THEATRE: A CLOCKWORK ORANGE

THEATRE: A CLOCKWORK ORANGE

REVIEW BY LUCY SHELLY

The New Theatre in Newtown always promises challenging and confronting theatre, so Anthony Burgess’s dark dystopian coming-of-age story A Clockwork Orange should have been perfect for the theatre. Fresh from directing the fantastic production of References To Salvador Dali Make Me Hot at Tap Gallery, Frieda Lee drops the ball with a show confusing in parts and with jarring out-of-place musical numbers.

As always with shows at The New, the production design was beautiful – especially James Croke’s dynamic futuristic set, which hinted at references to V for Vendetta, communist Russia, and Kubrick’s iconic film. The futuristic elements of the set and costume unfortunately are not carried by the action. The book and film both speak of an indefinable future of urban decline and totalitarian rule where Alex a charismatic juvenile delinquent who rapes, murders, and commits ‘ultra-violence’, but in Lee’s production the setting seems to like a twisted version of our time, another country but not another time.

The young actor playing Alex lacks the cool charisma the role deserves – there is not glint of genius or control, just a very naughty boy, which makes it hard to care about what happens to him. There is far too much pouting and school boy attitude without the clever sociopathic tendencies.

The other gripe I had with this show was the music. Described as ‘a play with music’ rather than a musical, the songs seemed disturbingly out of place, popping up when they were least useful and sung half heatedly as if the actors were embarrassed by their bursts of song. Even the Beethoven, that belongs in the story as part of Alex’s character, doesn’t sit right.

Burgess’ novel was originally banned in England for its descriptions of violence and rape, and has always been a controversial text. Lee’s production doesn’t shirk from the imagery, with impressive fight scenes and choreographed sex, but they lack the danger, and the horror needed to make an impression. There is also too much nudity with little or no purpose; the naked bodies not being more vulnerable at all or threatening merely awkward.

There is a redeeming force in The Chaplin who is played with more intelligence and humanity then the other actors, who sound like they are saying lines; he grounds the world of the play when he is on stage, but never enough to redeem it. This production was a surprising disappointment from a theatre that could offer so much more to the world on challenging and provocative art.

A Clockwork Orange
Until September 27
New Theatre
542 King St, Newtown
Tickets: $22-$27, 1300 306 776 or www.mca-tix.com

 

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