Blue
Surge
Play Details
Blue Surge
Rebecca Gilman
Directed by Paola Ungar
August 26th – September 12th 2010
Directed by Paola Ungar
Set Design – Daniel Harvey
Lighting Design- Roxzan Bowes
Cast
Trent Baker- Curt
Justin Hosking- Doug
Cassandra Magrath- Sandy
Eloise Oxer- Beth
Holly Shanahan- Heather
Review Samples
“A fabulous performance from Trent Baker captures a haunting portrait of a sensitive man thwarted by a deprived upbringing.
Cassandra Magrath achieves a complex chemistry that dissolves into elusiveness.
Eloise Oxer's Beth is the odd character out, her privileged background hovering behind every syllable, a source of tension.
Justin Hosking and Holly Shanahan provide a comic counterpoint with their low-rent humour.”
Cameron Woodhead, The Age August 28th, 2010
“Trent Baker, surpassing himself in this role.
Eloise Oxer gave a wonderful performance as Beth.
Cassandra Magrath has fulfilled the adolescent promise of her Sea Change days with a confident and poised performance you cannot fault.
Holly Shanahan had me in a fit of giggles with her drunken sideshow.
Justin Hosking is solid and natural, even when stark naked with the audience rather too close for comfort. The relationships… are poignantly and sensitively realised.
Winterfall Theatre is Melbourne’s best kept theatre secret…”
Liza Dezfouli Australian Stage 29th August 2010
“Trent Baker’s performance showed a lot of sensitivity and depth… Eloise Oxer played the awkward role of Beth, Doug’s girlfriend. She played this role with fitting gravity, serenity and subtlety…
Cassandra Magrath as Sandy played a very complex and inscrutable character and she did it masterfully…
Justin Hosking and Holly Shanahan gave delightful performances as Doug and Heather respectively
Daniel Harvey’s use of sets, scenery and costume was very clever. I loved how the backdrop told us we were one minute in a bar and the next minute in a kitchen just by opening and closing a tiny cupboard. The scenes were changed with the subtlest ease, and the costumes were subtle showing the theme of the play."
Theatre People, August 23rd, 2010
“I would highly recommend you catch Winterfall Theatre’s production of Blue Surge. It’s a great way to spend an evening…
Paola Unger’s direction clearly understood the genre of this play that could easily have floundered in less secure hands. Set Design by Daniel Harvey was very impressive and Roxzan Bowes’ lighting design created the necessary mood for the play…
Cassandra Magrath was brilliant in the role of Sandy, likewise Trent Baker playing opposite her in the role of Curt.
Eloise Oxer was totally convincing in the role of Beth.
Justin Hosking played the role of Doug with complete conviction, humour and flare… Holly Shanahan was very watchable in the role of Heather as she skilfully combined humour with depth and believability …”
Curtain Call, August 26th, 2010
“The cast of Blue Surge is fantastic.
Justin Hosking is an exceptional talent, displaying a natural ease on stage in a multifaceted portrayal of Doug. Hosking is masterful at hitting the necessary comedic moments, while keeping the character authentic and entirely believable. He managed this while standing stark naked on stage!
Holly Shanahan has a very strong presence on stage and was wholly convincing in the role of Heather. Eloise Oxer was stunning as Beth, conveying the complexities of a woman navigating her role as the only middle-class character with a working-class friendship group.
Cassandra Magrath gave a very moving, believable performance as Sandy, creating great empathy for her damaged character. Trent Baker was terrific as Curt.”
Paola Unger has great talent as a director, and I was glued to the show from start to finish. The high production level was assisted by excellent set and lighting designs by Daniel Harvey and Roxzan Bowes respectively.
Winterfall Theatre has produced an all-round great production."
Inpress Magazine 24th August 2010
“… a fabulous performance, captures a haunting and complex chemistry.”
Cameron Woodhead, The Age
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