It is always exciting to welcome a new theatre company on to Sydney’s rich and vibrant theatre scene. Drum roll, the Exclaim Theatre Company.
The Company’s raison de’tre is to showcase the talent that has come out of the Australian Institute Of Music’s (AIM) theatre program which the Institute has been running since 2004. The Company, headed by Jennifer Murphy, is entirely run by AIM alumni and has been set up to put on regular productions whereby graduates can continue to hone their craft.
Exclaim is using as its home venue the Australia Hall venue in inner city Elizabeth Street, pretty much directly opposite Sydney’s inner city courthouse mecca ,the Downing Centre.
Many arthouse cinema buffs of a certain vintage will know the Australia Hall very well, intimately, in fact. The Australia Hall used to be the wonderful Mandolin cinema which left a large hole on the Sydney cinema scene when it closed down. It’s so good to see this venue, presumably still owned by the Sydney City Council, being opened up again, and even better to see it being used for live theatre.
Exclaim’s revival of the quirky American musical, THE 25TH AMERICAN PUTNAM COUNTY SPELLING BEE, first produced off-Broadway in 2005, (lyrics and music by William Finn, book by Rachel Sheinkin), rates as an impressive debut and gets the look and feel of the show right.
What an inspired first choice…this is such a good natured, fun piece, and audiences can relate to it so easily; a group of kids competing with each other to win the grand prize for champion speller.
Bryce Halliday directs a spunky young cast who each get their chance to shine as they step into Rachel Sheinkin’s colourful characters.
Holly Summers-Clarke and Jonathon Holmes play the emcees of the Bee. Richard Woodhouse is the ex convict Comfort Counsellor, Emma Cooperthwaite plays Olive Ostrovsky who has to cope with her hippie mum, Zach Smith is the foot-tapping speller, William Barfee, Jaimie Leigh-Johnson plays Lorraine who is burdened by having two gay fathers, Meg Bate is the over-achiever Meg Bate, Anthony Finch plays good Jewish boy, Leaf, and Tim Dal Cortivo plays the puberty challenged Chip Tolentino.
Halliday was well supported by a good creative team- choreographer Monique Salle, Brendan Hay- set and costumes, Musical director Aaron Robuck, and lighting Mark Andres.
Musical director and keyboard player Aaroin Robuck lead a 5 piece band who kept up a good energy through the performance.
There are three more chances to see the show- this Friday at 8pm, Saturday at 9pm and Sunday 3pm at the Australia Hall, 150 Elizabeth Street, city.