Monday 10 November 2008

The Pig Iron People


Tonight I saw the Sydney Theatre Company's production of John Doyle's play.

Based on people he has observed from his past, the play centres around characters, neighbours in a suburban street, steeped in the Menzies (1950s/1960s) era faced with the generational change of the 1990s. Drawing on humour of the music and advertising from those days, the play also has its dark and poignant moments as it delves into the characters' backgrounds.

The staging and lighting design were brilliant. A bare backdrop on which is projected a realistic image of a 1950s suburban street came to life in a most impressive fashion.

I think it is quite an ambitious work. I enjoyed much of its humour and yet was baffled at moments. What to make, for example, of a German dressed as a cricket umpire singing "Thank Heaven For Little Girls"?

Despite my bafflement it was a most interesting and enjoyable evening and the play was extremely well received by the capacity audience.

2 comments:

  1. I'm constantly amazed at how much theater you see. That's terrific!

    ReplyDelete
  2. wcs - I subscribe to the Sydney Theatre Company and see most, if not all, of its eleven major productions each year. I supplement that be seeing productions from other companies that engage my interest.

    ReplyDelete