TipToe - Opening Night Review

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Wed 17 Jun 2015 - Sat 20 Jun 2015

Tiptoe , written, directed and produced by multiple award-winner, Sven Swenson opened Wednesday night at the Brisbane Powerhouse and was received by an audience who watched in both stunned silence and fits of giggles.

The Powerhouse was the perfect location for the stories of seven unfortunate souls and the ghosts that haunt them. In fact, the beautiful exposed brick of the building, with its graffiti scribbles, made a beautiful backdrop for all the sad projections that were displayed upon it.



Tiptoe is set in the Logan area after the conclusion of Word War I and as a result audiences can expects some clever Queensland based humor weaved into the brilliant script.

The stage itself was split into two distinct locations and time periods. On the right audiences were exposed to the happenings inside Binny Broadfoot's home on Valentine's Day. The left side of the stage however sent audiences six weeks into the past so we could see what Angus Drummond and Seth McClusky were doing on New Year's Eve. The two returned soldiers stay hidden away in a dilapidated humpy trying to understand the feelings that emerged between them during their military service. On both sides of the stage there is an unexpected knock at the door, and as new characters step over the limen Tiptoe suddenly becomes a fast-paced psychological thriller.



What is more brilliant than the split focus on stage is the way Swenson weaved the two plots together. I have now watched the confronting performance twice and only on the second time did I truly understand the consideration put into every single line, which allows this interaction to happen. Not only are certain props mirrored on both sides, but even when Binny is cussing about something completed different to what the war heroes are discussing, there are shared words, lines and themes that clash together and highlight the playwriting brilliance of Sven Swenson.



All seven characters had their own merits, as did the actors who played them. In fact, you know you have some really great characters on stage if one never utters a word and yet still captures the audience's attention. However it was Binny Broadfoot played by Sarah McLeod who excelled on the stage. This intimidating character whose desire to read every little occurrence as a warning of danger and whose nasty vocabulary will have even potty-mouthed audiences cringing, had the crowd in fits of gutsy laughter right to the very end. McLeod, with her extensive list of acting credits, did an incredible job of portraying this rough woman in both her commanding voice and often-vulgar demeanour.



Overall Tiptoe is a confronting and shocking thriller with a sharp script and tough characters. However this brilliant work is only in season for three more nights so don't wait around to grab your seat.

FEATURING
Sarah McLeod
Caitlin Hill
James Trigg
Sam Ryan
Michael Deed
Cameron Clark
Gene Von Banyard

DURATION
(2 hr 45 mins — includes interval)

AGES
Warning 15 : contains strong language, simulated sexual violence and nudity.

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!date 17/06/2015 -- 20/06/2015
%wnbrisbane