CHATS Productions ‘One Random Act: One Act Play Festival’ opened at the Jetty Memorial Theatre last Friday night.

Five diverse short plays were presented, four comedies and one beautifully poignant true story, taking the audience on a journey of laughter and tears.

First up was ‘Bad Auditions by Bad Actors’ directed by Trudy Jeffery, written by Ian McWethy, a somewhat manic portrayal of the worst audition experiences that can happen in community theatre.

Trudy’s inclusive cast delivered a feast of comedy with the characters portrayed brilliantly, with some players taking on two roles.

The energy and comedy on stage were greeted with gales of laughter, this was a fantastic start to the production.

Next was ’21 Chump Street’, a short musical comedy written by Lin Manuel Miranda and directed by Rebecca Riches.

This presentation also delivered high energy and laughter with some soaring vocals, intriguing and rapidly developing plot, and crisp choreography.

Rebecca’s cast features fabulous up and coming actors in a fast paced and engaging performance.

After intermission director Bec Pakes shared the stage with Annamarie Cohen (who delivered two characters in ‘Bad Auditions’ earlier) in the Australian comedy ‘Two Women and a Chair’, by Michael Olsen.

The laughter continued with this rollercoaster ride of emotions and interaction between two aspiring actors waiting for an audition, as both players delivered knockout performances.

This was a great example of minimalist theatre at its best.

Becky Cole delivered her self-written solo work, ‘Sister Kenny’, a fabulous creation around the true story of the Australian polio pioneer, who challenged the medical establishment and revolutionised the treatment of this devastating disease in children.

This stunning creative piece mesmerised the audience and moved many to tears.

The final play was Chekhov’s ‘The Bear’, directed by Lily Tasker and featuring two trained and highly talented actors and a new up and coming player.

The intensity of this play had the audience glued to the action and enjoying the fast-paced comedy.

The play raced through the developing plot and delivered an unexpected ending as the punch line.

A classic work of clever theatre, this performance rounded out an eclectic and delightfully engaging set of theatrical works.

Audience feedback was extremely positive, with many remarking that they were hugely impressed with the level of talent on and behind the stage.

There are four shows this weekend, tickets from https://www.jettytheatre.com/one-random-act-one-act-play-festival/.

 

By David TUNE