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52 Pickup Little Theatre, Adelaide Uni Fri 17 Feb '52 Pick Up' is a play with a difference. The chance of seeing the same play on two separate occasions is almost out of the question. In fact, there's more chance of winning the lottery. How is this possible, you ask? The most interesting feature of this play is that the plot is determined by random selection, due to the play's unique concept. Writers Rita Bozi and TJ Dawe constructed the play around an ordinary deck of playing cards, with each card representing an individual scene. At the start of the play, the deck is cut and the cards scattered about the stage. The outcome is decided by the order that the cards are picked up. In a play with no visible plot, the influence of the director is certainly limited. The role of the director is restricted to perfecting each individual scene. The rest is literally picked up by the actors. Theatre Simple founders Llysa Holland and Andrew Litzky were both accomplished in their roles. They play the Guy and the Gal, total opposites of one another. Somehow they manage to fall in love. The 52 scenes depict different points in time in their relationship. I really admire the way these two actors worked to create a relaxed and fun atmosphere. It was apparent that they were having an enjoyable time performing. I also admired the way they snapped into place at the start of each scene. To be able to recollect the 52 scenes by suit and number of a card was an achievement in itself. While their ability to recollect was terrific, some of the scenes obviously needed more work put into them. The setting was understandably simplistic. For a play that jumps around frantically, time couldn't be wasted on set or scene changes. This aspect was clever; it meant no time spent waiting on the set and more on the action. Throughout the production music from such diverse performers as The Dirty Three and Nigel Kennedy augmented the performances. While the content of '52 Pick Up' was quite good, I enjoyed it more for it's unique concept. Seeing the play solely for this reason would be money well spent.  |
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