We live in a dangerous world. Gun violence in the USA has never been a bigger problem. Worldwide pandemics have confused and frightened us. The Middle East is exploding into war, as it usually does every decade or so, but this time it seems more menacing. Malignant narcissism seems to be on the rise in our day-to-day interactions. Conflict resolution skills? What the heck are they? Old, mad men are running the world and things just seem to be getting more and more out of control, with violence and end-game politics putting people into conflict with one another for no real cogently valid reasons apart from ego and an inherent inability to be told “no”.
For these reasons stories such as “Bonnie and Clyde” need to be told again and again until we get it right. If ever that should actually happen . . .
The story of Bonnie and Clyde is an oldie but a goodie. Two young, ego driven and ever-so-stupid but essentially likeable kids see violence and crime as a completely legitimate career path, taking them to look for fortune and fame at the end of a gun. The fact that they actually find it is an ever so disturbing indictment on the human condition. Their well-documented end demonstrates the ultimate result of such folly. The sad observation is that nearly 100 years after the deaths of Bonnie and Clyde, humans seem to have learned nothing. The ego must be satisfied and hang the consequences.
First-time director Lucy Trewin has managed to roll the pathos and futility of it all into one very entertaining and skilfully crafted piece of theatre. From the moment you enter, the scene is set (literally) with the curtain up revealing a well-constructed representation of depression-struck middle America, a theme that continued dramatically throughout the performance. Lucy has an impressive list of onstage performances under her belt, and it is only natural that she should progress this onstage success into directing. It was a privilege to witness her first attempt, which seemed more like the work of a seasoned operator rather than a “rookie”. Her entry into the roll of Adelaide Theatre Directors is very welcome indeed.
There were essentially four lead roles for us to enjoy. The namesakes “Bonnie and Clyde” were expertly played by Ava-Rose Askew (Bonnie) and Kristian Latella (Clyde). Ava-Rose is relatively unseen to Adelaide Theatre, having been locked away from local audiences while completing her Bachelor of Music at the Elder Conservatorium. Her emergence was stunning, performing with adept movement and obviously well-trained voice. Kristian is well known to Adelaide theatre, using his widely recognised acumen to bring menace and unpredictability to his role. His creepy scowl and menacing gaze set his character’s personality off right from the start. Clyde’s even dumber brother “Buck” was ably played by David MacGillivray, skilfully capturing his characters innocence, likability and sheer stupidity. Carolina Fioravanti was wonderful as Buck’s devoted hairdressing wife “Blanche”, quite possibly the only sensible character in the entire show. However, unlike the other three, her ultimate end came as a result of good motives derived from a good heart. It was poignantly confronting to see her lovely character go down with the rest of them, sadly ramming the stupidity and narcissistic futility of the other protagonist’s actions all the way home.
The supporting cast also held their own, giving a well-crafted depth to the performance. Zachery Baseby got to show an impressive “belt” on a number of occasions, giving us a solid performance as “Ted Hinton”, the archetypal unrequited love interest. Tom Moore gave us a resolute and at times obsessive “Sheriff Schmid”, while theatre veteran Merici Thompson garnished our empathy as Clyde and Buck’s long-suffering mother. The obviously hard-working ensemble were great to watch as they moved and performed adeptly to Musical Director Serena Cann’s well-drilled and tight-knit orchestra.
One stand-out piece of the performance was the inevitable “shoot-out” scenario, skilfully choreographed by Deborah Proeve. The cacophony of gunshots, flashing lights and mad mayhem was intriguingly enhanced by a couple of well-placed quiet stops in the middle of it all, allowing Clyde to attempt to reason some of the madness away. Of course, he couldn’t achieve that, with the end result being straight out of the “Hamlet” or “Breaking Bad” playbooks. It was excellent theatre.
It was obvious however that the two standout performances were delivered by the two female leads. Ava-Rose and Carolina both “owned it”. Both have excellent voices and both showed us their outstanding acting abilities. Ava-Rose’s enthusiastic “Bonnie” demonstrated a dangerous and heartbreakingly tragic innocence, and we couldn’t help but fall in love with her, regardless of the size of her ego and the depths of her narcissism. Carolina was absolutely stunning in her loving and empathetic role as “Blanche”, particularly in her soft and contemplative performance of the song “That’s What You Call a Dream”. The audience went quiet when she sang this highly emotive number. You could hear a pin drop shortly before the thoroughly deserved thunderous applause came.
It was a shame the microphone mix was so poor at times. Let’s hope it was simply a matter of first night glitches being ironed out.
Marie Clark Musical Theatre’s entertaining and thought-provoking rendition of the classic tale of “Bonnie and Clyde” was a showcase of effort and hard work resulting in a wonderful night out at The Theatre. Chalk this one up as a “must see”.
