Hand To God

Hand To God was held November 2022.

Written by Robert Askins
Directed by Nick Fagan

Cast: Matthew Houston, Emily Branford, Brendan Cooney, Laura Antoniazzi, Tom Tassone

Reviews

• “No puppetry - including that of the penis - has ever reduced an opening night audience to such extremes of hilarity and affront.”
• “It was on director Nick Fagan's theatrical bucket list and he has ticked off this tightly focused, wildly entertaining journey into the very nature of good and evil with a flourish-and-a-half.”
• “The tour de force that is Houston's performance establishes the duality of his soul and highlights brilliantly Jason's deep insecurities.”
• “The climax of Act One is worth the price of admission alone."

- Weekend Notes
 

• “Because Laura Antoniazzi builds her Jessica from docile to decisive with great subtlety, you don’t spot what she’s doing until she’s done it. Antoniazzi’s acting craft is excellent.”
• “Houston is remarkable in the role. He retains stillness with commendable discipline, avoids caricature, and never goes for the cheap laugh. It is a fine performance.”
• “Nick Fagan’s directorial orchestration of this piece is delicate, confident and reassuring. His actors know where they are going and what they are doing, and – what’s more important still – how they want us to feel about it all.”

- Glam Adelaide
 

• “…a wild, raucous romp, as the foul-mouthed, filthy-minded Tyrone leads the faithful few triumphantly into temptation.”
• “In the dual characters of Jason and Tyrone, Matt Houston is triumphant. He’s Adelaide’s go-to guy for larger-than-life roles.”
• “As his harried mother, Emily Branford is absolutely on-point. Brendan Cooney is the pleasantly seedy pastor, a changing mix of saint and sinner.”
• “When you’re dealing with priapic puppets, a firm hand is required, and director Nick Fagan mainly succeeds”

- The Advertiser
 

• “Hand to God is the funniest, most disreputable thing I think I've ever witnessed. …the non-stop open-throated laughter of the audience in the Little Theatre must be the loudest sound ever to have struck the rafters of the venue.”
• “Matt Houston has won critical acclaim for his acting, and he knows the Little Theatre stage well, but as Jason and Tyrone, he reaches new levels of capability."
• "Emily Branford as Margery is a luxury casting... Tom Tassone is a serious physical force on that stage... Brendan Cooney does bewildered very well.”
• “Director Nick Fagan (has) handpicked the perfect cast for a play that does have a deep emotional layer, under strata of inappropriate remarks and behaviour delivered with manic intent in the cauldron of the Little Theatre.”

- BroadwayWorld
 

• “Leading the forces for good is the local pastor – terrifically played with equal parts bluster and dignity by Brendan Cooney.”
• “Matt Houston’s double act as himself and his wicked puppet is simply masterful. He taunts and growls, hisses and heckles in an extraordinary performance.”
• “Emily Branford shines as Margery.”
• “This production is funny, insightful, and entertaining.  Strong, near faultless performances from the whole cast. And hats off to Director Nick Fagan for pulling this one out of the hat. Go and see it!”

- The Clothesline
 

• “I must hand it to the University of Adelaide Theatre Guild for creating a layered, hilarious world in Hand To God.”
• “Watching this play is the theatrical equivalent of riding the most frenzied and gasp-worthy thrill ride at an amusement park”
• “amid rollicking guffaws, director, Nick Fagan, has ensured that Branford and Houston have time and space for poignant moments of truth and reflection; an opportunity both actors seem to relish and revel in.”

• “Houston, we have no problem; the sky seems to be the limit for this actor!”

- The Adelaide Show Podcast
 

• “It is just Nick Fagan’s directing skills which keep the audience captivated and looking for resolution (and) no one is going to forget this production in a hurry.”
• “Good sound, good lighting. Good Southern accents from the cast. All the ingredients are there.”
• “The wonderful Brendan Cooney gives Pastor Greg a goodly serve of suave smug servant of God while Emily Branford takes the ghastly, strident mother/teacher right over the top and into hapless comedic hinterland. One laughs despite oneself. Tom Tassone embodies the big boy, easy to do as a big boy, but his characterisation is exquisitely nuanced and he gives a stand-out performance. 
• "Laura Antoniazzi sweetly depicts the sleeper character, the innocent little girl - or is she? She brings down the house when it comes to the no-spoilers-here climactic scene with Houston."
• “If ever there was a challenging role, this is it.  Matt Houston has it right in hand, so to speak… He’s one of the finest actors in town and his talent devours and delivers this show. Applause. Applause.”

- The Barefoot Review
 

• “All performers are outstanding in this production, however, Matt Houston’s portrayal of Jason/Tyrone is superb. Your eyes are telling you that he is speaking the Puppet but your brain transcends reality and you begin to focus on the puppet alone as an individual entity separate from Jason with a true life of its own.  Given the fast-paced dialogue at times between Jason and Tyrone, not once was there a slip of character which was a true credit to Houston’s performance.”
• “The set was simple, appropriate and uncluttered allowing the cast to move freely around the space and the props and costumes were indicative of the characters and times.  Richard Parkhill’s lighting as usual was exquisite and thoughtful, supporting the production without drawing attention to itself.

- Theatre Association of South Australia
 

• “Theatre Guild has delivered another excellent production with Hand To God.”
• "Direction from Nick Fagan is tight and professional and the pace is excellent with the dialogue and narrative zooming along, as it should.”
• “Houston’s gifted vocal range shifts effortlessly; so well in fact it is easy to forget the two distinct characters stem from just one actor. Emily Branford gives us a clear portrait of this troubled woman both vocally and with emphatic and creative physicality, while delivering the comedic moments with ease and subtlety.”
• “Tassone’s bully-boy Timothy is a great synthesis of testosterone-fuelled young man juxtaposed with a frightened boy expected to ‘grow up’ and behave as he flirts unashamedly with Margery. Antoniazzi gives us a sweet-tempered Jessica who seems to be the ‘fixer’ in the space, and possibly the most well-adjusted character in this farce. Her scene with Houston and their two lust-driven puppets is a highlight amongst many fine theatrical moments here and showcases both actors’ brilliance”
• “Bravo the Theatre Guild creatives for staging a successful SA premiere of Hand To God. Support local and GO.SEE.IT!”

- Theatre Travels