By Peter Maddern
The last of this year’s Blackbox series of plays kicks off tonight with Last Tango in Smithfield Plains. An aging clown (Wayne Anthony) happens upon his first and only tango lesson late with a similarly long in the tooth instructor (Jenn Havelberg). His big nose and feet and her engrained lack of trust quickly see the lesson disintegrate but what sparks up then is a relationship that grows through their mutually shared experiences and needs via alter egos.
Written by the players themselves and directed by Lisa Lanzi, Last Tango is a whimsical, often sad but ultimately uplifting tale of life on the fringe where love and money are in short supply. Both actors do an excellent job with Havelberg clearly not beyond her dancing days and Anthony suitably clumsy and pragmatic.
The writers have done an excellent job of teasing out the stories of their characters and the fusing of their souls after breaking down the barriers of suspicion is very believable and nicely paced. The humour embedded in the play could do with some extra work but after a year mostly full of young talented actors strutting their stuff Last Tango works at a different pace dealing with different issues that will resonate with a middle aged audience.
Kryztoff Rating 3K
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