Image: www.portphillip.vic.gov.au/sparc_theatre.htm
As the SPARC Theatre Company enters its second decade of artistic projects, its new show Are You Lonesome Tonight was a spectacular display of how far it has come.
The sold out performance was joyous, humourous and well-paced, but with a serious undertone exploring loneliness and isolation in the urban community.
An audio interview of Elvis talking about his own ‘loneliness even when in a crowd’ set the show rolling. SPARC’s members, all of whom live in supported accommodation in the City of Port Phillip, continued to touch on this theme through song, poetry and mime.
Bryan Brennan nearly brought the audience to tears with his slow dance with an upturned mop accompanied by the strident soul mama voice of Rachel Edward who sings a heart wrenching song about unrequited love from the balcony.
Director Katie Lockett has done herself proud by devising a show comprised of a series of short cabaret sketches but which presents as a coherent piece of theatre which builds towards the end.
With fine comic timing and great musicality, the company whisks its audience through a collection of moving performances, comedy routines and visual gags, making it reminiscent of the anarchic unpredictability found in some of the best avant garde live art performances around in the late eighties.
MC “Guy” holds the space brilliantly with an engaging game-show host style, introducing the talent and then handing over the mic to provide an opportunity for performers to read an original poem, to play a piece of music or to play out a comedy sketch.
Ray Tiernan carries the show along with smooth disco moves as Reverend Love gently interviews a number of SPARC members to tease out their reflections on love.
Behind the spectacle of the show’s glitter, lights and digital expertise lies a less visible extensive network of active community supporting and nourishing SPARC’s theatre company.
SPARC began developing a the Elvis theme at their Tuesday meet-ups over two years ago. Though the Tuesday meetings are funded by the council, all additional activities such as excursions and this performance have to be funded through fundraising such as SPARCarnival and private donations. It was an anonymous donation in October 2014 that finally enabled SPARC members to go on a long awaited trip to Parkes in New South Wales for the Elvis festival.
Project manager Cathy Horsley pointed out that there are a host of volunteers (from prop makers to tea makers) and community involvement from Prahran Mission and Port Phillip Community Services, that help fund and make the show possible.
Are You Lonesome Tonight is family friendly and would prove popular across a broad range of audiences. It is a valuable show that provides visibility to people who bring so much to the world of theater and art and are all too often suffering from social isolation and lonesomeness.
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
Are You Lonesome Tonight
SPARC Theatre
Artistic Director – Katie Lockett
Support Artist/Musical Director – Myf Powell
Support Artist/Digital Designer – Rachel Edward
Guest Artist – Nico Forte
Guest Artist – Jeff Karutz
Designer – Katherine Branch
Project Manager – Cathy Horsley
Performed by Danny Quinlivin, Geoff Gent, Rodney Liebel, Raymond Westwood, Barry Lord, John Eslick, Johnny Evans, George Psylopoulos, Mary Grace Levakis, Bryan Brennan, Spiros Dendrinos, Dionysia Manis, Ioanna Constantelos, and Shannen Doa
