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Salient. Official Newspaper of Victoria University of Wellington Students Association. Vol 40 No. 11. May 23 1977

Drama — Assorted Mythologies

Drama

Assorted Mythologies

'The territory between Shaw and Disney is Feifferland...' says Newsweek, but Circa's Knock, Knock with its ' Wizard of Oz' signature theme and racy dialogue, has little in common with the ponderosities of Shaw, and, from what I saw, a healthy inclination towards Disney.

But far from denying it recommendation, this serves to delight and/or instruct — you have the choice. Here is a production in which you can sit back, and what's more relax, ( often impossible with intellectual enlightenment a director's sole aim ). On the other hand Cohn's ( Grant Tilly ) growth of self-awareness with the death and resurrection of, firstly his friend Abe ( Ken Blackburn ) and secondly a 'spiritual visitor ' Joan of Arc, ( Cathy Downes ), is the moral theme, neatly executed ( and if preferred ignored ) — but never at the expense of a laugh!

The whole structure of the play is heretical. Feiffer brilliantly interchanges the Abel/Cain, Noah's Ark, Ten Commandments incidents with snippets of Cinderella and Sleeping Beauty, his greatest masterpiece, of manipulation being Joan's life story in which she begins life with two ugly sisters and ends up walking on water. God himself puts in an appearance, alias Wiseman ( Michael Haigh) seen in many guises.

In terms of ensemble playing, the cast of four realize near perfection. Their relationships are clearly defined, and the audience senses the warmth that exudes from a production in which the actors are in harmony.

Each performance is a re-enactment of a stereo-type, Cathy Downes with the additional onus of a personality transformation at the beginning of Act III, differentiating the two Joans sensitively and what's more, accurately.

Tilly and Blackburn are the classic sparring duo, well-cast foils for one another and individually stylish, with Michael Haigh imbuing every appearance with a zaney impetuosity.

But what is so remarkable about this pretensiously unpretentious little piece, is not the sets, effects and costumes, which are all easy enough to perfect, but an atmosphere of involving the audience by experienced playing - truely intimate theatre.

- Elizabeth Ross.

Drawing of a man selling wind-up university graduates