A Life in Theatre | Ad Astra
Ad Astra’s A Life in the Theatre is a raucous night of comedy and an insight into the potential mindsets of working actors.
Written by David Mamet, this two-hander show is filled with what I call ‘Mamet-isms’ – from his colloquial and profane dialogue, vignette style story structure and working-class characters. This two-hander follows established actor Robert (Francis McMahon) who takes emerging actor John (Jesse Richardson) under his wing; but only until John’s glory starts to overtake his own.
Director, Pierce Gordon with Assistant Director, Caitlin Hill and producers and actors, Francis McMahon and Jesse Richardson. All images by Fraser Smith
An absurd satire and love letter to theatre, director Pierce Gordon brought the text to life with such nuance; acknowledging the slice of the theatre industry it represents and finding parallels to contemporary theatre practices. From the actor’s relationship to the space, the dynamic role of the sets and the combination of naturalistic and comedic acting styles, Gordon expertly captured Mamet’s chaotic world.
Now to the actors. McMahon was magnetic as Robert, embodying his facetious nature, extravagant philosophies and proper mannerisms with such ease. He commanded the stage for whole seventy-five minutes and reminded us why he is a tour de force in the Brisbane theatre scene. Richardson captured the naivety, ambition and wide-eyed longing of an emerging actor, while showing his vulnerabilities and insecurities. The two actors together playing off of each other were formidable to watch and left our bellies swollen from laughter.
Bill Haycock’s production design encompassed both a backstage area and a dressing room with the fluorescent light baubles (thanks to lighting designer Nathaniel Knight) that I myself, as an actor, have taken many a photo in the rehearsal room. It felt very authentic and complimented the world of the characters beautifully.
My only criticism of the work, if you will, is that the text itself could have been more compact. Once both characters had reached their arc, the text keep going and going. It became too predictable for the audience, as the cadence of the scenes rarely deviated from its structure – one that was fun and fresh at first, but did begin to tire in the second half.
A Life in The Theatre was a rollicking good time that absolutely earnt its place in my Friday night.
‘A Life in Theatre’ plays at Ad Astra, New Farm until 1 April 2023.
