By Karyn Lee Greig.
Pursuing an artistic or vocational passion of any sort, for most of your life, is something to be admired. I know engineers that are still working well into their 80s. Actors such as the award-winning Glenda Jackson was an acclaimed British actress from the early 70s onward when she played the definitive Elizabeth I in the brilliant 6-part series. She came back to acting to play King Lear in 2019 in her 80s. She did however have a 23-year interlude as a member of the British parliament. Ian McKellan, Judy Dench, Maggie Smith and the singer, Tony Bennett, come to mind. They stuck or in the case of Ian McKellan and Judy Dench, will stick to their craft presumably till they can’t do it anymore. Others include Al Pacino, Anthony Hopkins and Morgan Freeman – all still working. Of course there are many more like them in all fields.
Natasha Moszenin and Leo Taylor are two such artists and we see the fruits of their years of experience in this new production, From the Shadows, a collection of poems and songs, written and produced by themselves. Moszenin, composer and songwriter, is a graduate of NIDA, AFTRS (Australian Film, Television & Radio School) and Berklee Music Online. She has been a theatrical composer and songwriter for many years for companies in all major capital cities of Australia. Since 2013 she has written and produced her own music theatre and jazz cabaret works, including The Insomnia Project and Nightsongs, as well as her album, Sleepless Daughters in 2021. Her upcoming jazz album for piano will be released in 2025. As an actor, in a career spanning 55 years, Leo Taylor has appeared in over 40 professional plays and 70 film and television projects both here and in the UK and he is currently one of Australia’s leading voice over artists.
Clair Nicholls is the younger but by no means least of this trio. From 2006 she has worked as an actor and singer for various theatre companies including La Mama in Melbourne, Theater Du Pif in Hong Kong and China and The Australian Shakespeare Company in Prague. She has since performed extensively for The Australian Shakespeare Company in Melbourne, also touring shows and running workshops for schools.
This is an unplugged, intimate 1-hour soiree in a small space. Wine in hand, we are treated to a quiet, softly lamp-lit experience, inviting meditation. The various short pieces encourage us to ponder current social challenges. Topics range from the need for love, the meaning of life, homelessness and inequality, to the comical final piece about the union of a cockroach and a cat. Interspersed are songs by Nick Cave and Moszenin herself. The audience were relaxed and slow to leave afterwards.
Moszenin’s songs and jazz compositions on piano are mesmerising, complemented by Nicholls’ smooth mezzo/alto voice. Taylor is an excellent, thought-provoking poet and lyricist, often using rhythm and turn of phrase to good effect. His well-oiled, resonant voice and rich use of language weaves its magic in the brain. Similarly, Nicholls’ poetic delivery captivates.
Sometimes, the performers’ eyes were closed or looking down to the floor too long during songs and poems. This cut audience off from performer. I wanted to be included more. Overall, though, this was a very enjoyable experience, strangely soothing yet intellectually inviting and just the right length. Don’t miss the next season.
