By Peter Maddern
Is there a certain jealousy and self loathing that attaches to some of the criticism about regarding King Kong? In this reviewer’s mind, it is all misplaced for to me King Kong is Australia’s bona fide contribution to the cut throat, mega millions world of successful blockbuster musicals.
When impresario, Carl Denham (Adam Lyon) travels to the somewhat forgotten world of Skull Island he is searching for a new amusement that will capture the minds of the public. His ‘eighth wonder of the world’, Kong is captured and brought back to New York for the delight of patrons. But it all goes horribly wrong when Kong escapes and seeks to protect from harm, Ann Darrow (Esther Hannaford), who was originally presented as a sacrifice for him. Meanwhile Jack Driscoll (Chris Ryan) is the straight guy who is seeking Darrow’s attentions.
This story, no matter how it is presented, is all a bit shallow, though the messages about our instinctual fears of the outsider, and the dangers inherent in hubris ring as true today as ever. But what great musical theatre production of the past 40 years or so hasn’t suffered on that score. And many such great musical theatre production could also cop a fair amount of criticism about the quality of its songs – where 90 secs max is allowed for most numbers for fear the audience will cotton on to the fact that the music too is about as shallow as the story. (Not that these criticisms necessarily apply to KK.)
But what the production of King Kong does is combine, ambitiously and fearlessly, the music festival experience with a stage production. To that extent at least it elevates the show into a new league, perhaps one that may be called the first of the ’21st century musicals. And looking at the demographics of the audience in attendance, producer Carmen Pavlovic and director Daniel Kramer have nailed it. The cognoscenti who have worshipped at the feet of the false idol Lloyd Webber are now being shoved out of their seats by a new’, younger, Future Music / Big Day Out patron, many of whom would be making their debut in a theatre.
One pities how the persons charged with the task of raising the money for a production like this in these times must have felt when they took on the challenge (though of course they are now as big as heroes as the star beast himself), for no expense seems spared. It is Danny Boyle meets Baz Luhrmann and Rogers and Hammerstein have entered the world of U2. There are some scenes such as the arrival on Skull Island, the opening scene of Act 2 and the sad, slow demise of the mighty creature at the end that will long stay in one’s minds for their emotional pull, magisterial showmanship and visual impact.
If there are faults, then certainly the use of ‘arena sound’ tends to swamp the singing, creating a disconnect between the singer and what one hears, but this a common problem for the medium. Some of the scenes could do with a little tightening and perhaps the emotional bond between the girl and gorilla is not as well made as might be. But hell, the way in which such a beast is made to come alive, have a soul and then is cut down is as brilliant as theatre can get.
King Kong is a show to be proud of and when it wins next week any number of the Helpmann Awards for which it has been nominated, be sure the gongs are richly deserved.
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