How does one review the First Curtain Festival, comprising seven unique, contrasting, thoroughly entertaining plays in five hundred words? I’ll do it in six: the true meaning of community theatre.
I attended the Clayton Community Centre Theatrette for the inaugural performance by the Camberwell Grammarian Theatre Company (CGTC). From the moment I walked through the door, I could feel the hope, the joy, and the connection of every individual who had contributed towards the evening’s success. It was truly the stuff community is made of.
The evening was constructed of seven brand-new short plays, each brought to life for the first time by an ensemble cast of fifteen dedicated and talented performers who wove their way across different characters, plots, eras, genres, and locations.
I would firstly like to offer my sincere congratulations to the writers and directors of each play performed. The audience was truly transported. The Last of the Gentlemen Sleuths, written by Noah Sargent and directed by William Rotor, provided a hilarious whodunnit in the world of 1950s Britain.
That Story About the Louvre, written by DS Magid and directed by Jai Barlow, transported us to central Paris, where we could almost believe we might find the perfect colour to repair a not-quite-ready painting. Drop Dead, written by Benjamin Chesler and directed by Lakshmi Ganapathy, warned us about the dire consequences of logging in outback Australia.
Emily Takes a Lover, written and directed by Julie Murphy, had us cheering for Emily as she took her justified fifty per cent from her unfaithful husband. Salmon, written by Peter Farrar and directed by Angus Fitzpatrick, had the audience sitting with a waiter and an apprentice chef musing about the struggles of working in the service industry.
Chips, written and directed by James Gordon, had us truly believing we lived in a mind-blowing, futuristic world in which humans were turned into “PO-TA-TO” chips.
While each play left its own unique imprint on the audience, one performance brought the entire theatre to complete, pin-drop silence. Bystander, written by Jennifer Pacey and directed by Ben Klein, offered a poignant insight into the deeply rooted complexities of trauma from the perspectives of three witnesses to a life-changing moment.
The casting of Crystal Haig, Shirin Albert, and Alexia Brady was utter perfection. This trio of powerhouse women ventured into every possible nuance of the text, employing flawless rhythm, emotional viscerality, and an electrifying sense of ensemble unity. I am hopeful to see this creative team and cast on professional stages soon.
The First Curtain Festival evidently had a well-oiled village behind it. The program celebrated pages of helping hands across all areas of production. It is crystal-clear that CGTC is a highly cohesive, collaborative, and inclusive community that celebrates the successes of all of its members.
It is always refreshing when a company takes a chance on new, grassroots, Australian work. I truly believe that CGTC has given new works a safe and nurturing place to be seen. If this is the first Curtain Festival, the sequel can’t come soon enough.
First Curtain Festival was presented by the Camberwell Grammarians Theatre Company and ran from 5 – 8 March at the Clayton Community Centre Theatrette.
The season has now ended.
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Photo credits: Aqila Shafa Arimurti
