Man of La Mancha

Man of La Mancha
Book by Dale Waserman, music by Mitch Leigh and lyrics by Joe Darion. Squabbalogic. The Reginald, Seymour Centre, Sydney. February 25 – March 21, 2015.

On a rough-hewn platform stage, with its seemingly endless nooks and crannies for musicians and performers, Squabbalogic’s taut, re-envisioned intimate staging of classic Broadway musical Man of La Mancha effectively preserves the epic storytelling dimension of the original. It’s yet another rewarding production from director Jay James-Moody, and one of the most effective uses I recall of the Seymour Centre’s downstairs black box space, The Reginald, including the lighting gantry / walkway. Simon Greer’s set is, seamlessly, a gloomy prison dungeon, and every other dismal setting of knight errant Don Quixote’s odyssey. Excellent costumes by Brendan Hay and atmospheric lighting by Benjamin Brockman complement that setting.

My first personal memories of Man of La Mancha (innumerable performances of ‘The Impossible Dream’ aside), stretch back to the 1976 revival with the original Australian stars at Sydney’s now lamented Her Majesty’s; sitting on seats recycled from The Maj, the freshness of this up-close-and-personal production sweeps aside previous versions of this 1966 Tony Award winning musical for me.

Like trimmed-back versions of musicals elsewhere in the world (England’s Watermill Theatre’s Sunset Blvd, for instance), Squabbalogic uses the actors as musicians (of varied skill), with impressive core accompaniment from musician / performers Paul Geddes (musical director / keyboards) and Richard Woodhouse (guitar).

Tried by his fellow prisoners as he awaits interrogation by The Inquisition (in this play-within-a-play (musical) / trial within a trial), poet, actor and tax collector Cervantes pleads his case by enacting the story of knight errant Don Quixote with the help of his fellow inmates.

In a major coup, Squabbalogic have enticed Tony Sheldon home from New York, to play a role he now seems to have been born for. He navigates the triple-layered role of Cervantes / Don Quixote masterfully. By his side as Sancho Panza, recent WAAPA grad Ross Chisari is a spirited, engaging sidekick.

Squabbalogic has assembled another terrific ensemble cast. Marika Aubrey brings a bawdy, cynical sexiness and her splendid musical theatre chops to Aldonza / Dulcinea; Laurence Coy displays apt authority as the Governor of the inmates and innkeeper; Stephen Anderson offers a delightful vocal twist as the housekeeper; an interesting gender switch as Joanna Weinberg plays the cool, unwavering prosecutor (Duke, Dr. Carrasco and Knight of Mirrors) works; recent American arrival Courtney Glass is an assured Antonia; Glenn Hill nails the false piety and vocals of the padre, while director Jay James-Moody makes a scene-stealing cameo as the barber. Praise is due, too, to the small, impressive supporting ensemble.

As always, co-producer Jessica James Moody supports the production with excellent Sound Design.

Reimagining classic musicals on an intimate scale may be the only way we can now revisit those which have become somewhat of their time. The last major professional Man of La Mancha here misfired, despite its starpower. Thankfully then, some shows, like La Mancha are a good fit for this sort of rethink.

It’s a departure for Squabbalogic, a company generally dedicated to premiering small musicals, previously unseen in Sydney, but a welcome one for lovers of the classic musical theatre repertoire.

Neil Litchfield

Photographer: Michael Francis

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