Just about everyone is dead in this performance of Bill Russell’s ELEGIES FOR ANGELS, PUNKS AND RAGING QUEENS. They have died from AIDS and roughly thirty characters tell their story through a series of poems. This performance is beautifully directed by Brett Russell. The characters do not recite their poems but engage in a simple narrative with the audience.
The poems are interlaced with some show style songs, mostly in the Disney musical style with a little jazz and soul. The singing is incredible and more than fills the Reginald Theatre in the Seymour Centre. The main singers are Lucy Maunder, who sang opposite Anthony Warlow in DR ZHIVAGO, Jason Te Patu and Paul Whitely who were in JERSEY BOYS and Belinda Wollaston, who also sang opposite Anthony Warlow in DR ZHIVAGO.
The backing ensemble is simple and elegant, featuring musical director Chris King on piano, Emily Palethorpe and her sublime cello, and Verna Lee’s delicate harp playing.
ELEGIES was inspired by the NAMES Project AIDS Memorial Quilt and while each story is ultimately a grim tale they are much broader in concept than an individual’s demise. Universal themes are explored, such as friendship, hatred, intolerance, addiction, patriotism, glamour and shopping. Unexpectedly, many of these stories are very funny. Even though each monologue is brief the writing and performance is of such quality that empathy is developed with many of the characters.
It is difficult to highlight any particular performance as they all are engaging and well conveyed but to give an idea of the range of reactions to being diagnosed, we have Deirdre Lee’s sales executive being ignored, ill treated and finding her real friends, a drag queen hamming it up for the hospital ward, junkies still wanting another hit, Cooper Amal’s homophobe finding unexpected friendship, Jonathon Acosta’s Paco is ostracised by his mother and taken in by another mama. and Alex Osmond’s Joe lamenting that he didn’t get the fabulous square on the aids quilt that he craved for.
ELEGIES FOR ANGELS, PUNKS AND RAGING QUEENS is highly recommended.
ELEGIES FOR ANGELS, PUNKS AND RAGING QUEENS is a Sydney Mardi Gras event which opened at the Seymour Centre Wednesday, 29th February, 2012, and runs until Saturday 3rd March, 2012.
© Mark Pigott
3rd March, 2012
Tags: Sydney Theatre Reviews- ELEGIES FOR ANGELS, PUNKS AND RAGING QUEENS. Reginald Theatre Seymour Centre, Bill Russell, Lucy Maunder, Jason Te Patu, Paul Whitely, Belinda Wollaston, Chris King, Emily Palethorpe, Verna Lee, NAMES PROJECT MEMORIAL QUILT, Deidre Lee, Cooper Amal, Jonathon Acosta, Alex Ormond, Sydney Mardi Gras, Mark Pigott, Sydney Arts Guide.