Directed by Oliver Driver and starring a Go Girl, this latest from Silo Theatre Company takes a pot shot at musical black comedy with a vaudeville-style musical “Assasins” that misses the mark…
This latest offering from the Silo Theatre Company takes a pot shot at musical black comedy. A vaudeville style musical “Assasins” is a fly-by look at nine historical individuals who killed, or attempted to kill, Presidents of the United States. But, just like two of its crazed characters – this play failed to hit its mark.
A stunningly original concept – an on-the-nose exploration of the lives of 9 infamous, unlikeable characters through musical comedy – this play definitely offered the promise of a “bloody” good time. How could you go wrong with satire, music, black comedy, and provoking political questions? Possibly by whizzing through 9 different stories at a pace that would make your head spin. Or by taking 9 un-relatable characters and only providing momentary glimmers of humanity and connection.
It wasn’t all doom and gloom though – there were definitely some bright spots. The talent of the cast was unmistakeable and Gareth Williams literally shone in his roles as The Balladeer and Lee Harvey Oswald. There were some hilarious moments and a few deeply heartfelt ones – with Natalie Medlock and Roy Snow providing strong emotional connection as Emma Goldman and Leon Czolgosz. And the circus-like styling was fresh and original, delivering on the promised carnival atmosphere.
But the fault of this play lies not with the direction or the cast, but with the material. Whether it is supposed to provoke, or to just entertain, it fails, leaving you trying to catch your breath after a head spinning ride.
If you want to see something a little bit different – then by all means go and see it – but like the characters it follows – don’t expect this musical to change the world.
2 out of 5 stars.
ASSASSINS plays July 24th – 14th August 2010
Concert Chamber, Auckland Town Hall, THE EDGE
Tickets: $25 – $55 (booking fees apply)
Bookings through THE EDGE: 09 357 3355 or www.buytickets.co.nz
Theatre director Oliver Driver has spent the last three months filling his subversive chorus line. Silo Theatre regulars Cameron Rhodes (Loot), Andrew Grainger (That Face; Le Sud; The Cult) and Roy Snow (The Threepenny Opera) will join newcomers Kyle Chuen, Cameron Douglas, Natalie Medlock, Gareth Williams and Go Girls’ Bronwyn Bradley.
Below: the list of assassins
Leon Czolgosz – assassin of President William McKinley
John Hinckley – attempted assassin of President Ronald Reagan
Charles Guiteau – assassin of President James Garfield
Giuseppe Zangara – attempted assassin of President-elect Franklin D. Roosevelt
Samuel Byck – attempted assassin of President Richard Nixon
Lynette "Squeaky" Fromme – attempted assassin of President Gerald Ford
Sara Jane Moore – attempted assassin of President Gerald Ford
John Wilkes Booth – assassin of President Abraham Lincoln
Lee Harvey Oswald – assassin of President John F. Kennedy
Leave a Reply