Adelaide Fringe

Shakespeare’s Mothers: Mad, Bad and Dangerous to Know – Adelaide Fringe 2011

Presented by Straylight Australia
Reviewed Saturday 5th March 2011

http://www.adelaidefringe.com.au
http://www.shakespearesmothers.blogspot.com

Venue: Bakehouse Theatre, Angas Street, Adelaide
Season: 7:30pm to Saturday 12th March 2011
Duration: 60mins
Tickets: adults $20/conc $17
Bookings: Fringe TIX outlets or http://www.adelaidefringe.com.au

Shakespeare’s mothers are not exactly a lot of warm, fuzzy, nurturing women. Many tend to be more like homicidal maniacs and some are insane. As the performance begins the Bard is on television, being interviewed about the influence that the mothers in his plays might be having as adverse role models for young women today. He opens his counterargument by insisting that they are not all bad, then thinks for a moment and begins to bring his mothers to centre stage to justify themselves and their actions.

The play is directed by Greg de Polnay and Roz Riley from a script by Kath Perry. Alexander Jonas takes the role of Shakespeare and all of the male characters whilst the female roles are shared between Cat Martin and Kath Perry.

There are, of course, some that are expected, the big names such as Lady MacBeth, Lady Capulet, Cleopatra, Goneril and Regan, but there are several from the less often performed plays as well. The three performers use only a few simple costumes, a scarf, coat or crown, to delineate between characters, the rest is done with their terrific characterisations. They continually switch characters, creating a wide range of completely different men and women in a superbly crafted piece of theatre

This is an exceptionally fine production that gives a unique insight into Shakespeare’s handling of women in his plays, putting them into context within the times, dealing with the requirements of his actors, as well as the importance of their characters and actions within the plays.

In the end, the jury is still out on these mothers and you, as the audience, are part of it. Draw your own conclusions about the actions these fascinating women. Get a ticket while you still can.

Reviewed by Barry Lenny, Arts Editor, Glam Adelaide.

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