One person shows are risky, intense and invigorating. It’s no coincidence that some of the best shows this reviewer has seen have featured only one actor. Opening the Queensland Theatre Company’s 2013 season, The Pitch and The China Incident each put a single talented actor in the spotlight for one exhausting hour in which all eyes are on them.
Walter Weinermann (Hugh Parker) embodies an all-star cast in an action packed telling of his own clichéd movie in The Pitch. As he prepares for the meeting that could make his career, we glimpse his fears, desires and regrets. As Walter, Parker’s energy is astounding as he provides character voices, sound effects and uses improvised props to bring this imagined film to life.
Walter’s manic activity takes place in the one hour he has available to prepare his pitch for a movie that doesn’t have an ending. By the time he made it to the meeting (having finally completed his treatment), I was so caught up in the action that I was ready to label it a blockbuster.
It would be easy to see this piece as a straight comedy, since each moment brings a new laugh — and there were many times I was doubled over — but it also has some touching moments when Walter explores his emotions and motivations. It’s easy to see why The Pitch won the Green Room Award for Best New Australian Play in 2006.
If you stick around in the theatre during intermission, which gives you a much needed break to catch your breath, you’ll get a glimpse of the beautiful rotating set in action. The set design is elegant, with just enough space for manic activity without the actor being dwarfed by the stage. The opening scene of each play perfectly introduces the character; coupled with the music bookending each piece, you can step straight into the scene with a good understanding of the character in front of you.
Whereas The Pitch was primarily slapstick and imagination, The China Incident is a slightly more tense and unsettling comedy. Its hilarious moments are tinged with discomfort as Bea Pontivec (Barbara Lowing) finds her carefully constructed persona fraying around the edges when work and life collide. The beautifully ordered set descends into chaos as Bea’s family life complicates her high powered job as an international relations expert.
There are seven phones and a laptop on set, allowing Bea to interact with 11 other characters — from people in high places to her partner, two children and soon-to-be in-laws. It becomes clear that Bea is far more comfortable brokering international deals than relating to her own family, and she’s unable to keep her façade of calm control intact.
The China Incident advocates maintaining a healthy work/life balance and plenty of perspective. It’s not unheard of to have a minor family crisis, but Bea takes it to a new level. The climax is certainly not a surprise to anyone who’s watching closely, and if she was a more likeable character, it would have made me squirm quite a bit more. Fortunately I found my lack of empathy with the character allowed me to laugh at her misfortune.
Both of these plays were well written, beautiful to look at, and made memorable thanks to their exceptional performances. I left the theatre feeling quite exhausted, though unsure if it was due to the lateness of the hour, the effort of laughing so hard, or in sympathy for the supreme effort put in by each of the actors. This was a splendid night out.
Rating: 4 ½ stars out of 5
Queensland Theatre Company present
The Pitch and The China Incident
Written by Peter Houghton
Designer: Simone Romaniuk
Lighting Designer: Ben Hughes
Sound Designer: Lawrence English
Dialect Coach: Melissa Agnew
Choreographer: Leah Shelton (The China Incident)
The Pitch
Performed by Hugh Parker
Directed by Catarina Hebbard
The China Incident
Performed by Barbara Lowing
Directed by Daniel Evans
Cremorne Theatre, QPAC
2 February – 9 March
