Review-Of Mice and Men-Performance Exchange
27-9-14
By: Meaghan McGurgan
When you first arrive at Premium Sofa Club you're not sure how it can be the location for a theatre production. The former stomping ground for XXX, Premium Sofa Club is in a basement space in Sheung Wan. Little does the passer-by know that there's a great little performance space below the rumbling streets.
Tonight's featured presentation was Of Mice and Men performed by Performance Exchange, a simple two hander production by experienced actors, Nigel Miles-Thomas and Dan Foley. Performance Exchange does an excellent job of translating Steinbeck's play to the stage with minimal set and props. I enjoyed the way they were able to bring George and Lennie to life. The play is about an hour in length, perfect for young audiences. The compelling story of two outsiders striving to find their place in an unforgiving world, this production should be very useful as an educational tool for teachers when covering the novel.
Drifters in search of work, George and his simple minded friend Lennie have nothing in the world except each other and a dream, a dream that one day they will have some land of their own. Their hopes are doomed as Lennie, struggling against extreme cruelty and feelings of jealousy, becomes a victim of his own strength.
The actors are very well prepared and dedicated to their roles. They transformed the Sofa Club into the barley fields and barns of the Midwest.
Sofa Club is a very intimate venue. You're about three to four feet away from the actors. Part of me thinks they must have been regularly performing this production in bigger houses; because sometimes their voices were too loud for the space, especially Dan Foley. He needed to just pull it back a bit. Sofa Club isn't big enough to require playing to the cheap seats.
My favorite moment in the production was the death of Curly's wife. It was simple in its staging but extremely effective in showing us Lennie's vulnerability and strength. The use of the scarf to represent her was very interesting as a concept and created a beautiful stage picture. Going back through the other parts of the play, perhaps it would have been interesting to represent the other characters as props/scenery. I enjoy it when actors speak directly to the audience but the intense eye contact required for this play and the intimate setting may have made some audience members uncomfortable.
Something I think can be improved was the preservation of the space. The actors were doing a wonderful job on stage and then a staff member from the club was rattling through a cabinet and spoiled the moment for us. This is the first time that Sofa Club has hosted a theatrical production, so I assume they're still getting their bearings.
Another thing that would be nice is posting a board up with the show information. I'm all for paperless productions but I think having access to the information is important for audience members. Wifi signals drop to nothing inside the club, so perhaps writing all the cast and crew info on a chalkboard or something would be a great solution for this production. It would also help with the rustic feel.
Of Mice and Men is a classic story. Performance Exchange performs it well in a minimal environment for a unique theatre experience. Audience members bored by attending shows in traditional auditoria will love the organic layout of the room and comfy sofas. This production doesn't have a lot of flash to it but it has a lot of heart.
Of Mice and Men is playing through September 27th. For more information, click here.
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