For those who have frequented The Butterfly Club, you will be familiar with their shows, fantastic foyer bars, and their self-described ‘enormous collection of kitsch’. Tucked away on Carson Place, this venue has real charm to it and staff that are efficient and polite – even when advising patrons that the opening night performance of Don’t Be A C***: This Is How was delayed due to ‘technical difficulties’.
Such a warning may have set off minor alarm bells inside the heads of some audience members. For seasoned theatre goers and even casual supporters of the venue, a degree of lateness may be acceptable and a certain degree of understanding is to be expected – things can often and do go wrong. But on this night the production seemed to be riddled with difficulties – both from a technical and an acting viewpoint.
Julia Rorke, a nominee for the Golden Gibbo Award at the 2018 Melbourne International Comedy Festival and nominee for Emerging Artist in Comedy at the 2018 Adelaide Fringe, seemed to be out of her element during this particular performance. She stammered over her lines as she attempted to navigate through a plot that was arguably nonsensical in nature, all the while dealing with a range of uncooperative sound and lighting problems. Audiences were left perplexed at points during the performance, as Julia shouted over the microphone to her technician, asking ‘Where’s my music?’
With the audience being fully aware that there had been technical difficulties prior to the show’s commencement, and seeing awkward silences on stage when cues were being clearly missed, it is hard to overlook such problems, which deeply detract from the production.
In productions that use minimalist props and sets, especially solo acts, having the ability to negotiate around technical interruptions and improvise when need be can be a great asset. Unfortunately, in this instance, Rorke’s inflexibility and determination to stick to the script only exacerbated the flaws with this particular performance.
The script does have its moments, notably when Julia is rattling off her list of self-help books, which have some rather witty, comical, and R 18+ titles. Furthermore, once Julia has settled into the role, she has a powerful and commanding energy that fills the room, ensuring that as much as possible, everybody’s attention was firmly on the stage.
That said, it seemed as though this production needs a bit more time to flesh out some of the ideas at play. As performed, the piece feels unfinished, with some material inserted only as filler, while the ending was so abrupt that the audience was left sitting wondering if the performance had actually finished.
Don’t Be A C***: This Is How could certainly have potential if reworked and fine-tuned. Reviews for the show’s previous incarnations suggest that it was well received, garnering the adulation of its audiences at the Adelaide Fringe among others. At The Butterfly Club however, it made a rather unimpressive splash, making it appear as though this was a completely different production altogether.
Rating: 2 stars ★★
Don’t Be A C***: This Is How
Julia Rorke
The Butterfly Club, Melbourne
18-23 February 2019
