Sydney Arts Guide

 

‘The Flags’, Insomniac Theatre’s new production at the Cat and Fiddle Hotel from this Friday, looks like a lot of fun.

 

This play, by popular British writer Bridget O’Connor, comes up with a promising premise. ‘The Flags’ features the world’s worst lifeguards on the second worst beach in Ireland! Unfit, not very bright, and not too familiar with the life saving manual, they nevertheless dream of a better life. Their hopes are challenged by visits from an inspector with local Leisure Services. Then a troubled beachgoer tests their fragile lifesaving techniques… 

 

Over a coffee, Maggie Scott, the show’s director and the Artistic Director of Insomniac Theatre, described 'The Flags' as a really good, fun night out at the theatre.

 

Scott said the play is a perfect fit for ‘The Cat and Fiddle’. ‘Insomniac Theatre has been performing in pub venues across Sydney for the past six years. For pubs you need to choose plays that have that light, comedic feel’.

 

Insomniac Theatre puts on one main production a year. Most years the Company takes their show to the annual week long Tasman Theatre Festival on Norfolk Island. ‘ We always have a great time at the Festival. Last year we won the best play award for our production of ‘Bouncers’. 

 

An Australian premiere, Maggie Scott’s production of Bridget O’Connor’s ‘The Flags ‘, featuring Andrew Mead & Scott Grimley as the lifeguards, Elizabeth Rutter as the beach inspector, and Brooke Davidson as the girl, plays the Cat and Fiddle Hotel, 456 Darling Street, Balmain between March 5 and March 21.

 

Jason Reitman's 'Up In the Air', adapted from the novel by Walter Kim,  is a very contemporary, thought provoking film that has people thinking and talking about it long after the lights come up

George Clooney plays the main character, Ryan Bingham, whose job it is to fly around America firing people who he doesn't know, for corporations that do not have the moral fortitude to do it personally. For Bingham, the job is as appealing as being an undertaker, however it presents him with a great lifestyle. This lifestyle comes under threat when Natalie Keener (Anna Kendrick), a new graduate that Bingham's company has taken on, proposes that the company take a new approach and fire the employees via the internet.

Yes, 'Up In The Air' is about how dark and insipid capitalism has become. The film is full of footage showing employees in different forms of distress as they callously receive the news. The new method of firing by the internet is tried out, with even frostier results.There's even a scene showing the company manager Craig  Gregory (Jason Bateman) getting excited as his company has to expand due to the financial meltdown taking greater hold.

'Up in thd Air' is also about how people's private lives are becoming frostier with the fast pace of modern life. Bingham has lost the notion of having a close relationship with his nomadic lifestyle.  During the course of the film he becomes close to Alex Goran, a beautiful, sophisticated woman, and he starts to get the feeling he might want more however Alex has her own issues. In  another scene Natalie Keener finds out that her partner has broken up with her when she receives a text message.

Reitman's fim is well made with great performances by a fine ensemble cast. 'Up In The Air' poses a big question. In our hearts, even though we lives such sophisticated, technologically advanced lives, are we better off?!