Impro's a precarious form of theatrical endeavour. It can end in tears all too easily. But Stewart McCure's creation, produced & directed by Marko Mustac begins and ends with laughs and general merriment, with a good time had by all. Jenny Hope has galvanised a diverse and talented cast. Emily Beale (an Honours grad in performing Arts) might be less than a year old as an improfessional, but her gung-ho betrays it. In the very last scene of the evening, she draws a character, from scratch, so vividly, it's spellbinding. In fact, this scene did end in tears, albeit feigned ones, as well as sweet and tender declarations of love. Charming.Beale's colleague in the last, NIDA grad and precocious STC vet Graham Hyland, showed similar aplomb and finely-honed craft.
Steen Raskopoulos, the youngest-ever Theatresports national champ, at 22, is an inventive and versatile player. As a repressed, Polish, dope-cultivating neighbour to babes-in-the-woods characters played by disarming country boy, Carlo Ritchie, and Triple M's Rachel Corbett, he was hilarious. Equally so, as a just-returned-from-Rio-where-I-finally-resolved-my-sexual-ambiguity character. Ritchie shows particular flair as the wide-eyed innocent, as against Corbett's savvy, cynical streetwise bent, but matched the comedic tenor pitched by Raskopoulos, as his just-lobbed lover. It would've been clever stuff if scripted as such. As think-on-the-feet fodder, it's pure, concentrated genius. Corbett plays along beautifully, as the jilted partner.
Susie Youssef is the kind of player you want on your team, in case anything looks like falling flat. She has a knack for finding words and sussing ideas that would otherwise be lost in the ether. Susie saves the day. Her resume reads like she's three-in-one; as much writer and producer as performer.
So much for introductions. Scenes From Communal Living had its genesis at Sydney Uni, but has enjoyed successful seasons in both London & Edinburgh, at the edgy fringe. That pedigree has delivered a high-calibre impro show, which, I imagine would be that much better still with, say, a Saturday night audience, rather than the moderated, .05 Tuesday night crowd.
Nonetheless, we were able to vicariously enjoy the torture of a double-date, of the sort you probably don't want, with a depraved RSVP two-timer; ride a tiny horse; unjustly shift blame for a broken antique; eject the housemate from Hell.
There are highlights in every sketch; too numerous to mention, since there was well over an hour-and-a-half of uninterrupted, solid gold improvisation. And the team is so good, so cohesive, they delude you into thinking the sheer adrenal terror of a blank page is easy and enjoyable. They make it so; for us at least.
If you've ever lived in a share house, you'll likely have tales to tell and this is the place to do it, as the actors take cues and ideas from the audience, to create their overwhelmingly comic vignettes.
SCENES FROM COMMUNAL LIVING
Created by Stewart McCure
Directed by Marko Mustac
Venue: Fusebox @ The Factory Theatre, 105 Victoria Road, Enmore
Dates: Tuesday November 3 - Sunday November 15
Tickets: $24 - $28
Bookings: (02) 9550 3666 or www.factorytheatre.com.au
