Moving Parts

A production company that launches new, beautifully presented Australian plays with genuine international artistic heavyweights both onstage and backstage is loudly to be applauded. Champagne welcomed a first night audience packed with celebrities to NIDA’s Parade Playhouse.

Though Moving Parts is an hour-long two-hander, it stars one of our greatest actors, Colin Friels, in what he says will be his final stage role. It’s lit by Russell Boyd, Australian cinema’s foremost lighting/cameramen in his first ever theatre assignment; and the impressively solid setting — a convincing London luxury watch and jewellery store — is by Steven Jones-Evans, award-winning movie production designer, also new to theatre.

All this amazing talent has been marshalled by the production company Will O’Rourke, which, from a base in the advertising and commercials industry, is spreading its artistic wings. Playwright David Nobay is an agency bigwig, recently named “the No. 1 most awarded Creative Director in Australasia”. Director Steve Rogers is an internationally feted director of commercials and music videos.

Make no mistake, this is a heavy-hitting team, so there’s no surprise to find the set, the lighting, the acting, the posters, the launch, the creative backup are exceptional. One could only wish that they had lavished their talents on a more demanding initial project.

Not that Moving Parts isn’t a perfectly decent, if conventional, one-act play. Colin Friels is the 30-years owner of an exclusive Bond Street watch shop. Late one day he admits a scruffy Australian tourist (Josh McConville) who surprisingly wants to buy the most expensive watch on show. Wary, but not wanting such a huge sale to slip by, the salesman keeps his oddly troubled customer talking. Of course there are hidden secrets and lies waiting to pop out.

The two actors give their considerable all to the unfolding drama. Threats are made, points are scored; they tussle back and forth, though they never (unfortunately) resort to the stripped-to-the-waist wrestling depicted on the excellent posters.

Frank Hatherley

Image: Colin Friels. Photographer: Matt Hart.