Savage in Limbo at Lucky Duck

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Tue 22 Jan 2019 - Sat 02 Feb 2019

Fans of theatre in alternative spaces or just good theatre, in general, will love Big Scary Animal's production of John Patrick Shanley's Savage in Limbo at the [LINK=https://www.facebook.com/LuckyDuckEspresso]Lucky Duck Cafe & Bar.[/LINKthe ] Take opportunity to see a play set in a bar that is staged in a bar with themes of change and the forces that keep us from becoming different.



About the Lucky Duck Cafe & Bar

Located in the lower end of Highgate Hill near South Bank, the Lucky Duck is a great little place that provides light meals, coffee and drinks. But there is more to this cafe and bar than that. While many places try to be a space for art, theatre, comedy, local music and creativity, Lucky Duck seems to succeed more than others.



About the play

John Patrick Shanley's play asks the question, why do some people head out drinking in a bar on a Monday night? The play explores the theme of our desire to change and escape from our lives as they are now and the forces both external and internal that keep us from doing this. With five characters, one setting and in one act, themes of love, sex, personality, youth, age, magic, practicality and much more are intertwined together with a sense of bitter humour.



This production

Under the guidance of producer Anatoly Frusin and with five very experienced stage and screen actors, this production puts us brilliantly into the space. It is a play set in a bar and staged in a bar. We are sitting up close and personal with the actors around us, beers in hand. We are not watching a play but sitting in the middle of a conversation that goes around and over us. It is like listening to a really entertaining conversation or fight in a public place but with depth, wit and a bit of wonder.



The five actors in this play do wonderfully. Each creates a character that is also a caricature. That sounds like a criticism, but each character is an archetype and named accordingly. Denise Savage, of course, acts brutally, April White brings an of innocence not completely lost, Murk is murky and Linda Rotunda has large breasts. This superficiality is part of the comedic aspect of the play.

However no one in the story is merely a cipher and each has a complex set of hopes, desires, dreams and a past, which is explored with beautifully without labouring any points. Yet each has a key weakness, a single dimension which could hold them back or set them free.

So praise to all the actors in this production. Julian Curtis is great as Antony Aronica, doing great work bringing depth to a fairly shallow character. Marika Marrosszeky fully expresses the sexuality, strength, weakness and despair of Linda Rotunda. Zoe Houghton humanizes Denise Savage, giving her a coating of loveliness that is believable over her more brutal personality traits. I felt Marcus Oborn was good but a little wasted in the character of Murk. Though Marcus does well in giving the least developed character in the play some complexity.



The stand out performance was from Melanie Zanetti as April White. It is said that acting is reacting and her ability to be part of the conversation, even when she is saying little, is fantastic, creating a continual presence for a character who will burst in and fade out doing the play.

Getting there

Parking is pretty easy in the side streets in the area as you are far enough away from West End and South Bank to be able to find free parking spots. Public transportation is not that easy, but the cafe is only a 10 minute walk from South Bank bus and train stations.

Before and after the play

The Lucky Duck does simple meals so there is no reason not to come in early and have a pizza and beer before the show. If you want something more substantial, there isn't much in the immediate area so you would want to head to West End or South Bank, with Lucky Duck being close enough to walk from those areas. But make sure you leave yourself enough time to arrive before the play starts.

Afterwards, your best option is to stay on and enjoy a drink or two at the bar and if you want to kick on, then, of course, both South Bank and West End have plenty of bars.

The verdict

As the story unfolds around the audience, heads swing back and forth with a fervour rarely seen outside of a tennis match. We are not watching a play but witnesses to events and conversations right there in front of us. Savage in Limbo is worth checking out for fans of theatre and performance.

#bars
#cafes
#highgate_hill
#inner_suburbs
#performing_arts
#theatre
#january
!date 22/01/2019 -- 02/02/2019
%wnbrisbane