sneeze is the first production from Sydney theatre company Theatre Forward, a collaboration between the five graduates of the 2008 NIDA Directors course, and the production is described as an experiment in theatre. Taking the play The Sneeze, written by Michael Frayn from a number of Anton Chekhov’s short comedies, each of the five directors rehearsed parts of the show in isolation for three days and then the company came together and created the performance from the results. The show they have created is very funny but not entirely satisfying.
The five comedic pieces are linked by a series of transitions set at a bus station where five commuters wait for a bus that never arrives. While this was a suitable device for moving the show from one piece to the next it failed to add much to the production which is a shame because the pieces themselves were tightly directed.
Of the five short segments, two really stood out. The middle piece “The Sneeze” is a beautifully realised piece of silent comedy and the final piece “The Bear” is an hilarious battle of the sexes that deservedly had the audience wailing with laughter and applauding the performances of Berynn Schwerdt and Annie Maynard. Throughout the show Schwerdt, amongst a very talented cast, stood out for his exaggerated but detailed physicality and his powerful energy and stage presence. One of the joys of this piece is the versatility of the performers. Each actor plays several roles and they all move through a range of comedic styles with apparent ease. It is a shame that the run is only five shows because the groundwork is there for a fantastic performance but I wonder if it will reach its’ full potential in such a short time.
On the program for The Sneeze, Theatre Forward state that “Theatre practitioners should commit to taking real risks…in the pursuit of something truly magical” this is an exciting and welcome statement at a time when many theatres are commissioning familiar, safe plays at the expense of supporting emerging artists and their work. It is a great pleasure to see Sydney’s next generation of theatre makers putting such bold ideas into action and backing them up with work that is different, engaging and of a very high quality. This play may not quite be something magical, but if this is the result of a three-week project from Theatre Forward I am very excited to see what they will produce in the future. This is intelligent, funny theatre and it’s very enjoyable.
The Sneeze plays at the Parade Theatre in Kensington until Saturday August 1st. Bookings on 9697 7600 or through Ticketek
NIDA PARADE STUDIO
215 Anzac Parade, Kensington NSW 2033
Season: Tuesday 28 July (Preview)
Wednesday 29 July – Saturday 1 August
Times: 7:30pm plus Saturday 1 August Matinee @ 2:00pm
Prices: $29 Adults / $24 Concession / $15 Preview
Bookings: boxoffice(AT)paradetheatres(DOT)com(DOT)au or www.ticketek.com.au
Information: www.theatreforward.com
