To the Botanical Gardens and Australian Shakespeare Com-pany’s The Comedy of Errors.
The weather favoured the best Comedy of Errors I’ve witnessed. Glenn Elston’s direction of a cracker cast would have been near impossible to better.
The comic probabilities infinite; with four male characters as identical twins, perfect material for the slapstick style of Commedia dell ‘Arte wisely exploited by Glenn (including two slapsticks).
Where to start?
Hugh Sexton’s clever manipulation of the role of Antipholus of Syracuse with Syd Brisbane as his servant Dromio [of Syracuse],
Syd is a veteran and polished ornament of Australian stage and screen and elsewhere, but his physical and creative energy for two hours Tuesday night astounded me.
But no cry of selective sexism please.Elizabeth Brennan’s Adriana (wife to Peter Houghton as Antipholus of Ephesus) a joy on roller skates, also the footwear for her sister, Luciana from Madeleine Somers who created an hilarious comic moment attempting to rise from prone on her skates (her bottom towards us).
She uttered a just audible “Maybe,maybe, how embarrassing”.
Egeon of Syracuse, father to the Antipholi,a difficult role; very well essayed by Dion Mills;because it involves serial sections of the character’s sad tale.His story,critical to the plot, can sometimes be a mournful winge .
But much more,Claire Duncan, unrecognisable as the massively rounded cook, Nell, Kevin Hopkins, like Syd, another veteran thespian as the three metre Duke, stilt-walking genius..
If you want the best fun you can have sitting up on grass (the vegetation kind on the Observatory Lawn) with safety from Covid -19, take a picnic and get there or be square.
Review by Peter Green