Cosi entertaining theatre for audience, cast, crew
Cosi, Riverlea Theatre.
This is a play about making a play and poor Lewis (Conner Maxwell), the lead character, is on a hiding to nothing.
Lewis has volunteered to direct a play with a cast of patients from a mental asylum.
What he was letting himself into becomes apparent as he struggles to meld its desperate characters into a believable production.
Set within Hippie-era free love and Vietnam War politics, Lewis is badgered into directing a production of Cosi Fan Tutti, Mozart’s 18th century masterpiece, sung in Italian with a group which have no idea of how to sing.
Cosi provides fertile ground to develop a range of personality types - and of course this is Australia in the early ‘70s. Political Correctness hasn’t been heard of and all those tragically disordered and chemically damaged types are sent up in merciless fashion.
Playbox’s stage set is an abandoned theatre ‘‘smelling of damp and burned wood’’.
Institution social worker Justin (Nathan Hancock) cynically leaves Lewis to it knowing full-well what he’s in for.
First up is Doug (Adam White) a pyromaniac who earned his stripes by setting fire to his mother’s cats. He con- tinues by sending the theatre up in flames too.
There’s Roy, (Ray Powell) a manic-depressive who does his best to destroy Lewis’ selfrespect: ‘‘you couldn’t direct a nymphomaniac to a stag night.’’
Zac, the drugged-out pianist loathes Mozart and is determined to play Wagner on his piano accordion.
Henry, (Sean Dwyer) is a washed up lawyer who gives an almost tear-busting performance.
Then there are the women, Junky Julie (Ajsha Trebilco), obsessive compulsive Ruth (Mikayla Williamson) and food and Lewis-obsessive Cherry (Pauline Gardener Ward).
As the play progresses the personalities of each of the characters become better defined and more real.
Cosi by Playbox does what amateur theatre is meant to do - entertain.
Opening night drew an appreciative audience which was soon laughing.
Cosi, directed by Lee Owen, can be seen at the Riverlea theatre until July 22. Bookings www.iticket.co.nz.