Songbird, presented as part of NAIDOC week, is the sophomore production from local theatre group Imprint Productions, and the final production in the current season at Perth’s Blue Room Theatre. Written by Shakara Walley, directed by Ian Wilkes and featuring live music, Songbird tells the story, of three young indigenous people and their fracturing relationships.
I went into this piece with high hopes, indeed walking through the door and being greeted by Patrick Howe’s fantastic set (a bar/diner setting replete with chequered floor and candle decked tables) only made me more excited for next hour or so to come. Yet unfortunately I left feeling a bit underwhelmed; it was by no means a bad production, I can’t really say there was anything particularly bad about it. It was for the most part entertaining, but ultimately I just wasn’t overly moved by it.
The plot; boy falling for best friend’s sister, getting her pregnant, and best friend finding out getting suitably pissed off and reckless, has been told before and is not exactly new. Though I feel Songbird managed to avoid falling completely into the black hole of stereotype.
For the most part I enjoyed the writing in particular the the shifts between the past and the present, which allowed us to see the relationship of these three characters; Brooke, Leon and Mike develop and then fracture. Though I wasn’t overly convinced by Brooke and Leon’s relationship. The upside of seeing these relationships develop was that Mike’s eventual death has that bit of more of an emotion impact. Especially if we hadn’t seen how protective he was of his sister. Yet at the same time because his death was foreshadowed near enough right from the start that impact, for me, was diminished somewhat.
One issue that I did have with the writing though was the initial conversation between Brooke and Leon that touched Leon’s job back in Perth as a consultant on indigenous affairs; for me this was an overtly political statement dropped into an otherwise apolitical play. For me it came across as jarring and unnatural; and perhaps the same sentiment could have been worked into the play, in a more nuanced and subtle way.
Of the three performers I enjoyed Zac James’ portrayal of Mike the most. With his interjections and asides, scripted or otherwise, Mike was perhaps the most interesting and engaging of the three characters. Even when not in scene, and waiting somewhere in the set, James remained in character, hunched over the bar, quietly harmonising on the songs, or muttering away. Bethany Cooper and James Taylor both put in fine performances as Brooke and Leon, but never quite matched James’ intensity.
One of the main highlights of Songbird was the inclusion of live music; with each of the cast proficient singers and musicians it seemed. Where Cooper didn’t necessarily impress me with her acting, she did with her singing. She has a beautiful and emotive vocal that really suited the handful of songs throughout the play.
On the whole I enjoyed Songbird I just wasn’t blown away by it. It was good, just not great. Ultimately though it kept me entertained and engaged throughout, but it hasn’t really stuck with me like other works I have seen this season have.
Songbird is running at the Blue Room Theatre until the 18th July. For more information and tickets visit: http://blueroom.org.au/events/songbird/
The reviewer attended Opening Night on 9th July.
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