Bare

Seeing or listening to Jon Hartmere and Damon Intrabartolo’s ‘Bare’ for the first time can be an emotional experience.

I had not seen the show live before, so I was coming to the performance with fresh eyes. New Beat had assembled a stellar production team who obviously felt strongly about the show and its themes, so I was looking forward to seeing a top-shelf production.

Bare is a story of teen angst, drugs and sex set against the backdrop of the modern-day Catholic education system. Combining these themes and presenting them in a piece of musical theatre could be seen as problematic. But the writers have cleverly steered away from the clichés, and the froth and bubble usually associated with other high school musicals, to create a dramatic and highly relevant piece of modern musical theatre. I can imagine Bare would shock my Catholic grandmother to the core.

A short and simple rundown: Jason and Peter are closet boyfriends in a Catholic co-ed boarding school, St. Cecilia’s. Jason is the popular jock and Peter wants to go public with their relationship. They are both deeply troubled by the ideas people might have of them if they do ‘come out’. Jason attempts to break it off with Peter and sleeps with his sister’s roommate, Ivy. Ivy falls pregnant and wants to connect with Jason more. Jason realises he loves Peter and breaks it off with Ivy, devastating her. Meanwhile, Matt, who has a crush on Ivy, exposes the three. After condemnation from his Priest, Jason takes a lethal dose of GHB and dies during the school play, Romeo and Juliet. The musical ends with the cast asking if they could have done anything to prevent Jason’s death.

Brad Dylan was by far the most believable of the leads. It wasn’t until ‘Are You There?’ when I finally connected with Dylan’s Peter. He had a beautiful voice and rose to his finest both vocally and emotionally during ‘See Me’. I hope to see more of Brad on stage in the future.

Zac Gower is obviously a confident performer, but struggled with Jason’s vocal range. Gower did a fine job in an emotional and challenging role.

A young Laura Thomas took on the role of Ivy, and it is easy to see why the production team could cast her purely on her looks. I felt Laura was at a plateau throughout the performance and played Ivy a little too innocently. ‘Touch My Soul’ is where we see Ivy and Jason at their most vulnerable. It is also where we see Thomas and Gower at their strongest and also most vocally convincing.

I felt members of the female ensemble could have been cast in any role. Virginia Lin’s over-enthusiastic Diane Lee was enjoyable, and the three cherubs in ‘911! Emergency!’ were an absolute standout and delight to watch. Melanie, Kate and Avril understood the dynamic needed to be created, and their attitudes were superb.

Dan Benge understood Matt’s character perfectly and did an excellent job. He effortlessly connected with the audience with his personality and charm, and I found at times I just wanted to give him a hug. Matt Holly has a strong stage presence, but it’s a shame he was let down by his microphone or the sound desk as I could barely hear a word he sang or spoke. He added just enough pizzazz to make up for something that was out of his control.

Carla Troiano obviously enjoyed her time on stage, playing Sister Chantelle quite rough and with plenty of vigour. I sometimes struggled to understand her, and I’m not sure if this was due to rushing lines, opening night nerves, or playing up to an audience that encouraged her to push her character even further than she had already pushed it. She had a powerful voice, and I enjoyed her when she was subtle, however she sometimes became a little vocally indulgent.

I would like to single out Jacqui Bunting for her portrayal of Peter’s mother, Claire. Obviously comfortable in her midrange, Bunting’s stretch into her upper register was more than pleasing, and her ‘Warning’ was one of the only times I felt chills during the performance.

Although I thoroughly enjoyed Nicholas Eaton’s choreography, I found it, at times, out of place and sometimes too intricate for a couple of the performers. The contemporary break in ‘Portrait of a Girl’ was inappropriate and detracted from what was attempting to be conveyed. Avril, Amy and Matt are obviously beautifully trained dancers, but showcasing their skills in this poignant moment was, although an interesting artistic choice, a wrong one. I was impressed with the choreography and delivery of it, but the placement was not fitting and didn’t gel 100%. Eaton is obviously immensely talented in what he can create and I look forward to seeing his choreographic work in the future.

Jess Barlow’s band and cast were tight and beautifully conducted and directed, but it’s a shame that they were let down by poor sound mixing on the night I attended. Bare has a stunning score and an excellent story to complement it, but if lines are inaudible then it loses its emotional effect and poignancy.

A choreographer creates moves to be seen, and a musical director creates sounds to be heard. It is a shame that so many shows and companies struggle with creating an even balance between band/orchestra and cast. Feedback and missed intros plagued opening night, distancing the audience immediately from the emotional score.

Robbie Carmelotti’s directional choices were sometimes inspired and sometimes clichéd. An upset Peter furrowed his brow, folded his arms and crossed downstage one too many times for my liking. But Carmelotti’s use of the ensemble in some scenes was just what was needed. It gave life to what could be seen as dead stage space. The ensemble filled these gaps perfectly and aided in seamless scene changes.

Bare contains confronting themes with its inclusions of drug use, coarse language and exploration of sexuality, and I’m guessing a majority of the audience know what they will be dealing with when they attend the show. I’m not sure if it was a directional choice, or if the performers were uncomfortable with the amount of flesh on show, but covering Jason and Ivy with a sheet during the climax of act one was, well, anti-climactic. I wanted to see the passion and fire in their bodies, but this was lost. Again, I don’t know if it was a character, personal or directorial choice. I know that I want to see more flesh, more reality, more life in theatre, but that may just be my voyeuristic side coming out.

The simple set complemented Jason Lord’s subtle lighting design beautifully. Sometimes less is more, and Carmelotti seamlessly brought together these two elements allowing the audience to focus on the performance and not having these two powerful stagecraft elements clutter the space.

I know some companies do not think too much of programs for their shows. But apart from the ticket, it’s the only tangible object that can be taken from the production. It may cost time and money, but a smart program design goes a long way. Please put some thought and effort into your design, layout, and most importantly, spelling and grammar.

I congratulate New Beat Theatre Company for taking risks and producing this fantastic work. Youth-based companies should be applauded for their effort in bringing rarely seen and produced shows to the public’s eye.

Will Hanley has recently graduated with a Bachelor of Creative Arts from the University of Melbourne, where he majored in Theatre Studies and Creative Writing. He has worked with CLOC, Whitehorse, Octave and Wonthaggi in shows such as Seussical, Miss Saigon, Side Show and Singin' in the Rain. Will is currently rehearsing for 'Theatre 101' presented by the Wonthaggi Theatrical Group