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The question might be asked: how do you like your Shakespeare --
traditional, contemporary, risqué, erotic, classical, rock'n'roll, or
just plain nude?
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Well it doesn't matter because the Grin & Tonic offer it all in their
latest production: Seasons,
and serve it up with a side dish of enthusiasm. It is no secret that
these people love their jobs, it shows in every minute that they are on
stage, and for that matter before the show has even begun. From the
Bard-pianist in the foyer to the puppet-show
Macbeth
to Elvis singing Measure for Measure,
this is a production of which the sole purpose is to entertain, and that it does very well.
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I must admit that I am more used to seeing the G&T in performance spaces
with less class: a dusty, disused warehouse, old churches, an abandoned
quarry, various parks, in fact anywhere where they can get a theatrical
space to fill with their current production. To see them in the heart of
Southbank
at the Cremorne,
a 'real' theatre, is not an experience that I am generally accustomed to
where the G&T are concerned. However, like nearly all G&T performances
that I have seen, Seasons manages to maintain an informal
atmosphere that creates a genuine feeling of intimacy between audience and
actors, and makes the added bonus of a front row seat all the more
accessible, and believe me, you will want to be close to the action.
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This is bare-bones theatre at its best. The stage is small, and the props
and the lighting combine in a simplicity that belies it elegance. Scene
changes, and therefore mood changes, are almost instantaneous as the
performance shifts from scene to scene, from play to play. There is in
this stage action a recognition of what is essential in Shakespearean
theatre: successful productions require a collaboration between the actor,
the audience, and their combined imaginations.
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It is quite clear that the G&T's actor/director Bryan Nason has carried on
a public love affair with Shakespeare for more years than many of us care
to remember, and it is also clear that this passion shows no signs of
abating. Furthermore Nason's passion is infectious, it spreads through
his highly energetic and multi-talented cast, finally spilling over into
the audience itself. And the G&T's offering is as diverse as are the
talents of his troupe, from the frequently performed
Romeo and Juliet,
Twelfth Night,
King Lear, etc.,
to those that are generally unlikely to be performed
anywhere outside of London or the two Stratfords (UK and Canada), such as
3 Henry VI,
Troilus and Cressida,
and the apocryphal Edward
III, as well as the highly erotic narrative poem
"Venus and Adonis".
In all the performance offers selections from fifteen plays and the aforementioned
"Venus and Adonis"
interwoven amidst a tapestry of Shakespearean songs and
sonnets.
If you know your Shakespeare you are in for a treat spotting the
references, if your don't, then you'll just have to be content with being
thoroughly entertained.
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Seasons finishes at the Cremorne on 4 Sep. and after that the G&T
will follow a theatrical tradition that predates even the material of
their current show by taking their production on the road. Seasons
tours regional Queensland later this year, catch it if you can.
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Details
Grin & Tonic's Seasons.
Director: Bryan Nason.
Cremorne Theatre, Brisbane, 21 Aug. - 4 Sep.
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Citation reference for this article
MLA style:
Drew Whitehead. Present Mirth Hath Present Laughter: Grin & Tonic's 'Seasons'." M/C Reviews 4 Sep. 1999.
[your date of access] <http://www.uq.edu.au/mc/reviews/events/seasons.html>.
Chicago style:
Drew Whitehead, "Present Mirth Hath Present Laughter: Grin & Tonic's 'Seasons'," M/C Reviews 4 Sep. 1999,
<http://www.uq.edu.au/mc/reviews/events/seasons.html> ([your date of access]).
APA style:
Drew Whitehead. (1999) Present mirth hath present laughter: Grin & Tonic's 'Seasons'. M/C Reviews 4 Sep. 1999.
<http://www.uq.edu.au/mc/reviews/events/seasons.html> ([your date of access]).
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