BWW Reviews: ADELAIDE FRINGE 2014: THE EVENT Is Back and Not to Be Missed

Reviewed Thursday 6th March 2014

Guy Masterson's touring theatre group CIT Adelaide - Centre for International Theatre, brought The Event to the Fringe a few years ago with David Calvitto performing this very witty and clever work. Bob Paisley, another member of that illustrious group and a member of CSTK - Central Standard Theatre, Kansas City, is here this year to present his interpretation of John Clancy's play, once again directed with enormous skill by the author. Paisley will be remembered by Adelaide audiences from his Fringe appearance in the excellent production of Driving Miss Daisy, in 2012.

What you may ask, is the event? The answer is that you are sitting in it. The Event is about exactly that, the event that you are attending. From total darkness a pool of light appears downstage centre, in which stands a man. Throughout, until very near the end, he refers to himself only as 'The Man'. From this position of anonymity he begins to dissect the event, analysing each part and the relationships between them.

In a very funny expose we are introduced to the actor, the writer, the lighting technician, the stage manager, and to ourselves, the audience, and the various possible members of any audience, from critics to colleagues and from family to total strangers. We here about the roles of everybody involved in presenting and attending the event. We explore the relationships and possible interactions, including The Man's running intercourse with the lighting technician, a one way dialogue in which the technician speaks only through his lighting desk, punching a button occasionally to change the feel and mood from time to time. This gives him the potential to have power over The Man, which he resents.

Soon, we find that we have drifted beyond the confines of defining this, and for that matter, almost any night at the theatre, into a discourse of much wider scope as The Man becomes more philosophical. We find ourselves, with the prompting of his words, beginning to question reality itself. What is real? What is illusion? How do we determine what is true and what is false? We even start to wonder why we exist and whether there is any reason for our being alive and sentient.

Paisley's interpretation, even having had the author directing both productions, is quite different from that of Calvitto. This is because there is no great character to play, as one might in a Shakespearean production. Nothing happens. There is no narrative to follow. There is just The Man, espousing his views or, more correctly, those of the playwright. The actor, for all we know, could be speaking as himself, or have imagined some suitable character to play, since actors generally hate it when they have to be themselves but, as the script calls for no particular character, the possibilities are endless, allowing Paisley to make the play his own in so many ways, from the way that he delivers a line, to a facial expression, to a gesture, or to the length of a pause.

If you saw the previous production, then you will definitely want to see this one, not only because of the enjoyment in seeing the differences between the two, but simply because it is such a great script. Paisley does an excellent of job captivating his audience, generating a plenty of laughs, and more than a few wry smiles of acknowledgement as people recognise themselves, or a situation in which they have been. You will take much of this personally as indeed you are meant to. Hilarity abounds, but there are plenty of incisive, poignant, and touching moments as well, before returning to a lighter note towards the end.

Make sure that you take a trip up to North Adelaide to the Channel 9 Kevin Crease Studios, have a drink in the beer garden while you collect your tickets, drinks can be taken in, by the way and, at the same time check out some of the other very fine works being presented in this venue, which is new to the Fringe tis year.

You will be entranced, entertained, and given food for thought as Bob Paisley demonstrates what a really great actor can do with a superb script. Don't miss this performance.

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