News > Radio 3CR Curtain Up Gongs for 2007

Hoy Polloy received the following Radio 3CR Curtain Up Gongs for 2007:

Direction & Production > City & Inner Suburbs

Boston Marraige
by David Mamet
directed by Wayne Pearn
featuring Helen Hopkins, Corinne Davies & Eleanor Wilson

Performance > City & Inner Suburbs

Dave Kenyon
Laurence
Shining City
by Conor McPherson

Gravity > Melbourne Short & Sweet 2007

Hoy Polloy have been included in the Top 30 for Melbourne Short & Sweet 2007 and will produce Gravity in week 2: 12-15 December 2007 at 8.00pm.

Gravity
by Mark Andrew
directed by Wayne Pearn
featuring Ben Starick

Gravity is presented by the Arts Centre as part of Short & Sweet – the biggest 10-minute theatre competition in the world.

Short & Sweet
5 – 22 December
the Arts Centre, Fairfax Studio

Visit Short & Sweet.

Tickets: $23 - $28
Book Now! theartscentre.net.au*, 1300 136 166*, the Arts Centre Box Office or Ticketmaster outlets
* Transaction fee applies

The plays may contain adult themes.

Short & Sweet was conceived by Mark Cleary and first produced at Newtown Theatre (NSW).

Online Reviews > Boston Marriage

The Age > Cameron Woodhead
Theatre Notes > Alison Croggon
Theatre People > Angela Ellis
On Stage (and Walls) Melbourne > Michael Magnusson
The Rest Is Just Commentary > Avi Lipski
The Program > Lisa Pham
MCV > Michael Magnusson
Jotter Notes > David Maney

3CR Review > Boston Marriage

Reviewed by John Gunn on Sunday, 21.09.07 for 3CR’s “Curtain Up”
Sundays at 1.00pm on 855AM.

This play by David Mamet (who usually writes male orientated works) was written in 1999 and set at the turn of the 20th century, it concerns two women who are engaged in both a physical and emotional relationship hence, apparently, the term … “Boston marriage."

The play opens with Anna (Helen Hopkins) and Claire (Corinne Davies) arguing over Claire’s new found love while Anna’s Scottish maid Catherine (Eleanor Wilson) has to bear the brunt of both Anna and Claire’s harsh verbal rebukes. Important to consider just how ladies of the Victorian era survived financially and there aren’t many options – marriage to a gentleman of the same class, private income or allowance from the family….employment is definitely not on the agenda …

To overcome this predicament Anna has … er…’crossed the floor’… so to speak and taken on a male lover … a ‘protector’ who provides her with a comfortable roof over her head and ample means … but a problem rears its ugly head due to a slight slip by Anna re the gift of an emerald necklace from her lover and this becomes a major crisis in conjunction with the fickle actions of the two-timing Claire … the patsy of these two women is the hapless Scottish maid, Catherine on whom they regularly vent their spleens.

The play delivers some quick, witty dialogue of the Victorian era interspersed with, on occasion, more modern idioms and allows you the entrée into the lives of these three women (however unreal these seem to be), it is also mixed with some double entendres that further sorta kinda explain the relationships and (to me) their neurotic flights of fancy.

The two ‘ladies’ bitch and scrap throughout the play, scheming selfishly and fantastically over just how they can have their cake and eat it too … ie. how to maintain their genteel way of life. In the middle of all this mayhem they (true to their snobbish Boston class) treat their Scottish maid Catherine abominably, writing her off in their vitriolic and insensitive ways as a bit of bog Irish. The setting for these shenanigans is Anna’s elegant drawing room.

Wayne Pearn’s direction is well-paced and tight with the dialogue and characters being fully explored and given the necessary and often histrionic emotional treatment by the three actors. If, towards the end of the play when Anna’s emerald necklace takes on a major role, the play does tend towards farce, I feel it is in the writing and not this production.

Paul King’s simple yet classy set design fits the bill, also Wendy Drowley’s excellent costumes give a Victorian elegance and I was glad to see that these did not fall back on the ‘obvious’ of quasi male attire … also chuckled over the Beardsley type costumes towards the end of the play.

My one small quibble was the modern music played at the start of the play … maybe I missed some important point in the lyric but to me it did seem a little out of place for the period, particularly coming from a 19th century gramophone.

The three actors were uniformly good with Helen Hopkins and Corinne Davies running the full emotional gamut … wicked but so delicious although I must say I did have a soft spot for the poor down trodden maid played by Eleanor Wilson.

To sum up, a witty and entertaining caper that shouldn’t offend anyone - and it is good to see an all female ensemble on stage; some may go all ‘womens rights’ etc on this play but I don’t think it’s a work to take really seriously … it’s just a jolly good romp and I enjoyed it tremendously.

Boston Marriage continues at the Brunswick Mechanics Institute Performing Arts Centre, cnr Sydney and Glenlyon Roads, Brunswick (right on the tramline) until the 6/10 at 8.15pm and there is a 5pm performance today and bookings are on 9016 3873 … well worth a visit.

The Age > Right place, write time for Marriage

Visit The Age article "Right place, write time for Marriage" by Robin Usher.

News > Short & Sweet Melbourne 2007

Hoy Polloy have been included on the shortlist for Short & Sweet Melbourne 2007 to produce and perform Gravity by Mark Andrew.

Short & Sweet is the biggest 10-minute theatre competition in the world and features feisty, unpredictable and original plays by writers from around the world.

60 works will be selected for Short & Sweet and will be performed at the Arts Centre, Fairfax Studio, from 5 - 22 December 2007.

The plays to be performed will be announced on 10 October 2007.

Visit Short & Sweet.

Production Pic > Boston Marriage

Corinne Davies (Claire), Eleanor Wilson (Catherine) and Helen Hopkins (Anna).

Publicity Pic > Boston Marriage

Corinne Davies (Claire), Helen Hopkins (Anna) and Eleanor Wilson (Catherine).

Victorian Première > Boston Marriage

A little piece of Hollywood ...

Wayne Pearn (director Boston Marriage) most recently directed Seven of Hearts by Mark Andrew at Dantes in June 2007.

Tipping Point (scene six from Seven of Hearts) has been chosen as part of the 2007 season at The Secret Rose Theatre in Hollywood, starting in October.

Mark passed on his regards and thanks to Wayne, and actors: Rain and Patrick for finessing and polishing Tipping Point so expertly during Seven of Hearts at Dantes.

News > Ben Grant at MTC

Ben Grant, who featured in our previous production Shining City, is currently appearing in the world première of The Glass Soldier by Hannie Rayson presented by the Melbourne Theatre Company.

The season opens tonight and runs until 8 September 2007.

Cast Announcement > Boston Marriage

Thank you to all of those who auditioned and for your interest in the production.

We are pleased to announce the cast of the Victorian première of David Mamet's Boston Marriage (from left to right):

Anna > Helen Hopkins
Claire > Corinne Davies
Catherine > Eleanor Wilson

Audition > Boston Marriage

Auditions were recently held for our next production

Boston Marriage
by David Mamet
Directed by Wayne Pearn

Stay tuned for the cast announcement.

Australian Première > Shining City

Pic: Brianna O'Neil

Our production of Conor McPherson's Shining City, presented at the Mechanics Institute Performing Arts Centre during June 2007, was its Australian première.

The production was directed by Chris Baldock and featured Jonathan Dyer, Ben Grant, Corinne Davies and Dave Kenyon.

Reviews can be found at:
The Age
The Program
Australian Stage
Theatre People
MCV

Thank you to our supporters for this production:
> Yarra Trams
> Millimetre
> Stonier
> BIGPRINT
> ACOPA
> Moreland City Council