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Dates and Venue 1 – 23 May 2009, 8pm | Jericho Arts Centre Reviewer Jane Penistan |
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36 Views covers a multitude of sins and several virtues. The 36 views are a reference to 36 views of Mount Fuji, a collection of woodblock prints by Katsushika Hokusal (1760 – 1849). The play deals with issues connected with ethics and art fraud, values, reflections, life styles and personal relationships, among others. With so much to examine its small wonder the viewers are left with some uncertainty at the end of the performance. Anthony F. Ingram has a strong versatile cast. His set has various artworks projected onto screens placed at strategic points of the sparse set so that his cast may walk round the art gallery viewing the paintings on exhibition during the run of the play. Accolades must go to Darren Boquist and Corwin Ferguson for their excellent combined work and Nina Prelog for the beautiful and ingenious costumes incorporating Japanese traditional styles. Michael Kopsa gives
a strong performance as the dubious art dealer, Darius Wheeler, trying
to evaluate his profit on a work shown to him as a genuine ancient Japanese
pillow book. The book in question is the reputed anonymous diary of
a court lady of the Helan era of Japan. Another dubious
member of the interested examiners of the book is Elizabeth Newman-Orr
(Annabel Kershaw), a journalist who is in need of something spectacular
to renew life in her column. She would be delighted to prove this sensational
find a fake. Perhaps this is all just court gossip! You have to go and be intrigued by this tightly interwoven script and its very well acted, directed and produced presentation by Tempus Theatre Company to find out. © 2009 Jane Penistan |
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