Monday, 21 May 2012

A Not So Safe Place;


There is nothing safe about this haven.

In a dark, dusty old basement four gothically insane characters come out for their shadows to tell their story. Fixate Productions introduce audiences to Haven. A dark world where no one wants to end up, yet unfortunately four people have.

The smoke of a cigarette wafts through the basement as a bassist plucks the strings of his guitar. Audiences are greeted with mysterious shadows and audiences instantly become fearful of what is to follow. Characters are introduced one by one and their stories soon follow. They sing, they scream and the scare their way through this performance in an audience capturing performance.

The ensemble cast of Haven is something extraordinary. Each actors has an exceptional portrayal and conviction of such insane characters and it during the climatic moments during the production where these skills are highlighted. With character quirks, and distinct personality traits, the actors have nailed these to the tee, with such dedication.

However, despite the skill and potential within this production, I couldn’t help but feel an overall sense of an anti-climax. With performance time only running for about thirty minutes, I left the theatre space in disappointment. Even the audience was expecting more, with about one minute of awkward silence before applause with one audience member even saying “was that it?”

It was a real disappointment to see such a fantastic work, with so little development. It had all the elements required to be an outstanding production, but with this short running time, and awkward ending, I felt that Haven was robbed of its potential.

If this was developed and extended, there is no doubt that it will be a stand out show. There were some extraordinary moments in this show that made the audience hold their breath, but more is just needed.

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