Reviewed by Barry Lenny, Saturday 27th February 2016
Once upon a time, and what better way to start a tale, there was Dazzleland. From 1991 to 1998 the fifth floor of the Myer retail store was home to this entertainment centre, with a roller coaster, dodgem cars and much more. The top two floors are now closed to the public but Adelaide's Slingsby theatre group have managed to have a safe part of Dazzleland's space opened for them to stage Oscar Wilde's short story, The Young King, in an enchanting adaptation by Nicki Bloom.
Slingsby's Artistic Director, Andy Packer, was amazed that nobody had ever thought to take this story and present it in a stage performance and jumped at the chance to do so. That turned out to be an extremely clever decision and his direction of the performance reflects his enthusiasm for the project.
Tim Overton is the Young King, with Jacqy Phillips as his general factotum, and the original music is by the prolific Adelaide composer, Quincy Grant, with the wonderful and very cleverly built sets designed by Wendy Todd, with atmospheric and inspired lighting by Geoff Cobham, created for a space that was never intended for theatrical lighting and thus demanded a most innovative approach. The entire visual aspect of this production is sensational, and just you wait for the final reveal.
But wait, I have got ahead of myself. It all begins in the main foyer on the ground floor of the Myer building, in a quiet corner where patrons assemble. A cheerful page appears to explain a little about the coming coronation and to escort a small group at a time into the private lift that still allows access to floors 4 and 5. Alighting from the lift, we are handed entry cards, each with a different community and point of the compass. We are then seated in an antechamber to wait for another very nervous page to punch our cards and announce the turn of those of us with the same entry card to be admitted, via a corridor with various objects to peruse, into a robing room to prepare ourselves to meet the King-to-be and watch his coronation preparations. The kids, especially, will love the fun of preparing themselves, but so did the adults, just don't tell anybody about that.
We then enter the performance space where the young man is waiting to become the new King. Tim Overton has all the naïvety and charm in the world as the young man plucked from obscurity to be elevated to the highest position in the land. The old King threw out his daughter for failing to take her position seriously. She wandered into the forest, met man and fell in love, and had a son. He was taken from her and raised by goatherds. Becoming a king had never occurred to him but, now, he must have the very best robes crown and sceptre for his big day, and he sets about designing and ordering them.
The tale that follows is one of enlightenment and a gaining of wisdom as the youngster discovers that all that glisters might, indeed, be gold, as well as pearls and rubies, but how various riches that he ordered for his coronation got to him is a long and not very pretty story. He is profoundly changed by his new-found knowledge and faces some difficult decisions.
Tim Overton has the title role, but this is far from being a one-man show. Certainly, his performance is superb and memorable, but this production relies on the combined efforts of all concerned, from the courtiers whom we meet on the way in, through to the set and lighting, both so important to the production, and to Overton, Jacqy Phillips, and Quincy Grant and his fellow musicians, Belinda Gehlert, violin, Emma Horwood, voice and harp, Harley Gray, double bass, and Rosi McGowran, viola, as well as the younger singer with a delightful voice and a big future ahead, Grant's daughter, Cara Gillam Grant. It takes the efforts of all of these elements, the visual side as well as all of the excellent performances, to make this the entertaining and rewarding production that is The Young King, and everybody concerned deserves commendation.
The courtiers must also be acknowledged for the efforts, too, and they were: Peta-Anne Louth, Amba Rose, Amber Cronin, Brittany Plummer, Callan Fleming, Monti Masi, Rachel Burke, and Ruby Chew.
There is every chance that this production, like others before it, will tour Australia and the world, and it deserves to. It is a Slingsby production, and that means it is suitable for the entire family, so head in for a magical tale, beautifully told.
Take a peek, here.
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