Presented by Unseen Theatre Company
Reviewed Saturday 15th Sept 2012
Reaper Man starts and finishes with words from Sir Terry Pratchett himself, beginning with an introduction to the Discworld, and fittingly ending with “ I remember when all this will be again”. Fitting and poignant words when you remember that Sir Terry is battling Alzheimers Disease and, in honour of this, all proceeds of Reaper Man’s preview night were donated to Alzheimers SA.
This is a highly complex and lengthy story, as are most of Pratchett’s pieces, and Unseen Theatre Company Artistic Director, Pamela Munt, puts the amount of effort into adapting the book into her script, and directing the play, which shows it’s a real labour of love. Pamela Munt also plays the part of Miss Flitworth, the human who takes pity on Death and, in turn, has Death treat her as the special person she is.
With a small but multitalented cast and crew, Munt recreates the Discworld, with great effects and costumes and minimal props. When you realise that just 11 actors are playing 29 characters over two hours, it gives you a bit more of a reality check on the talents of these actors. Pamela Munt has the happy knack of casting just the right actor, and what’s more, just the right enthusiastic actor who puts so much into Munt’s vision and comes back for more.
As an outstanding example of simple yet effective stage design, I must mention The Auditors, played perfectly by Paul Messenger, Michael Coumis, and Leighton James, who appear to be floating in the cosmos whilst they bicker, which is no small feat.
Death is the star and leading man of this story, played by Hugh O’Connor, who, although I dislike putting it quite this way, is very experienced at playing Death, but he didn’t corpse (apologies). O’Connor brings Death to life (more apologies) with a strong stage presence, and somehow manages to act brilliantly through a death mask (yet more apologies for the turn of phrase). He managed to be both a threatening character and a sympathetic one at the same time, whilst giving us insights into the difficulty of being an anthropomorphic entity.
David Dyte has the demanding job of being co-director as well as acting five parts, becoming Death’s gentleman’s not much of a gentleman Albert, Modo the longsuffering head gardener at Unseen University, and a thief, a priest and a villager with ease and facility, with Modo seeming to merge into Dyte himself; perhaps a new hobby is coming up?
Michelle Whichello played two such totally disparate characters equally brilliantly that I didn’t realise that it was the same actor portraying both, although I think my personal favourite was the Countess (by marriage) Notfaroutoe, played with verve and a corset.
Lucy Hass-Hennessy’s five different roles were all competently handled, with her managing to shine even in such a nondescript part as a ‘villager’, and when she is given a part with a bit more to it she positively rivets the attention of the audience.
Samm Blackmore returned as Footnote, the essential narrator that guides us through the Discworld. As in all of Pratchett’s books, the footnote fulfils the role of educating and amusing us, which Blackmore did with panache.
New to Unseen Theatre Company is Conor Duggan, who shows his versatility by throwing himself wholeheartedly into his role as a priest, being so visible that’s its hard to think of him in his other invisible role of stagehand.
One of the joys of Reaper Man is the comedy of the academics, led by Paul Messenger bringing Archchancellor Mustrum Ridcully back to us, it’s his third time as the Archchancellor, with a sense of power and dignity which makes us totally believe that he does actually run (in a manner of speaking) The Unseen University. Michael Coumis’s role as the Bursar showed us what humour in acting skills can do with a role, whilst Daniel McInnes, Leighton James and Hugh O’Connor rounded out the University Board with great characterisations.
To see this production is to experience the dark humour of Sir Terry Pratchett’s Discworld, as presented by a local talented cast and crew, and to also know that by doing so you are becoming part of a local history series of events. We look forward to the 24th Pratchett play from Unseen Theatre Company.
Reviewed by Christine Pyman, Visual Arts Critic and special guest Performing Arts Critic, Glam Adelaide
Bakehouse Theatre Reaper Man page
Venue: The Bakehouse Theatre, 255 Angas Street, Adelaide
Season: 14th to 29th Sept 2012
Duration: 2hrs
Tickets: Adults $18/conc $15
Bookings: Bakehouse Theatre on 8227 0505 or here
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