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A new theatre company has emerged in Sydney. The Company is simply called The Company, I guess much like a famous rock band, made famous. by Bob Dylan, with a charismatic frontman in Robbie Robertson, simply called themselves The Band. The Company has been  formed by a small group of alumni from the Actor’s Centre Australia’s COVID graduates of 2022 – a group who are, “keen to push the boundaries of theatre and investigate its ongoing potential as  a vessel for he human experience.”

The Company has made an interesting choice for it inaugural production, John Ford’s 17th century drama, ‘TIS A PITY SHE’S A WHORE. A  Guardian reviewer  described the play as, “a study of the irresistible force of rampant passion.”

The rampant passion is also of an  illicit nature. It is the forces of lust between two siblings Annabelle and Giovanni. Both know that their lust for each other can lead to no good. Giovanni seeks the counsel of the Friar who tells him to repent for his sinful thoughts.

Tragically, Giovanni is unable to contain his desire, and Giovanni and Annabelle consummate their passion. Things take an even darker turn when Annabelle falls ill and discovers that she is pregnant with Giovanni’s child.

Some plays are about people going off the rails, and the audience just has a collective gasp. As the play unfolded, things became baser and bloodier, and the body count grew.

The play reminded of another play of  the same time, William Shakespeare’s TITUS AND ADRONICUS. I remember, many years ago, seeing a Sydney Theatre Company production of it at the  Wharf 2 Theatre and starring the excellent Colin Moody, which was equally decadent and gory. I couldn’t wait for the play to finish.

Blood and gore, decadence and unbridled passion, has a long history in theatre, going back to ancient Greece, where theatre first began.

This kind of theatre is not my preference. What I can say is that The Company has put on an impressive first production. Now that it has got its first production up, always a tough mountain to climb, hopefully there will be many more challenging productions to come.

As the doomed lovers, Olivia Hall-Smith as Annabelle and Bailey Prendergast as Giovanni gave stellar performances.

Clay  Crighton  was compelling as  Sorenzo’s faithful to the end servant, Vasquez, and also played a mean violin, as was Claudia Shnier as Annabelle’s equally loyal servant/tutoress, Putana.

Mark Barry impressed as the upright, aloof Cardinal.

There were two veteran thespians amongst all the young performers and they shone in their roles. Maeliosa Stafford who used to run his own theatre company, the Druid Theatre Company, which would often perform at the Crossroads Theatre, now long gone, played The Friar who couldn’t manage to defuse the situation. Martin Portus played Annabelle and Giovanni’s good natured, respectable father Florio, who was completely blindsided by his siblings feelings for each other.

Harry Reid and Talia Benatar jointly directed the production. The staging and pacing was good. There was good use of the stage area including the upstairs area. Isabella Williams’ costumes were good.

‘TIS PITY SHE’S A WHORE is playing Flow Studios, 57 Denison Street, Camperdown until Sunday 13th November 2022. Performances start at 7.30pm. Sunday matinees are at 5.30pm

Cast : Olivia Hall-Smith, Rayley Prendergast, Arkia Ashraf, Maeliosa Stafford, Martin Portus, Clay Crighton, Claudia Shnier, Dallas Reedman, Steve Maresca, Will Manton, Isabella Williams, Mark Barry.

https://www.facebook.com/thecompanytheatre.au