‘Man of La Mancha’ – Squabbalogic

MAN OF LA MANCHA – BOOK BY DALE WASSERMAN, LYRICS BY JOE DARION & MUSIC BY MITCH LEIGH – DIRECTED BY JAY JAMES-MOODY – SQUABBALOGIC – REGINALD THEATRE, SEYMOUR CENTRE – 25 FEBRUARY – 21 MARCH 2015

Lea: A… somewhat confusing night at the theatre…
Sybil: I’m quite confunded. I’m not sure what I just saw. It didn’t seem like a Squabbalogic show to me.
Lea: No. It didn’t seem to have the same energy or truth in all the characters we’re used to.
Sybil: Yes, but I wonder – I genuinely think maybe I missed something – because we seemed to be in a minority in the audience – everyone seemed to be very enthusiastic.
Lea: Which is fantastic and I’m so pleased for them that they had a good night, and I’m so pleased for the performers.
Sybil: Exactly!
Lea: I just couldn’t get on the journey right at the very beginning. I didn’t quite believe it. I couldn’t believe that the inmates waiting for the Spanish Inquisition would get on board with Cervantes like that. It wasn’t absurd enough for me to make the leap, or truthful enough for me to make the leap.
Sybil: Yes. I just thought… maybe it was an allegory for something I missed, and maybe if I’d known what it was it would have made more sense? But you know, I was reminded in parts of The Fantasticks.
Lea: Oh, yes, exactly! I actually wondered if it was written by the same people.
Sybil: Yes, exactly. I wondered that too. But The Fantasticks…
Lea: Was much simpler…
Sybil: And gentler, and didn’t attempt such large scale themes… this one did. But I was just left wondering what it meant. And I feel like maybe I should have known, perhaps. But I didn’t. I didn’t get it.
Lea: I’ve heard of the show, but apart from ‘The Impossible Dream’, that’s the only thing I knew.
Sybil: And there were some pretty songs in there.
Lea: Oh yes – and some great moments!
Sybil: My favourite moment – and you leaned over and said ‘this is great’ – was that song ‘Only Thinking of You’… those three performers!
Lea: A-mazing.
Sybil: Amazing. I mean, the girl. That voice (credit to Courtney Glass)!
Lea: I know!
Sybil: Pure and effortless and gorgeous. And she performed it so well. Especially after – I’d been watching her…
Lea: Yes – as a scullery maid…
Sybil: Yes. And she was dirty and sexy and gritty and dismissive and… and then she turned in this absolutely flawless performance as the ingénue. And then… oh, the falsetto on that man (credit to Stephen Anderson)!
Lea: Yes! Wonderful!
Sybil: Just beautiful! And the man who played the priest, all the way through. His voice! Just gorgeous (credit to Glenn Hill).
Lea: He reminded me of Jon Bode a little bit.
Sybil: Really?
Lea: Just a little. Something in his voice.
Sybil: I didn’t get that. But stunning. The only thing was that I didn’t buy his giggling at the start… it seemed put on.
Lea: Yeah, some of the characterisations in the background just seemed a tiny bit caricaturish. I think that’s where my disbelief came in a bit.
Sybil: Yeah. But do you know what I did notice, especially in that second half, Jay James–Moody was sitting in that back corner.
Lea: Yes, I saw him there.
Sybil: And he was absolutely focussed. He had a bit of a wash of light on him so I was actually wondering if there was something he was going to do or something he was going to be a part of, but he was just 100% absolutely focussed. Even when he was playing the cymbals.
Lea: In character! Swish! I did really appreciate a lot of Tony Sheldon and Marika Aubrey’s performances.
Sybil: I just… again, it comes back to the same thing. I felt like I failed as an audience member to understand what the whole thing was about. Because if it was basically a mummers play while waiting in the dungeon, then I just don’t feel like I got it. If it’s about a bigger allegory that I should have understood, and been aware of, that I missed? Then that’s my fault for not being a well educated audience member. I just – there were moments. I loved Jay James–Moody’s little bit – you know as the barber?
Lea: Yes. It was excellent.
Sybil: His comic timing was great. Really, really well done.
Lea: And again, you’re right. He gave a focus to what was going on. It pulled that scene together and made it cohesive.
Sybil: For me all the Squabbalogic shows we’ve seen have had a real drive and a real vision.
Lea: There’s been something very modern about them.
Sybil: And there’s been an over–arching energy through the whole thing. So I felt very comfortable throughout the whole thing and I knew what was going on and WHY everything was happening – and it wasn’t patronising, but I got it. In this I don’t know whether it was the drive that was missing, whether it was the show… but I just didn’t get it.
Lea: Which is a problem, because it never felt resolved.
Sybil: Yes. I was sitting there wondering why I was watching.
Lea: Why they chose it.
Sybil: VERY much. Why DID they choose that? And that’s a very good question. Why? It’s such an unlikely choice.
Lea: Yes, I though that when it came up in the season, but I thought that they must be going to do something amazing.
Sybil: Cool! Yes, but they didn’t.
Lea: Ok, so, out of 5?
Sybil: (silence) We’re both scared to go first!
Lea: … two and a half?
Sybil: That’s where I was going.
Lea: Because it didn’t connect.
Sybil: Not with us. And obviously with a lot of the audience it did. So that’s great. I just… feel like I missed something. And maybe I’ll feel really stupid when I find out what it is. Maybe everything will come into focus and I’ll feel a lot better about life.
Lea: The penny will drop, and we’ll come back and re-write it!
Sybil: Yes!
Lea: And, note to the Seymour Centre, open the bar after the show!
Sybil: Yes! And get some comfortable seating, especially if you’re going to make me sit for 2 hours with a broken back and no break!
Lea: Broken back, no break, and no bar!
Sybil: Goddamn it!
Lea: Get the Bs sorted, and goodnight!

IN SUMMARY

Sybil: A rare Squabbalogic show I’m not raving about. Oddly disappointing, although with many strong performances. I wouldn’t see it again, but I’ll be there for the next Squabbalogic show with (politely silent) bells on.
Lea: It’s interesting that my overall disconnection with this production marred my enjoyment of the performances within it. I feel bad for not talking more about some of these fine performers, but the show itself got in the way.

Question: Have you felt alone, at the end of show, when you are no where near as enthusiastic as the rest of the audience?

POST SHOW DRINKS: Again the bar was closed after the show. The size of the Reginald audience evidently doesn’t warrant a staff member.
HANGOVER STATUS: Well if you don’t count pain killers for broken vertebrae and young children waking you up… all good!
MORE INFO: www.squabbalogic.com.au/man-of-la-mancha.html