25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee // Brisbane Arts Theatre

 

Review by Jake Goodall

Are your spelling skills ready and primed? The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee is now accepting entrants from across SEQ! Located in the heart of Brisbane City, the Brisbane Arts Theatre provides a beautiful backdrop for this hilariously funny musical.

In this competition, six spellers enter, but only one will leave as the champion. Even the losers get a consolation prize, a juice box! An eclectic group of six mid-pubescents compete for the spelling championship of a lifetime. While they share hilarious and touching stories from their home lives, they navigate their way through a series of challenging (and possibly made-up) words, hoping to avoid the dreaded “ding” of the bell.

Natalie Mead’s direction was simple yet effective. Instead of creating a spectacle, she focused on developing each actor’s characterisation, resulting in performances that were interesting and multi-dimensional. The actors clearly put in a lot of effort to delve into the depths of their characters, allowing the audience to connect with each of them.

The music direction by Emma Parkinson and vocal direction by Jayke T-Hunt was commendable. The ensemble numbers were angelic, and T-Hunt’s work on harmonies was evident. However, there were occasional issues with music track levels, affecting the actors’ ability to stay in tune and in time. It might be beneficial to pay further attention to fold-back and levels to ensure the musical numbers are delivered as intended. Additionally, potentially exploring transposition of William Finn’s music to better suit the actors’ vocal ranges could help address vocal cracks, especially in these later shows of the season when vocal fatigue sets in. Szonja Meszaros’ choreography was simple and fun, creating a fantastic primary school atmosphere filled with pandemonium and a fabulous kick line.

The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee has a trademark audience participation characteristic to it, where 4 audience members are picked and placed within the spelling bee. This reviewer was lucky enough to be included in this participation which gave a special insight into the actor’s thoughts and movements. All four of us were up and down spelling our hearts out (this reviewer was struck out on ‘Atheist,’ ‘I before E except after C was the rule…. Except in this exception!!) As fun as it was, it was a little jarring to see the actors flip from character to person as they gave instructions, it may help with the immersive experience of the audience participation if the actors gave those instructions in character. 

George Pitt’s lighting design was simple yet effective, creating the atmosphere of a school gym with plain washes and spotlighting to highlight the contestants’ memories. Notably, the use of silhouettes during ‘The I Love You Song’ was a striking and confronting choice.Scott Lymbery’s set design realistically recreated a school gym, complete with basketball hoops, rope climbs, music stands, and more. Kate Clarke’s costume design was spot-on, effectively conveying each character’s archetype.

Among the cast, Harrison Wilkes as Chip Tolentino delivered a hard-hitting performance as the repressed boy scout, earning plenty of laughs, especially during the ‘unfortunate erection’ song. Eloise Newman as Logainne Schwartzandgrubenniere stood out for her impeccable humor and ability to portray the character’s pressure and vulnerability. Pip Richardson’s portrayal of Leaf Coneybear was endearing and tastefully portrayed ADHD. Timothy Buckney’s William Barfée was humorously annoying, and the character’s egotism in a school spelling bee context was a hit with the audience. Daisy Thwaites’ Marcy Park was a fan favourite, and her vocal solo was both humorous and impressive, resonating with the straight-A students. Rea Basha’s Olive Ostrovsky stole the show with a sweet and compelling performance, showcasing the character’s strength in the face of adversity, especially during ‘The I Love You Song.’

Troy Bullock as Vice Principal Douglas Panch, Stephanie Collins as Rona Lisa Peretti, and Benjamin Oxley as Mitch Mahoney played pivotal roles in moving the story forward and injecting additional humour into the production. The understudies and swings, including Jenna Nixon, Ashlie Beauchamp, Sam McLaughlin, and Lara Hinton, ensured a seamless performance.

In summary, Brisbane Arts Theatre’s production of The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee promises a night filled with laughter and fantastic music.