Director/Writer: Conor Maxwell Venue: The Meteor, Hamilton Dates: 14 February 2021 and 3 - 6 March 2021
A pop-up performance of the Lonely Hearts Assembly seemed to strike a chord with Hamiltonians looking for something to do on Valentine’s Day because the debut performance was sold out. The show will return for a further season in March, pandemic permitting. More on this later.
The premise was simple. Student Union president Aurora (played beautifully by Bronwyn Laundry) had invented an ideal partner algorithm. Seven participants joined the Lonely Hearts Assembly in hope of meeting that special someone via the algorithm in time for Valentine’s Day.
What unfolded was an insight into the diversity of love, relationships, and sexuality. As the various subplots played out and couplings changed, the evolving relationships appeared natural. The entire cast were well rehearsed and at ease in each other’s company which made for relaxed viewing.
Local theatre practitioner Conor Maxwell wrote and directed this romantic comedy. The script was well-paced with legitimate humour throughout. Maxwell bravely took on themes around sexuality and explored them in a respectful manner. The direction meant that the full width and depth of the stage was used which added dimension to the setting.
An ongoing use of vignettes allowed for insights into the character’s lives. Rather than being a distraction, the vignettes became an excellent tool for moving the multiple storylines forward. Lighting was key in supporting this staging and was well executed.
Voice projection was reasonably good however some dialogue and occasional jokes were lost due to a lack of volume, speed of delivery, or the cast not pausing a beat until laughter had subsided.
The set was reminiscent of a student flat. Subtle changes in linen denoted different bedrooms, and the overall effect was perfectly imperfect. Transitions between scenes were well executed, and the use of music and sound effects were well chosen and entirely appropriate.
An unexpected Emergency Alert notification regarding the change in COVID-19 alert levels meant that the audience’s phones sounded alarms in unison. Hats off to James Smith (Joel) and Rye Inglis (Kiki) who continued their flawless delivery even though the black box was literally abuzz with news.
This was an entertaining and enlightening performance that will be remembered for a long time. Here’s hoping that the March season is able to go ahead unencumbered by further changes in alert levels. Maxwell's work deserves many more full houses.
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