subtlenuance - Past Productions

subtlenuance
writing and producing independent australian theatre

Past Productions

2009

subtlenuance produced the original work Catherine at Avignon with Melissa Jones, Dave Kirkham, Heidi Lupprian, Rowan McDonald, Anna Martin, James Shoobridge. The show was designed by Emma Vine and written and directed by Paul Gilchrist.

Set in fourteenth century France, and inspired by actual events, Catherine at Avignon is the story of an extraordinary personality. Branded a no one by her society, Catherine fearlessly took on kings and queens. Avignon was to be her greatest challenge.

Sexy, passionate and very funny, Catherine at Avignon was enjoyed by audiences and critics alike.

What the Critics said:

"...rich dark humour and salacious moments...shimmering cast...startling moments of poetry...polished show..." The Brag

"……. verve of the storytelling….. There is something of Stoppard’s Rosencrantz and Guildenstern in the figures of the players, a triumph of narrative construction. Like Stoppard, Gilchrist is great with words, and amply demonstrates it in scene after scene of highly amusing and erudite verbal sparring. In the next instant… a superb and very playful rendition of modernist theatre.….. a very poignant take on the (modern) human condition …. the audience is treated to a subtle, and subtly informed, inquiry into theatre itself – as art, as entertainment, as philosophical meditation. Performances are uniformly strong …. Catherine of Avignon is a significant achievement in writing, direction and staging, and Paul Gilchrist is obviously a playwright …worth watching. I was very impressed with the ambition of this piece …. a testament to the structure of the piece and the poise of the writer. …….I urge theatre buffs in Sydney to have a look at Catherine at Avignon ….."

http://reviews.media-culture.org.au/

"Catherine at Avignon ...is a thought-provoking, uplifting performance that leaves the audience hopeful for a better world. Paul Gilchrist's script is clever and engaging... The performances are brilliantly executed." www.aussietheatre.com

"P.G. Gilchrist’s newest work Catherine at Avignon is a thought-provoking piece on the importance of truth and purity of spirit in a world gone mad. ….. I am … transported back in time via the powerful performances of the entire ensemble. Inquiring and at times wickedly funny, I laugh out loud at many of the best lines expertly timed by Melissa Jones, who plays the wonderfully wanton Marguertie. Anna Martin is also a standout, giving a impassioned and inspiring performance as the headstrong religious zealot/political activist Catherine.

Written by director P.G Gilchrist, the script is the real star. Both poetic and whimsical, Gilchrist seamlessly weaves olde English and 21st century language to jolt us between yesterday and today at will. The problems and the turmoil of the 14th century are clearly still relevant to today’s crazy world."

http://www.altmedia.net.au/theatre-catherine-of-avingnon/7425

In 2009 subtlenuance also produced Before the Embrace with Will Carter, Lindsey Chapman, Alex Dalrymple, Daniela Giorgi, Shaun Martindale and Jo Richards.The show was designed by Emma Vine and written and directed by Paul Gilchrist.
Set in contemporary Australia, Before The Embrace is a fiercely funny satire - a play about a film, a film about a life, a life about to fall apart.

What the Critics said:

"Before the Embrace is a thoroughly enjoyable night of mischievous satire, however let the directionless in the audience be warned, this is a production that really makes you sit up and examine what you’re doing with your life."www.altmedia.net.au

"set in modern-day Sydney, it occasionally reaches the lofty heights of subtlenuance’s last production, Catherine at Avignon, which was set in 14^th century France. Chapman's monologue about “life being in the gaps”, which plays out in a typical suburban fitness centre, is quite charming......the humour and the action are professional and enjoyable....Everyone will (hopefully) see someone they know in Before The Embrace" The Brag

2008

subtlenuance produced True Times Three, an experiment in comic magicalism, with Kristy Best, Daniel Felkai, Penny Hall, Heidi Lupprian and James Shoobridge. Written and directed by Paul Gilchrist True Times Three was produced at TAP Gallery.

What the Critics said:

"I can't really bring to mind the last time I laughed as loud and, almost amidst it, felt the agony of intense, searing tragedy. True Times Three....transcends itself, emerging in a faraway land of 21st-century Shakespearean pseudo-soliloquy.” Australian Stage Online

“Everything assumed, sure, square and secure is suddenly rendered Dali…”Australian Stage Online

From the moment Penny Hall engages the audience as Angela she is the captivating force that drives this play.” The Drum Media

“...a lot of genuine laughs…a lot of fun to be had…a charming and fun piece of independent theatre.” The Drum Media

"Kristy Best…Daniel Felkai…Penny Hall… and James Shoobridge… all command their characters, the stage and attention… Felkai, as not-altogether-but-almost-clueless Tony, ekes out a veritable comic masterpiece, while never faltering, in remaining empathic and compassionate with respect to his near-brilliant evocation. Shoobridge pumps up his small frame to be every bit the self-possessed and obsessed Joel and, in so doing, is utterly convincing. Best seems to revel in realising the sensuality of the hedonistic Simone; consequently, so do the rest of us. Hall lives up to the name of brand-spanking-new production company, subtlenuance, in delivering a portrait of a mortgaged soul." Australian Stage Online

"The angelic Heidi Lupprian provided haunting links, in song. Technically, too, all was tight as a drum." Australian Stage Online

2007

Working with Thrown Together Theatre, subtlenuance produced Dead Money with Ali Davies, Brett Ellwood, Daniela Giorgi, John Maynard and Dave Tibbles. Written and directed by Paul Gilchrist, Dead Money was produced at TAP Gallery.

What the Critics said:

“tight and amusing” The Program

“Gilchrist’s writing has much to recommend it.... sharp and insightful observations on the nature of greed and fear.” The Drum Media

2006

Working with Thrown Together Theatre, subtlenuance produced Turning Up with Brett Ellwood, Paul Gilchrist, Daniela Giorgi, John Maynard and Dave Tibbles. Written by Paul Gilchrist and directed by Daryl Currie, Turning Up was produced at The Crypt.

What the Critics said:

“…..Gilchrist’s zingers come thick and fast…” The Sun Herald

“John Maynard …. is bloody funny and he almost steals the show.” The Drum Media

“a remarkably funny, topical, informed and pointed script…..For those prepared to laugh at themselves (and almost everyone else) Turning Up will prove a breath of refreshing, poisonous air……..Turning Up is the best kind of laughfest; in which we laugh, albeit it a little nervously, as flaws in our individual and societal characters are exposed and toyed with…….” Sydney Stage Online (now Australian Stage Online)

“The comedy works well and really pulls it all together. The characters are larger than life, the jokes fly thick and fast, and audience reactions ranged from chortles to belly laughs throughout….. Turning Up is worth checking out.” The Drum Media

Past Productions