Skip to main content

Review: Closer // La Boite

 Written by Jake Goodall

Get ready for desire, betrayal, love and sex as Closer takes the stage at Brisbane's La Boite Theatre. 24 years since its original La Boite production, Closer returns to the La Boite stage under the skillful direction of Courtney Stewart who happens to also be the theatre's Artistic Director. This production is penned to rival your morals and set your heart ablaze throughout the entire production. 

The four lives of Alice, Anna, Dan and Larry intertwine over the course of four and a half years in this densely plotted look at modern love and betrayal. Dan, an obituary writer, meets Alice, a stripper, after an accident in the street. Eighteen months later, they are a couple, and Dan has written a novel inspired by Alice. While posing for his book jacket cover, Dan meets Anna, a photographer. He pursues her, but she rejects his advances despite their mutual attraction. Larry, a dermatologist, meets Dan in an internet chat room. Dan, obsessing over Anna, pretends to be her and has cybersex with Larry. They arrange to meet the next day at an aquarium. Larry arrives and so too, coincidentally, does the real Anna. This sets up a series of pass-the-lover scenes in which this quartet struggle to find intimacy but can’t seem to get closer.

The script itself delves into sexual politics and showcases the myths of love and romance, and cross examines the fall out between love and lust. Closer seems like an interesting production on the outside however the script falls short of modernism and is definitely a character of the past. Whilst the creative team utilised a contemporary and modern lens to look at the work, some further development could have been employed to ensure the hard hitting themes of the show was done with intent, rather than what felt like an after thought. It is important to put these types of productions on stage, however we must be careful about the themes and how these are portrayed in our modern world, especially with the #MeToo movement.

Directed by Courtney Stewart, it was hard to fault any production elements of this show. Stewart's artistic vision was clear from the very beginning and each creative added their own personality to the ultimate vision. Blocking and theatre making in an arena theatre (or theatre in the round) is an extremely difficult task, however it is clear Stewart has had extensive experience in creating in this space and it is no different in Closer. Stewart had worked with the performers to create multifaceted characters that each had their own redeeming quality despite their horrific actions.

Set & Costume design by M'ck McKeague was simple yet effective, utilisng squared stain glassesq blocks to emulate each setting was an ingenious choice, just showcasing how love can shatter in an instant. The use of pink and white thorugh the production was also a smart and intentional choice with pink being the colour of love and white being of innocence. McKeague has thought of every single aspect of this design to create a symbolic and useful design. Lighting by Glenn Hughs was simple and effective utilising simple plain washes throughout the show which helped to highlight the character's story, a particular lighting design that spoke to this reviewer was the lighting at the end to signify Alice's demise. Did she die, did she run away or did she dissappear, we will never know! Sound design by Wil Hughes was complementary, Hughes composed some evocative pieces of a RnB/eDM vibe that really emulated the productions design impeccably.

Sophia Emberson-Bain as Alice was hilariously perfect, their elegant use of comedy and drama really gave this character incredible layers that were revealed as the production went on. Anna McGahan as Anna was hard hitting and fabulous, McGahan is a talented performer creating a character many could relate to. Showing how hard it is to reveal yourself to your partner but proving the importance of having a hard exterior and tough skin. Colin Smith as Larry is another character that provided incredible comedy, Smith played this kink (yes kinky) character with grace and charm. Some further development could have been utilised in comedic timing as there were many lines that were inaudible due to the audience laughing, however this is sure to resolve as the production continues. Finally the highlight of the production was Kevin Spink as Dan. Spink took this character on a four year journey and showcased the characters development over those four years. It is clear Spink made time during the rehearsal period to develop a timeline of their character that the audience loved and hated.

Overall, Closer at La Boite is a good night out at the theatre for any adult lover of the theatre to view something different. Whilst there were some small critiques, this production once again proves why La Boite is one of the longest standing continual theatre companies in the world. Their eagerness to showcase bold and daring productions and putting them on in unbelievable ways. Don't miss your chance to see Closer at La Boite Theatre, must close 20th April!

Book your tickets to closer now!

Photos by Stephen Henry

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Review: Freshblood Festival - Vena Cava

Written By Thor Morrison Upcoming creatives need a place to experiment, to prosper, to explore, and even to sometimes miss the mark. It is essential that spaces that allow this to happen exist, especially in a world obsessed with perfectionism. The Freshblood Festival is an annual event run by QUT Student Theatre Company Vena Cava, focused on young writers and performers, and it does just that. It provides a space for the new and upcoming creatives of Brisbane and surrounds to experiment, have fun, and create really exciting performances. Held at BackDock Arts in Fortitude Valley, and running over two consecutive weekends, it is a massive endeavour Vena Cava have given themselves. 14 independent shows, two play readings, and 8 music acts ensure that Freshblood has something for everyone to enjoy, and shows the variety and scale of the Festival itself. Drama Dispatch was able to attend most of the second weekend, seeing a total of seven shows and a play reading, and was greatly impresse...

Interview: Deborah Conway AM // Book of Life

 ​​ ​ ​  Australian music legend, Deborah Conway AM returns to the Queensland Performing Arts Centre this April as a part of her national tour of Australia. We got the chance to sit down with Deborah to have a brief chat about her new show and the music industry! Can you share a little about your book 'Book of Life'? Book of Life is a memoir detailing stories of growing up in an idiosyncratic household, of becoming a musician, the sordid adventures of youth, the at odds relationships musicians have with the music industry, of love, of becoming a mother, of work, of creativity, through to the full flowering maturity of all facets of growing into an adult in the most complete way. What was the approach to bring the book to stage in this show? I started writing in November 2019, sitting on my couch in Melbourne. March 2020 brought the cancellation of everything. I was very fortunate to have begun a project that I was finding so absorbing. As the lockdowns stretched on in Vi...

Review: Hair - Gold Coast Little Theatre

 Written by Mark Rickell   “Back in the late 1960s, the artists of off-Broadway and off-off-Broadway had been complaining that the professional theatre was dead, and even worse, that it was boring. Hair was the revolution they had been waiting for. With very little plot, a unit set, plenty of four-letter words, explicit sexual content, rituals, drugs, lyrics that didn’t rhyme, music that didn’t follow the rules, and the sound of genuine rock and roll on the Broadway stage for the first time, this musical knocked Broadway on its collective ass.” - Scott Miller, Rebels with Applause: Broadway's Ground-Breaking Musicals   Gold Coast Little Theatre has faithfully continued the tradition of knocking theatre on its ass. With themes and topics that remain just as relevant today as they did in 1967 at the show’s original release, GCLT has absolutely smashed this Broadway classic. At a time when theatres across South East Queensland seem to be falling back o...