Forget-Me-Knot

Nestled into the base of the Dandenong Mountains, The Basin Theatre is exquisitely surrounded by bushland, just outside of suburbia.

Their second production for 2017 is the English farce, Forget-Me-Knot, a tricky script to tackle due to multiple twists and turns in the storyline, which is unfortunately riddled with inconsistencies. The Basin Theatre has performed quite well under the constraints provided by this awkward piece of writing.

Found wandering the streets in Leicester at 4 a.m, Robert Zeinfeld is suffering from amnesia. He has no idea how he got there, but for a bruised head and a very suspicious, newly upgraded, Detective Inspector for company...

Perhaps Robert hasn't lost his memory at all … the greater the DI digs into his story and supposed life, the more utterly confused he (and the audience) becomes.

Through the physical humor and some of the bamboozling dialogue (with some quite witty lines dotted throughout when you least expect it), Stephen Barber was in his element as DI Monroe. After a few tiny hiccups Barber moved into his role smoothly and was a clear standout performer in the show.  The audience was alongside him throughout his entire farcical police journey, sympathetic to the last light out.  Barber would fit perfectly into any English ‘Bobbie’ comedy.

Tina Bono was commendable in her role as Samantha. She understood the comedic elements and was able to heighten the scenes she was in, accenting and opposing Elise D’Amico’s character.

The pace was suited to a farcical comedy of this nature. At times the heightened dialogue meant that some actors felt they had to be ‘up’ all the time with little variation in their voice and mannerisms.  A little more light and shade was needed in certain areas to distribute the arduous dialogue throughout.  The director, Gregor McGibbon, used space effectively and the actors knew their limits within these small spaces, integral to the plot.

Accenting the varying states with the play was the terrific yet simplistic set designed by the director. The four locations divided with equitable use of the stage, denoting a house foyer, DI Monroe’s office, and interrogation room and the lounge room of an apartment. Each is dressed simplistically so as to not overcrowd the actors and physical comedy on stage.

The lighting state was suitably planned; when each of the four stage areas lit was accented, there was hardly light overspill onto the other areas, no mean feat for the lighting designer. 

There was an absence of music, which felt strange for this style of production.

Overall, a fun and humorous night at the theatre, all set in a beautiful location, in a wonderful community theatre space. 

My final word - the end of the play still has me totally and utterly confused…!

Penelope Thomas