Review: The Danger Of White Collar Ambition Manipulating Not-For-Profit Creativity and Nurturing In The Arts Industry Is Exposed In A STRATEGIC PLAN

Thursday 2nd February 2017, 7pm, SBW Stables Theatre

Ross Mueller's new work, A STRATEGIC PLAN challenges the merging of corporate values with artistic development as politics and power runs rough shot over small Not-For-Profit Arts institutions. The first show for Griffin Theatre Company's 2017 season, this Australian work will resonate loudly with all audiences as it looks at the corporate side of the accountability imposed on small to medium Not-for-Profit Arts companies and questions the freedom the industry has to nurture new talent and the propensity for workplace bullying in the corporate landscape.

Director Chris Mead cleverly moves Mueller's work between the present and the past as the audience sees protagonist Andrew (Justin Smith) preparing for a legal case against his former employers and his early days dealing with not-for profit organisation Staccato's out of touch Board of Management Chairman Simon (Matt Day) and HR Rep Leanne (Briallen Clarke). Staccato is a small organisation which educates and promotes music for young people and is run on a skeleton staff of the newly appointed Director of Music of and co-CEO and, his co-CEO Colin, who seems to be on perpetual holiday, Membership and Marketing employee Jill (Emele Ugavule) and a collection of unseen casuals. Designer Sophie Fletcher has focused the design elements to represent Staccato's studios complete shelves of archives and equipment and a small stage with drums, guitars, sound desk and microphones occupying the far corner of SBW's stage. Verity Hampson's lighting design and Steve Francis' sound design helps to move the work between Staccato and the fluorescent lit law court corridors and stairwell where Andrew meets with lawyer Leanne ( Briallen Clarke) and barrister Perkins (Matt Day).

Smith captures the former Bass guitarist who has opted to try his hand at a management job following permanent damage to his hearing from his years performing in an era when sound limits and hearing protection was unheard of. He gives Andrew an awkwardness befitting someone that is well aware that he's out of his depth when it comes to managing and navigating the minefield of dealing with an artistically ignorant Board of Management that are really only supporting the organisation to further their own careers. He conveys Andrew's passion for music and carrying out Staccato's mandate to support young musicians and balances this with determining how to deal with the generational gap in order to relate to Jill. Smith finds the right balance of expression, avoiding overplaying the role whilst still expressing Andrew's frustration at the system, its players and his pain at his ongoing tinnitus.

As young aspiring producer paying the rent by running Staccato's Membership and Marketing, Emele Ugavule expresses the differences in the generations as she portrays Jill. She expresses the dismissiveness and derision that early 20 somethings express towards the older generations as she clashes with Andrew and Simon over the production of new marketing material. Whilst Simon doesn't understand the music industry lingo, Ugavule expresses Jill's lack of understanding of business principles with a quiet confusion that adds to the comedy of the work. Over the course of the timeline that unfolds, Ugavule captures Jill's growth and developing friendship with Andrew with a heart-warming honesty as she embodies the nurturing and encouragement that we understand Staccato is supposed to be delivering to young artists.

Doubling in the roles of Simon and Perkins, Matt Day sports a moustache in an attempt to age his eternally youthful look and set Simon and Perkins as of another generation which is further supported by the language Mueller has given the men. Day captures Simon's sleazy nature as hits on Jill and his ambition as he endeavours to manipulate Andrew into turning Staccato into an online operation, failing to understand the organisation's aims. He delivers the corporate buzz words and ideas for Staccato's Strategic Plan with a conviction reminiscent of oily ambitious corporate climbers that have drunk the company Kool-aid. He ensures that Simon is seen as a rich white collar executive that is out of touch with the real world. Perkins, the independent barrister representing Andrew in his case against the Staccato board is a smaller role but Day gives him the gravitas required to intimidate.

Briallen Clarke also doubles roles as the inexperienced HR rep from Roads and Maritime who sits on the Staccato Board Linda and Leanne, the lawyer from the no-win no-fee law firm representing Simon. As Leanne, Clarke captures the dismissive nature of the lawyer hoping to get the case over and done with, and not really having all that much weight in her field. Similar to Day's Simon, Clarke presents Linda as an aspirational climber that is using her volunteering to serve on the Staccato board to further her own career whilst having no idea about music. She presents Linda as hyperactive with a short attention span, reminiscent of a puppy as she seeks to work with Simon to manipulate Andrew.

A STRATEGIC PLAN is insightful, comic and contains some great musical interludes performed live. It is engaging and well-paced and coming in the wake of major cuts to the Australian Arts industry in 2015 which curtailed, and in many cases crippled independent companies, this work remains relevant as the smaller players in the industry, Griffin included, seek to continue their important work on less whilst big players who received the lion's share of funding lose focus on the local talent. A STRATEGIC PLAN is a relatable work for not only those in the arts industry, but for anyone that has had anything to do with businesses and corporations.

A STRATEGIC PLAN

SBW Stables, Kings Cross

27th January - 11 March 2017

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