NATHANIAL STORMNIDA'S unofficial contribution to the Festival of the Dreaming, Nathanial Storm has the potential to become one of Australia's great contributions to the world of music-theatre. Here is a story concerned with the complex issue of values and choices, it was never going to be an easy tale to tell but this first production holds out great promise.Nathanial Storm..." is a new work in progress. It does not pretend to be a finished product. Music-theatre is a complex form that requires long and careful development". The entire cast kick us into the first act with an outstanding musical intro but set a pace which proved difficult to sustain. Rodney Dobson and Leoni Page are brilliant as protagonists with a mission and I thought Urshula Yovich played Jemma with great zest and humour. It may be that my memory was playing tricks but was the motor car scene a debt to the musical production of some years ago, Bran Nue Day ? On the surface the plot is simple enough, an aboriginal land owner is holding up a development project...not a road but a hospital, not a sacred site but barren land. If there is a problem it's perhaps that there aretoo many threads, which make the telling a little ponderous...aboriginality, male ego, aids, the glass ceiling and perceptions of the greater good; so many issues made the story line difficult to sustain. Go and see Nathanial Storm, this first production proved to be extremely entertaining theatre and your interest will encourage the productions development. Anthony Crowley is to be congratulated, the music was excellent and well performed by both actors and musicians. Nathanial Storm has all the ingredients to become great musical theatre. Lets hope that the production gets the '...long and careful development" it so clearly deserves.
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