Monthly Archives: December 2013

Neighbourhood Watch (Ensemble Theatre)

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rsz_watchoneVenue: Ensemble Theatre (Kirribilli NSW), Dec 12, 2013 – Jan 25, 2014
Playwright: Alan Ayckbourn
Director: Anna Crawford
Actors: Brian Meegan, Fiona Press, Gillian Axtell, Douglas Hansell, Lizzie Mitchell, Jamie Oxenbould, Olivia Pigeot, Bill Young

Theatre review
Alan Ayckbourn’s brilliant script is a work about the anxieties of middle classes in English suburbia. Its comedy is flamboyantly unhinged, and bears the strong flavour of absurdist British humour that is loved on stages and television the world over. His characters are quirky and colourful, yet complex enough to prevent them from becoming mere caricatures. Ayckbourn’s construction of “the frightening other” is masterful. We watch the onstage characters imagine a threat without actually seeing any substantiation for their terror. Audiences are implicated into the farce being performed, because we share in the imagery of the imagined enemy, but the play constantly reminds us of the stupidity in the scenarios being presented and indeed, the irrationality of those fears.

Brian Meegan is an effective leading man, playing the neighbourhood watch group leader Martin Massie with charm and energetic ardor. All the action is structured around him, and he displays great commitment and gravitas that holds the plot together. Jamie Oxenbould plays the cuckolded Gareth. His characterisation is idiosyncratic and subtle, turning a smaller part into a memorable, and very odd, stand out role.

Direction of the play focuses on plot trajectories, resulting in very clear storytelling, and amusing discourse on themes and concepts. However, interpretation of the play’s comedy elements falls short. There is an emphasis on realism in performances while the text seems to require a much broader comic style. Potential for laughter resides in virtually every line of Ayckbourn’s sharp writing, but his wit is not always strongly delivered.

Neighbourhood Watch deals with issues of class and hypocrisy in our societies. It exposes what we all know to be true, but in a way that surprises and fascinates. Its characters are simultaneously familiar and unpredictable, and they present a story that we can all relate to, regardless of which side of the fence we imagine ourselves to be situated.

www.ensemble.com.au

5 Questions with Darren Mapes

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darrennmapesWhat is your favourite swear word?
The “C” word. Anyone who is offended needs to play the c*nt game. I’ll teach you how to play over a couple of drinks 🙂

What are you wearing?
Bonds. I’m a simple guy.

What is love?
Sister Mary Bruno told me “God is Love” as she beat me with a ruler.

What was the last show you saw, and how many stars do you give it?
Carrie the musical, 4. I’ve always wanted to have Kathy Bates over for dinner, but now I’ll just ask Margi de Ferranti instead, her performance was incredible.

Is your new show going to be any good?
It’s gonna be hilarious. The Golden Girls and puppets? How can you go wrong? 🙂

Darren Mapes is performing in Thank You For Being A Friend, part of the Sydney Gay & Lesbian Mardi Gras 2014 festival.
Show dates: 14 – 28 Feb, 2014
Show venue: Seymour Centre

5 Questions with Ashley Bell

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ashleybellWhat is your favourite swear word?
‘Fuck’ has a multitude of uses, and I’m a big fan of versatility.

What are you wearing?
A knitted green and gold Gorman dress. So blatantly Australiana! However I feel wool was a bad choice on such a muggy Sydney day. Sweat’s sexy, right?!

What is love?
“…Baby don’t hurt me.”

What was the last show you saw, and how many stars do you give it?
The last show I was meant to see was Summertime In The Garden Of Eden last week by Sisters Grimm/Griffin Theatre, but something came up and I didn’t get to go which was such a shame because I heard it was amazing! Lots of glitzy drag, exotica and American deep south references, with lots of cultural and gender reversals. It sounds like something I’d be right into, design-wise, so I’m thinking of re-booking so I don’t miss out!

Is your new show going to be any good?
Of course! The cast and crew are enthusiastic and passionate, and we’ve got a great script and great talent ready to show Sydney what they’ve got.

Ashley Bell is Costume Designer for Wittenberg.
Show dates: 7 – 25 Jan, 2014
Show venue: Old Fitzroy Theatre

5 Questions with David McLean

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rsz_david_mclean_-_main_-_1_-_2013What is your favourite swear word?
Bawbag. It’s a derogatory Scottish slang term – translated into sophisticated English as the male scrotum (a bag for your balls…get it? Sorry!) – but is commonly used as a casual insult against people who are annoying, e.g. “Did you see the state the boss got in when I rocked up 2 minutes late for that meeting? What a total bawbag!”

What are you wearing?
Well, as a newbie to the world of acting, I can’t give up my day job just yet (…!), so when I’m not busy engineering an accelerated route to Hollywood, you can find me working as a Business Analyst at ABC. Today’s dress code is a pair of chinos, brown shoes and an open collared pink shirt. When I worked in London, a few of the lads in the office and I started up Pink Shirt Thursdays, which has now become somewhat of a global phenomenon. There’s a Facebook group, so get involved!

What is love?
I’m not entirely sure what love is yet, but as a wee message for the girls out there who don’t believe in it and think us guys are only after one thing (sex)… well, you’re so wrong!!! We also want food.

What was the last show you saw, and how many stars do you give it?
Sucking Dublin, a NIDA graduate showcase at The Parade Theatres in Kensington. Set in Dublin in the late ’90s, it centres on the tragic lives of 5 young Irish people tormented by rape, drugs and violence. My dialect coach was working with the students on their Irish accents for the show, and as I was graduating from Screenwise around the same time, I thought it’d be a good opportunity to check out what I’d be up against in the industry 😉 All in all, it was a great evening; the performances from each of the five actors were authentic and truly engaging, and I’m sure all of them will go on to be very successful. I’d give it a solid 4/5 stars.

Is your new show going to be any good?
And What A Damn Fine Morning It Is! the show places me up against my next door neighbour, and lifetime rival, Ted (played by Sam Dugmore, an awesome talent), in an hilariously witty, egotistic battle. This will be the first ever time I’ve performed on stage, so I’m looking forward to rising to the challenge and hopefully putting on a great show for all of you. Stephanie Merriman is directing and has been a joy to work with in rehearsals. Some of the improv exercises we’ve been doing have reduced me to tears of laughter! She has a great way of getting the best out of her actors, so here’s hoping Sam and I can make her proud when it comes to show time.

David McLean @mcleandave makes his Australian debut in And What A Damn Fine Morning It Is!, part of Short+Sweet Theatre (Week 2).
Show dates: 15 – 19 Jan, 2014
Show venue: King St Theatre

5 Questions with Jeffery Self

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jefferyselfWhat is your favourite swear word?
Mother fucker. Even though I’ve never actually fucked my mother and I have no interest in doing so.

What are you wearing?
It would only depress you to hear.

What is love?
Diane Keaton.

What was the last show you saw, and how many stars do you give it?
I saw Beyonce in concert last night and it literally FORCED ME to want to have reckless gay sex.

Is your new show going to be any good?
It won’t be as good as Beyonce but it’ll be better than reckless gay sex.

 

 

Jeffery Self is performing in Desperate Houseboys, part of the Sydney Gay & Lesbian Mardi Gras 2014 festival.
Show dates: 18 – 28 Feb, 2014
Show venue: Seymour Centre

5 Questions with Lizzie Mitchell

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lizziemitchellWhat is your favourite swear word?
Can’t go past “fuck”, although I try to keep swearing to a minimum in front of my toddler!

What are you wearing?
Vintage sundress, great in the heat!

What is love?
Happiness and pain and everything in between.

What was the last show you saw, and how many stars do you give it?
Rapture, Blister, Burn at Ensemble. I’d give it 5 stars! The performances and the direction were exquisite!

Is your new show going to be any good?
Alan Ayckbourn’s Neighbourhood Watch is a terrific play and our production absolutely does it justice! Anna Crawford’s expert direction has shaped the performances to perfectly blur the line between comedy and drama and keep the audience in fits of laughter and tears till the very end. It’s a play that will catch you off guard and render you changed at the very end, who doesn’t love that! It’s a pleasure to be a part of it!

Lizzie Mitchell is starring in Neighbourhood Watch.
Show dates: 12 Dec, 2013 – 25 Jan, 2014
Show venue: Ensemble Theatre

5 Questions with Tom Royce-Hampton

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tomroycehamptonWhat is your favourite swear word?
Bollocks – feels good to whisper or yell, it’s an explosion of emotion and can carry as much venom or comedy as the situation requires.

What are you wearing?
My trusty (and hole ridden) white t-shirt, shorts and bare feet.

What is love?
Indescribable.

What was the last show you saw, and how many stars do you give it?
The Andrea Kellar Trio at Bennetts Lane with Tamara Murphy and legendary drummer Allan Browne, out of 5 stars I give it 6!

Is your new show going to be any good?
This is going to be an incredible collaboration uniting the undeniable force of nature that is taiko drumming with the intricate beauty and strength of Indian classical dance. Nearly two and a half years from conception this production has grown into a truly unique feast for the senses.

Tom Royce-Hampton is performing in Chi Udaka, part of Sydney Festival 2014.
Show dates: 16 – 18 Jan, 2014
Show venue: Seymour Centre

Suzy Goes See’s Best Of 2013

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Images from a few 2013 stand-outs: A Sign Of The Times, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, All My Sons, Hamlet, Empire: Terror On The High Seas, Hay Fever, Bodytorque.Technique, Waiting For Godot.

Images from a few 2013 stand-outs: A Sign Of The Times, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, All My Sons, Hamlet, Empire: Terror On The High Seas, Hay Fever, Bodytorque.Technique, Waiting For Godot.

This is a wrap up of special moments since the commencement of Suzy Goes See in April 2013. A personal selection from over 100 productions seen in Sydney. Thank you to artists, companies, publicists and punters who have supported Suzy Goes See in 2013. I cannot wait for more shenanigans with you in the new year!

Update: Click here for the Best Of 2014 list.

Suzy x

♥ Avant Garde Angels
The bravest and most creative experimental works in 2013.

♥ Quirky Questers
The most unusual and colourful characters to appear on our stages in 2013.

♥ Design Doyennes
Outstanding visual design in 2013. Fabulous lights, sets and costumes.

♥ Darlings Of Dance
Breathtaking brilliance in the dance space of 2013.

♥ Musical Marvels
Outstanding performers in cabaret and musicals in 2013.

♥ Second Fiddle Superstars
Scene-stealers of 2013 in supporting roles.

♥ Champs Of Comedy
The cleverest, sharpest, and funniest performances of 2013.

♥ Daredevils Of Drama
Bold and excellent acting in dramatic roles in 2013.

♥ Wise With Words
The most interesting and intelligent scripts of 2013.

♥ Directorial Dominance
The most impressive work in direction for 2013.

♥ Shows Of The Year
Nice coincidence to have different genres represented: drama, musical, dance, comedy and cabaret.

♥ Suzy’s Special Soft Spot
For an exceptional work I saw in Melbourne.

End

Best of 2018 | Best of 2017 | Best of 2016 | Best of 2015 | Best Of 2014

Our Home ‘Ngalpun Mudth’ (NAISDA Dance College)

Posted in Dance by

naisdaVenue: Carriageworks (Eveleigh NSW), Dec 11 – 14, 2013
Creative Director: Raymond D. Blanco

Theatre review
NAISDA Dance College on the NSW Central Coast offers a four-year diploma course to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students, and Our Home ‘Ngalpun Mudth’ is their 2013 end of year performance showcase at Carriageworks in Sydney. The event celebrates the graduation of 5 students, with over two hours of dance, featuring ten choreographers including Frances Rings an Artist in Residence at Bangarra Dance Theatre and Australian dance legend Graeme Murphy.

The program is structured around contemporary Australian Indigenous dance forms, but influences from Asia, Europe, Latin America and Africa are infused, reflecting the multiculturalism of modern Australian life. Kristina Chan’s work Two Players Games is a highlight. Set to the mid-20th century American music of Santo & Johnny, the piece utilises the talents of dancing sisters Taree and Caleena Sansbury to great effect and shows a very thorough and interesting study of their collective physical language. Graeme Murphy’s The Protecting Veil brings an air of sophistication to the evening, and challenges the students with a more technically demanding piece.

Comedy elements were found in Shouse, a devised work under the guidance of Aku Kadogo and Vicki Van Hout’s Colonial Idiot, which uses sound bites from Ross Noble’s stand up performances. Both are intelligently constructed, and allow the young talents to shine with their exuberance and enthusiasm. Frances Rings takes a more serious perspective of her student subjects in Dismorph, and we see a successful exploration into the lives and emotional landscapes of young Indigenous people.

The evening ends with the entire ensemble flooding the performance space for a Moa Island Cultural Dance. Created alongside live musicians, and their cultural tutors, this finale is grand, magnificent, and euphoric. This is where the students are in their element. They lose their youthful inhibitions and perform with extraordinary passion and a level of assuredness rarely seen on any stage. The audience granted a standing ovation on opening night, heralding an auspicious start to the careers of NAISDA’s newest group of talents. May they flourish swiftly, and welcome every success that arrives with open arms.

www.naisda.com.au

5 Questions with Frances Rings‏

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francesringsWhat is your favourite swear word?
Holy shit fuck!!!

What are you wearing?
Vintage dress. Salvos Special.

What is love?
The bottomless well of emotion when you meet your bubba (and credit to the Baby Daddy that helped make it).

What was the last show you saw, and how many stars do you give it?
My 7 year old just did his end of year school concert. Like any neurotic stage mother I was preening/rehearsing and poisoning him with hairspray. Of course he’s an absolute natural and by far the most talented kid onstage!

Is your new show going to be any good?
Any Black Fulla show is going to be highly entertaining and I expect that this show will have people laughing, crying, jumping up and down and incredibly proud of Naisda College, and the diversity of stories and cultures that our young people will be performing on the night.

Frances Rings is choreographing a work for Ngalpun Mudth (Our Home), NAISDA Dance College’s end of year performance.
Show dates: 11 – 14 Dec, 2013
Show venue: Carriageworks