Venus and Adonis
Read other reviews about this film
Cast: John Hannan (narrator), Todd MacDonald (Adonis), Richard Sydenham (Venus).
Written over 400 years ago, this black comic poem examining the nature of love and the destructive power of sexual obsession works surprisingly well in a stage adaptation for the Sydney Gay & Lesbian Mardi Gras theater fest.
Billed as "Shakespeare at his homoerotic best," the production suggests parallels between Venus' destruction of what she loves through vanity and lust and the endemic obsession with beauty and objectification in the gay community -- a familiar theme in the fest. And although "Venus and Adonis" chronicles an encounter between an older woman -- the love goddess Venus (Richard Sydenham) -- and a pretty young boy -- Adonis (Todd MacDonald) -- the verse features enough inferences suggesting homoeroticism to interest an educated contemporary gay male audience.
David Fenton's direction is, for the most part, confident and well-paced, with arresting staging and interaction by the actors, who make excellent use of a small space.
But the futuristic metallic set seems perfunctory and is only marginally less distracting than the curious lighting direction.
Nevertheless, fine perfs and largely witty delivery by an all-male cast captivate the audience, with especially outstanding work by Sydney theater veteran John Hannan as the leather-clad narrator.
Choreographed by Arun Munozz, music by Charlie Chan.
Variety is striving to present the most thorough review database. To report inaccuracies in review credits, please click here. We do not currently list below-the-line credits, although we hope to include them in the future. Please note we may not respond to every suggestion. Your assistance is appreciated.
