Friday, August 5, 2016

Those Who Fall In Love Like Anchors Dropped Upon The Ocean Floor


Jo Norris, Renee Newman and Griffin Independent present THOSE WHO FALL IN LOVE LIKE ANCHORS DROPPED UPON THE OCEAN FLOOR, by Finegan Kruckemeyer, at the SBW Stables Theatre, Kings Cross, 20 July - 6 August.


THOSE WHO FALL IN LOVE LIKE ANCHORS DROPPED UPON THE OCEAN FLOOR is just one of 78 commissioned plays by Finegan Kruckemeyer. We saw a production of THE VIOLENT OUTBURST THAT DREW ME TO YOU at the SBW Stables Theatre a few years ago.

THOSE WHO FALL IN LOVE ... is a production from a Perth Company and was first seen there in 2014. This is the second interstate theatre company that the Griffin has hosted this year. AS WE FORGIVE, a play by Tom Holloway, from "Tasmania Performs" was seen in May.

The play has three actors whimsically engaged in five vignettes about the emotion called love. It is cute and sometimes charming, if a little lightweight. Remember the film Amelie (2001) from Jean-Pierre Jeunet, that made Audrey Tautou, a star? If so, then, you will have some of the attempted flavour of the evening. In fact the play begins with a French watch maker, impersonated charmingly with accent, beret and all, by Ben Mortley, who begins talking to us interestingly about TIME and love. That the interesting philosophical musing that begin there is mostly hijacked or buried by more mundane pre-occupations, for example a same sex relationship in a submarine threatened by a paranoid commanding officer (Russian dialects here) is a relative shame. The whimsical 'fluff'  dominates the proceedings and wins out in attempting to sustain our interest.

Mr Mortley charms and wins us with all his duties effortlessly, Renee Newman creates intrigue with her characterisations while the third of the company, Jo Morris, is wispy, whimsical but shows a need to be embraced by the audience just a little too earnestly. The Design, Costume and Set by India Mehta, is simply executed, lit with ease by Chris Connelly and accompanied with Composition and a Sound design by Ben Collins.

THOSE WHO FALL IN LOVE LIKE ANCHORS DROPPED UPON THE OCEAN FLOOR, could be a successful first date ploy. It is only some 70 minutes long. Add dinner, a drink and who knows what might transpire ...!

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