OBSERVER: Pokelesque
Pokelesque was a bold and bawdy hybrid of a show, strikingly imaginative in the way it brought together the worlds of Pokemon, drag and burlesque. It pulled this off, mostly, with style and aplomb but was not without its glitches.
The narrative was quite simple: a young woman wants to become the very best Pokemon trainer ever but faces fierce competition from her rival, a young nerdish boy. The two of them travel through the Pokemon world battling it out.
Written by Rosie Roulette, the script was a classic example of a show of two halves. The first half introduced the narrative, key characters and successfully introduced the shows commedia dell’arte style, mixing elements from the Pokemon universe with bawdy burlesque and ribald drag routines.
However after a brief interval the show struggled to pick up the verve and energy of the first half.
Too much talk and exposition meant the humour became labored and it wasn’t until half way through the second half that the show found its mojo again.
A large cast of 14 was made up of actors playing the half-a-dozen central characters supported by a brilliant array of burlesque and drag performers in roles as Pokémon characters.
Performances were uneven across the night though as some actors/performers fitted brilliantly into the commedia dell’arte style while others seemed much less at home and played to the audience too much.
In part, the responsibility for this lay with Roulette as they not only wrote the show but also directed and produced it.
They did a great job of generating and shaping an anarchic energy with great flair but this very same energy sometimes worked against the show as performers couldn’t be heard or seemed lost in the frenzy.
A mix of miked and unmiked voices didn’t help. What did help though were beautifully designed and made masks and glitzy costumes.
Overall, Pokelesque was a rollercoaster of a show that gave its audience highs and lows, from wonderful soaring arias and hilarious camp humour to some quite ordinary stilted theatre.
What shone clearly through it all though was how Roulette is a talent to watch out for.
Theatre Works, 14 Acland St, St Kilda
Review by Peter Murphy