theatre: 'Cosi' - La Boite

This is my first theatre review on this blog - yay! - but I want to blog about theatre experiences, not just the 'drama-student-overanalysing-everything' type of review. I'm sure I'll get better at this as we go along!

Cheat sheet - Cosi:

Worth seeing? YES.

Entertaining? YES.

Feel? Hilarious.

Cast: A+

Maddie: Happy and satisfied.

4.5/5 stars.

On Saturday the 8th of February, I was fortunate enough to see the preview performance of Cosi at La Boite's Roundhouse Theatre in Kelvin Grove, Queensland.

I honestly do not know where to begin with this review given how unbelievably entertaining and thrilling the show was. I must give credit to the Director, David Berthold - only the finest direction can refine a production to the point where it's near-perfect well before Opening Night.

Cosi is the story of a young theatre director named Lewis and his time staging a production fresh out of university. Whilst it sounds like an incredibly simple plot, there's a whole lot more to it. The production is Mozart's comic opera Cosi fan tutte and the cast is comprised of patients from a mental institution.

spoiler alert: this photo was taken in the theatre.
Ticket left, program right, stage and audience in background. 

Playwright Louis Nowra has created a wonderful world of the unexpected and sometimes, downright ludicrous. Nowra, to his credit, has written each character and moment with sincerity - something that is often hard to find in content based on a similar premise. No moment feels too forced or too contrived, and while this can obviously be attributed to the cast and their skills, it is clear from the moment Cosi begins that this play is not like any other.

I found myself appreciating Cosi's ability to establish the setting without rushing or falling behind. One of my biggest pet peeves with live theatre is a production's need to explain every little detail in excruciating detail - to the point where you feel like you've been there for hours and nothing's really happened yet. You can imagine how thrilled I was, then, when the scene was set quickly yet still felt familiar and well-understood by the audience.

The newbie, fresh-faced uni graduate Lewis is played by Benjamin Schostakowski, who is himself a recent Directing graduate from NIDA - National Institute of Dramatic Art. Schostakowski was believable in his role, and I found myself sympathising with his character even though I'd find myself quite against something Lewis said. Though watching Schostakowski perform was easy, at times I felt as though something was amiss. I could attribute this to preview-show jitters, though I'm more inclined to say that his vocal presence was at times lacklustre.

Schostakowski (left) as Lewis, Marais (right) as
junkie patient Julie and Lewis' girlfriend, Lucy.

Perhaps Jessica Marais contributed to Schostakowski's performance, as Marais commands attention with every word, step and breath in the theatre space. I absolutely detest the term 'scene-stealer' but it was obvious that Marais would be just that. Marais, who played both Lewis' girlfriend Lucy and junkie/patient Julie, would often steal the spotlight from the others in the scene. This was true of nearly every scene featuring dialogue between Lewis and Lucy - Marais' stage presence was astonishing, which made it slightly more obvious that Schostakowski didn't have that same command of the stage.

Marais' partner James Stewart - also seen on Packed to the Rafters alongside Marais - gave a humbling performance. Though his character Henry didn't have much to say, when he did it was definitely worth listening to. I don't want to say anything else, because it's one of those performances you just need to see for yourself, but I can guarantee you'll be impressed.

Now, strap yourselves in for a whole lotta love, because I have craptons of love to give Amy Ingram. I despise Cherry and her antics, I really do. There's just something about that character that - for lack of a better term - gives me the heebie jeebies. But Ingram somehow managed to make me love Cherry in the end. I honestly don't know how she does it. Ingram's stage presence is beyond impeccable and her comedic timing is a gift to every audience member lucky enough to witness it. Every unnerving look, twitch, roll of the eyes or loud 'Go burn a cat!' outburst to pyromaniac Doug was captivating. Ingram will make you want to know more and to see more. I feel compelled to write a whole blog post just about her performance, but it wouldn't be fair to the others given the level of professionalism and entertainment they brought to their individual performances. I'll have to stop here, but oh my gosh, I love Amy Ingram.

Fellow cast members Aaron Davison, Jennifer Flowers, Anthony Standish and Trevor Stuart all gave wonderful performances. It's impossible to single any of them out as they are all - in my opinion - equally entertaining whilst still embodying completely different characters. Berthold has done a wonderful job directing such a refined, passionate cast.

I could finish this review in a professional manner, giving you a detailed yet structured conclusion telling you why you should see this show... but I won't. All you need to know is this: I laughed, I chortled, I snorted and cried a little bit. I loved the show. I think you will too.

Disclaimer: I am a La Boite Theatre Ambassador for 2014. But I did really love this show.

Yeah, I sat by myself. Who cares when a show is just that good?

Cosi is running from the 8th of February to the 8th of March at La Boite's Roundhouse Theatre. Tuesday and Wednesday performances at 6:30pm, Thursday to Saturday 7:30pm. Selected matinees at 11am and 2pm. Book tickets via laboite.com.au - Tickets range from $25-$68. Drinks and snacks available from the bar before the show and at intermission. Limited on-street parking.

The lonely theatre-goer look:

pretentious selfie!

Makeup-wise, I went for something super light and not too done-up,
cause I wanted to rock my favourite lipstick and didn't want to go
overboard.
After moisturising, I used:
MAC Studio Fix SPF 15 Foundation
MAC Studio Fix powder
Maybelline mascara (something waterproof, idk)
MAC lipstick: Lady Danger (matte finish)

Hair-wise, I washed my hair with Moroccan Oil repair shampoo
and conditioner. I let my hair air dry for the most part, then did a
light blow dry, mostly on the ends where it was still a bit damp and
in my roots where I tried (and failed) to get a bit of volume in there.