The Book of Everything by Gordon the Optom

Review of ‘The Book of Everything’ by Gordon the Optom

 Theatre Review from Freelance and Independent Theatre Reviewer Gordon Johnston | Received Friday 15th February 2019

‘The Book of Everything’ is an uplifting, moving adaptation of Dutch author, Guus Kuijer’s short bleak novel, by Richard Tulloch. Incidentally, the cinema film is not the same story.

This Fringeworld 2019 production is being presented by the Fenceline Theatre Company. The 100-minute children’s drama is being performed in the comfortable, ‘in the round’ Maali Mia Theatre, at the Swan Christian College, 381 Great Northern Highway in Middle Swan. The curtains go up at 7.15 nightly, until Saturday 16th February

The scene is 1951 in a poor, devastated area of Amsterdam.

The set designer (Jane Hille) has created a photographic scenic backdrop (constructed by PALINK - The Performing Arts Link). The suspended photos are of the unique, tall narrow house fronts of Amsterdam. There must be a hundred assorted windows on the backdrop.

Centre stage, the matte black unit, representing the house staircase and Thomas’s bedroom were built by Dave Gorman, Pia Farrar and Brad Collett.

Jane Hille’s lighting design was installed by Total Concert Productions and operated by technician Kaitlyn Mackie. With careful barndoor control, several windows are individually illuminated, to indicate the scenes of action being enacted on stage. So well thought-out was the lighting that one could easily miss the subtly and the numerous cues.

The production was assisted by Kaitlyn Mackie and Flynn Voight. The work of professional sound technician, Marty Owen was impressive. One special sound effect was subtly supplied orally by one of the cast.

Most of the actors are ex-students, who are about 20 yrs. having left Swan College in the past couple of years. The remainder of the cast are staff members. For many, this is their first major acting role.

The narrators, Zac Holmes and Laura Herd, set the scene.