And six more weeks to go. After the hype of the first two weeks week three comes on a sudden low. Low in content and lower in audience numbers. Let’s face the facts. 180 new short plays in the ten weeks leading up to the finals needs dedication and enthusiasm. Audience numbers clearly depend on what the participants can generate.

In week one and two I did not see people leave the show at interval. Not so in week three. Many people just come to see the show of their loved ones. In addition, they only voted for the show that they had come to see.Some audience arrives during the break since their interest is showcased in the second part of the evening. A suggestion to avoid such procedure might be to only allow votes at the end of the evening? Otherwise, the end result might be biased?!

This week six plays by NSW authors are accompanied by efforts by writers from VIC, ACT, UK and USA. Impressive. However, the standard of the first two weeks cannot be reached. There is something dull about the selection of plays and the audience reacts accordingly. Gone is the cheerful laughter, the moments of reflection, the surprisingly witty plots, and the roaring applause. There is nothing we have not seen before.

Just The Ticket by Sally Davies, directed by John Wood, with a composition by Peter Wood and featuring Michelle Pastor as the Parking Inspector and Ben Tranter as Dave, the offender, is about what all of us have tried once before. Avoiding a parking ticket. Hm. Short, but not sweet.

You Can’t Eat It (meaning the Soul) is yet another take on the struggling youth with no news attached. Director Carol Dance and her actors Emmanuelle Mattana and Melissa Spiteri do their best to breathe some life into the script by Carol Dance.

The concept of pairing an Auschwitz survivor with a recent evictee from Big Brother in Other People by Mark Andrew (from VIC) does not really have much to say about the development of freedom in the past fifty years. Directed by Alan Chambers and played by Jess De Gouw (Nina) and Kelly Paterniti (Candy) it just feels out of place.

Through the Chair by Mark C. Bourne, directed by Tracey Keene and performed James Belfrage (Roger) hints what this is all about. Amateur Theatre Society.

In Mother Love writer Katie Whiffen touches a delicate matter, very common in our society. The conflict between upbringing mother, biological mother and the child in between could make an interesting and thoughtful plot. It actually is material for a full-length play. The director is Frances Gates and Chantal Roberts (Danielle), Sandra Velini (Prudence), Annette van Roden (Lucy) do their best to make this little play believable.

Last Man On The Moon by Glynn Oram (from the UK) might be funny, but is it? We all know that the first landing on the moon was filmed in the dessert of Nevada . Director Felix Carlyle and his space crew Daniel Felkai (Neil Armstrong), Mathew Cook (Buzz Aldren) and Simon French (Michael Collins) seem to have fun, which does not come across to the audience.

Nice Shoes. Wanna Fuck? follows a well-known and too often tried concept. I prefer “Wanna come on a trip around the world with me” as a genuine pick up line. The play by Angus Algie from the ACT is directed by Greg Eccleston and executed by Rhianne Evelyn-Ross as Julie and Christian Redy as John, Rebekah Watson as Julie again.

Something to be Done is exactly what the punch line says: One man, searching for inspiration. Yet, like many before him, he struggles to find what he’s looking for. That’s all there is. Writer: Sepy Baghaei (NSW) Director: Sepy Baghaei Cast: Gabriel McCarthy (Gabatwa).

Seth Freman’s MacSpin has made it from the USA to our shores. It is directed by Sharlene Zeederberg and features Brooke Davidson as the Lady, Peter Morris as Mac, Madison Mckoy as Parker and James Hartley as Brandt. I only can say, Woody Allen knows better and more about spin-doctors.

The evening is concluded by Are They. Aiden Cairns gives Director Andrew Kingsford Smith the story of Aiden Cairns as Aiden Cairns to play with.

At the end, the applause sounds more like applauding the end rather the evening. The foyer is empty quickly. Actors from plays earlier in the program have left quickly after their appearance. And here is the second “Hm” from the reviewer. However, such things happen. They are the daily bread of the performing arts. It is a constant rollercoaster. That’s where the fun is. And seven more weeks are to come until the finals.

Short and Sweet Week 3 opened at the King Street theatre, corner King and Bray streets, Newtown on Wednesday January 18 and runs until Saturday January 21, 2012.

© Markus Weber- EMU Productions (theatre and music) Pty Ltd

21 January, 2012

Tags: Sydney Theatre Reviews- Short and Sweet Week 3, King Street theatre, Markus Weber, Kerry Fluhr.