Brisbane review - Company - A Musical Comedy: mature and thought-provoking production
By David Wilson
Company
Music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim
Book by George Furth
Direction, set and costume design by Tammy Sarah Linde
Musical direction by Jacqueline Atherton
Choreography bt Bec Swain
Presented by Phoenix Ensemble
At the Pavillion Theatre Beenleigh unit 24 August 2024
Tickets are $40 adult, $35 concession available at
Based on the book by George Furth. Company is a very clever Stephen Sondheim musical, with the original 1970 production winning 6 Tony awards and being nominated for 8 more.
Company is a unique, non-linear musical that explores the difference between being single and being alone through a series of vignettes involving five couples, their mutual friend Robert (aka Bobby), and his three girlfriends. We experience the relationships through the unique lens of Bobby’s interactions with these friends centering around a singular moment - Bobby’s 35th birthday. After getting wind that his friends may be planning a surprise birthday party, he recalls a series of memories that lead him to imagine the anxiety of what it might be like having all these unique individuals and couples coming together in his small New York apartment.
The creative team at Phoenix Ensemble has delivered a most enjoyable production of this quality work. Director Tammy Sarah Linde has done a great job of emphasising the thought provoking elements of Company, and prompting the audience to consider their relationships with the people in their lives. Her use of the minimalist yet striking set was very well done, and her very clever use of costuming was on point. Choreography by Bec Swain was also very strong, ranging from the high energy, whole of cast numbers to a wonderful contemporary solo piece. It was pleasing to note that the performance did not suffer from any of the technical, lighting or sound issues that can sometimes plague community theatre productions, and the large, live orchestra was particularly good under the musical direction of Jacqueline Atherton.
To a person, the cast was excellent. This is particularly important in a show such as Company which, beyond the central character of Bobby, is a genuine ensemble piece. While all the couples were distinct and separate, the entire cast worked very well as a unit and seemed genuinely invested in their performance contributing to a high overall standard.
Cameron Rollo was wonderful as Robert, the almost 35 year old New York bachelor through who’s eyes we are prompted to consider relationships. Rollo’s characterisation was a highlight of the show, giving a very nuanced performance which balanced well the character’s apparent happiness with his underlying vulnerability. His warm vocals rounded out a very confident performance, particularly evident in “Being Alive”.
Robert’s three girlfriends were each fantastic - Sarah Engelsmann as April, the one he lusts after, Ruby Thompson as Kathy, the one he wants, and Samantha Paterson as Marta, the one he deserves. Engelsmann’s characterisation as the ditzy air hostess was excellent, and the bedroom scene, during which Thompson performs a wonderful contemporary solo, was well done by all. Paterson was great as the modern yet earthy Marta, with excellent vocals on “Another Hundred People”. Together, their performance of “You Could Drive A Person Cray” was fantastic.
Genevieve Tree and Dugald Lowis were wonderful as Sarah and Harry, the dieting, hypercritical wife married to the recovering alcoholic. Their karate scene was particularly well done, and Tree’s vocals and energy throughout were excellent.
Clare Thomson and Andrew Cockroft-Penman were fabulous as Susan and Peter, the delicate southern belle married to and divorced from the very liberal Ivy League gradaute. Cockroft-Penman’s confidence and stage presence was wonderful, pulling off their ‘colourful’ outfit effortlessly.
Costanza Acevedo Burckhardt and Christopher Batkin were excellent as Jenny and David, the square married to the relaxed yet controlling husband. Their fabulous chemistry was evident during the ‘joint’ scene, and their acting throughout was a strength of the show.
Stephanie Collins and Timothy Nielson were fantastic as Amy and Paul, the frantic neurotic afraid of marriage engaged to the patient believer in the institution. Nielson’s strong, confident vocals throughout were wonderful, and Collins’ performance of “Getting Married Today” was absolutely outstanding - a real highlight of the show.
Meg Kiddle and Andrew Dark were wonderful as Joanne and Larry, the cynical, not old/not young wife married to her wealthy third husband. They provided a measured confidence and maturity to the production, and Kiddle’s performance of “The Ladies Who Lunch” was an audience favourite.
I encourage you to see this intelligent, mature and thought-provoking production of a quality musical .
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