Court Handke-panky

Press, Volume CXVI, Issue 34151, 12 May 1976, Page 24

Court Handke-panky

“Offending the Audience,” by Peter Handke. Directed by Bernd Benthaak for The Court Theatre: Christchurch Arts Centre, May 10-14. Running time: 12.30-1.10.

Peter Handke is a young | Austrian playwright wl.o for! the last decade has been recognised as a vital force in the German avant garde.' “Offending the Audience” opened in Frankfurt on June! 8. 1966. and was the first of; his Sprechstrucke. short performance pieces for a fixed number of actors, but with! the actual division and allocation of lines left to the director: though it does include some runs of synonyms that would, for several reasons, leave even Roget himself gasping, the primarv offence consists in denying the audience its normal theatre expectations. like characterisation. illusion, and a story element. Aestbeticallv, its interest is that the author provides the work’s form, while

the audience supplies the content.

Consequently. Handke’s logic should require the actors also to write the criticism: Elizabeth Moody, Prudence Langbein, Peter 8001, and Robert Shannon have no of commentary’ during the “play.” though their beautifully orchestrated performances continuously testify to the fact that thev are essentially just middle-men in a dialogue between Handke and his audience, a dialogue which incidentally manufactuers its own theatrical illuIsion-.

However, since I am required to criticise mv own i starring performance, honesty compels me to admit that, bravely seating myself lin a front row and armouring my thighs with my briefcase, I obligingly dodged paper darts, blushed at the sight of pubic hair, gambled precariously with premature balding — in short, the subtlety of my offence w'as that of a virtuoso.

What the programme really needs is a complementary work called “Offending the Actors.” Forms this might take are: theatregoers queue at the box office without buying tickets; the actors are eventually made to pay an egression charge to get out of the theatre. The audience takes huge luncheon hampers full of rotten pumpkins, Australian cigars, water pistols full of brown dye, and the like, employing these devices as the occasion seems fit. Some audience members strip before the actors get a chance to expose themselves. The audience wears leather jackets, monocles, and jackboots. and chants polysyllabic nonsense words beginning with “Schw —.” thus creating the impression that Handke and his mates have flown into town to see the show.

I should add that although Benthaak’s direction will be of considerable interest to all theatre people, this is not exactly normal school holiday entertainment. — Howard McNaughton