Point and Shoot

Point and Shoot
Holland Street Productions. La Boite Studio, Kelvin Grove; 17-20 September 2014

Brisbane Festival and the QUT Creative Industries have set up Theatre Republic, a selection of venues with a surreal 'a-tyr-ed' outdoor bar (with real tyres), to showcase a multitude of cutting edge displays of theatre, cabaret, live-art, comedy and even a musical, Point and Shoot.

Written by and starring Robert Woods (the film buff) and Tyler Jones (the theatre buff), a unique combination for this show's concept, with Erin Jay Hutchinson and Tamara Woolrych as their female counterparts, this fringe production amused with the cast taking on around fifty roles and playing over fifteen musical instruments in a unique and at times hilarious take on film and television in the year 2042. With a big-budget adaptation of a little-known 60's TV series, can they save doomed Hollywood forever? She's out of money and ideas. It also included film sequences, a florid vocal display and elements of a game of musical chairs as the cast romped around the stage like puffed up parrots on the hunt, with or without feathers.

Because there were no programmes printed, production details aren't mentioned, but the cast all demonstrated charismatic presence as actors, singers and, at times, musicians, though this was more Robert Woods' musical baby. The original score uses some lush intricate harmonies embellishing the style of the show (in particular there was an enchanting leit-motive melody beautifully sung by Tyler Jones), there was enough wit in the lyrics, whilst the minimalist setting and lighting aptly painted a suitable picture for the chain of events.

Top marks for inventiveness and staging, but even with the intricacies of a zany script Einstein would need time to dissect and, at times, more evidence of shade than light, Point and Shoot still had a refreshing almost athletic energy executed well by a talented cast who certainly hadn't lost the plot quite as much as the story they were working to.

I left my seat happily assuming the goodies eventually came out on top.

Brian Adamson

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