Not A Good Look (NaGL) Shifts Lens on Contemporary Australia
The World Loves Melbourne is excited about a new theatre production titled NaGL (Not a Good Look) which is premiering in early October.
Uncle Chuck is the only one that belongs here, but why does he try his hardest to earn his place? Presiding over a boxing ring in the corner of a house filled with the detritus of domestic living, Uncle Chuck introduces us to a multicultural, multi-generational family. NaGL (Not a Good Look) muses over the oddities of living together, and shifts the lens onto contemporary Australia.
The play is called NaGL - an acronym for ‘not a good look’ - meaning: to describe something as unacceptable, foul, disastrous, inappropriate, or awkward. In this case, it’s Australia that’s NaGL. This dark, absurdist comedy is a series of surreal domestic occurrences, or “rounds”, between husband and wife, brother and sister, brutally satirical because it’s so terribly real. NaGL rules. NaGL surrounds us. NaGL is what is happening to us. It is funny, but is it really?
“I have been a fan of Lech's work for a few years now,” says primary cast member Reece Vella. “The way he sees the world and explores epic themes through the simplicity of the family unit definitely caught my interest. In NaGL, we get a look at the inside workings of Australian culture through the eyes of an expat. No matter who you think you are, you will enjoy the play, especially in the current socio- political climate. Artistic work is always open to the interpretation of the viewer. Hopefully we create debate through some self-reflection.”
“NaGL is my personal experience,” says writer Lech Mackiewicz. “Although NaGL is not a factual record of events, NaGL is a true story of what happened to my family, to the way we are, to the way we see the world and it's progress (or regress). NaGL sounds absurd on the first read, but after a while the absurdity of it takes a very real shape - the shape of our everydayness. The dysfunctional family I portray in this theatrical metaphor fits the acronym, and, by implication, so does Australian society.”
Writer, Lech Mackiewicz, is a Polish actor, director and playwright. Lech formed Auto Da Fe Theatre Co. in Sydney in 1987. He has received three individual grants from the Australia Council for Arts, and is also the 1991 winner of a NSW Performing Arts Scholarship. Lech teams up with director Greg Ulfan to create NaGL. Greg has worked as an actor and director with a range of Australian theatre companies, including Melbourne Theatre Company and Malthouse Sydney Theatre Company, he has also appeared in an array of Australian TV shows.
Written by | Lech Mackiewicz
Cast | Reece Vella, Miles Paras, Joseph Sherman, Judith Chaplin-Flemming
Design | Lara Week
Direction | Greg Ulfan
Performance Dramaturgy | Gorkem Acaroglu
Lighting design | Shane Grant
Previews: October 6th & 7th Tickets $10
Opening night: October 8th Media and VIP guests
Performances: October 8th - 17th Tickets $25 Adult, $20 Concession
Wednesday show: October 14th Tickets 2 for $25
Tickets http://www.trybooking.com
http://metanoiatheatre.com/event/nagl/
Metanoia at the Mechanics Institute Brunswick
270 Sydney Road, Brunswick