Monthly Archives: June 2024

Review: Master Class (Ensemble Theatre)

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Venue: Ensemble Theatre (Kirribilli NSW), 14 Jun – 20 Jul, 2024
Playwright: Terrence McNally
Director: Liesel Badorrek
Cast: Maria Alfonsine, Damian de Boos-Smith, Elisa Colla, Lucia Mastrantone, Bridget Patterson, Matthew Reardon
Images by Prudence Upton

Theatre review
Maria Callas enters the auditorium, but not to sing. In Terrence McNally’s Master Class, she is teaching the art of performance to opera students at an unnamed institution. Inspired by Callas’ actual lessons at the Juilliard School in the early 1970s, we see La Divina imparting wisdom to eager pupils, in highly unorthodox, and often comical, fashion. McNally’s 2-hour play may have a tendency to be repetitive, but the charm imbued in his protagonist, along with the profoundly beautiful insights being shared, keeps us attentive and invested.

The element that has us thoroughly enthralled however, is actor Lucia Mastrantone who is unequivocally brilliant as Callas, offering what feels to be the truest emulation of the legend’s essence, completely impressive with the rigour being demonstrated in her physical and spiritual embodiment of one of the world’s foremost theatrical icons.

Mastrantone’s perfect timing, most notable in the deliciously acerbic dialogue, is balanced with an unexpectedly kind nature, that she is able to add to her portrayal of Callas’ stern façade. Additionally, Mastrantone’s glorious delivery of statements about the meaning and value of art, proves to be so deeply moving, that we feel magically transported somewhere sacred, as though in the presence of an exalted being, if not Callas herself.

There is a wonderful extravagance to Master Class that director Liesel Badorrek ensures is consistently apparent; this staging is as understatedly camp, as Callas was thoroughly fabulous. Set and costumes by Isabel Hudson convey polish and a vital sense of sophistication. Lights by Kelsey Lee are effective when designed with subtlety, but are less convincing in heightened sections involving excessive shadows that create undue distance between the audience and performer.

Musical direction by Maria Alfonsine is memorable for its sensitivity to the text, and for working seamlessly with the leading lady, to reveal glimpses of Callas at her most sublime. Also noteworthy are members of the charming supporting cast Damian de Boos-Smith, Elisa Colla, Bridget Patterson and Matthew Reardon, who complete the picture, in this poignant tribute to music and one of its biggest stars.

www.ensemble.com.au

Review: Trophy Boys (Seymour Centre)

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Venue: Seymour Centre, Reginald Theatre (Chippendale NSW), Jun 19 – Jul 7, 2024
Playwright: Emmanuelle Mattana
Director: Marni Mount
Cast: Leigh Lule, Emmanuelle Mattana, Gaby Seow, Fran Sweeney-Nash
Images by Ben Andrew

Theatre review
Four private school boys are preparing for the grand finale of their debating tournament, where they are to argue the affirmative position: ‘That feminism has failed women.’ Keen to win the competition, but also worried about being perceived as regressive on the subject, the team struggles as it tries to come up with an appropriate strategy. When a piece of breaking news surfaces that threatens their dominance as privileged males however, finding assertions and justifications suddenly becomes a simple exercise, as they resort to old established patterns of deceit and gaslighting, to preserve the hegemony.

Emmanuelle Mattana’s Trophy Boys starts off incredibly funny, with its rendering of disingenuous attempts by young elites to present themselves as liberal and socially conscious. Things take a dark turn, and we see them ruthlessly defend the patriarchy, when confronted by consequences of their real actions outside of the hypothetical academic realm. Mattana’s writing is intelligent, witty and captivating, and as actor performing the pivotal role of Owen, they are piercing and meticulous, with an exuberance that sustains energy for the entire production.

Leigh Lule, Gaby Seow and Fran Sweeney-Nash too are effective with the political dimensions of Trophy Boys, playing the other characters in the style of drag, with its inherent exaggerations that foreground the absurdity of these entitled beings. Direction by Marni Mount can feel slightly too hectic, for something that provides a lot of food for thought. Nonetheless, the show remains thoroughly enjoyable, even if it tends to race past too quickly for meaningful contemplation. Production design by Ben Andrews, along with lights by Katie Sfetkidis, offer uncomplicated solutions that efficiently facilitate the telling of a timely story.

The boys choose to do the right thing, only when it costs them nothing. The rest of us too, rarely make sacrificial decisions, even if we are at the wrong end of the totem pole. The patriarchy knows to keep us from having nothing to lose, for that is when we become truly dangerous. It offers crumbs in ways that distracts us from power imbalances and wealth disparities, making us believe that ultimately, the system works. It convinces people that something as diabolical as “rape culture” is but a trendy turn of phrase and an overreaction, for something that has always been traditional and eternal.

www.seymourcentre.com | www.themaybepile.com.au | www.softtread.com.au

Review: King Lear (Bell Shakespeare)

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Venue: The Neilson Nutshell (Sydney NSW), Jun 14 – Jul 20, 2024
Playwright: William Shakespeare
Director: Peter Evans
Cast: Tamara Lee Bailey, Shameer Birges, Jeremi Campese, Melissa Kahraman, Alex King, James Lugton, Robert Menzies, Lizzie Schebesta, Michael Wahr, Janine Watson, Darius Williams, Brittany Santariga
Images by Brett Boardman

Theatre review

As Lear nears the end of his life, it becomes important that he knows how his daughters feel about him. It may seem that young men can bear children indiscriminately, only to decide to assess the quality of those relationships, when it is much too late. The results can often be disastrous, as is exemplified in Shakespeare’s King Lear.

An intensity associated with those dire consequences is certainly present, in Peter Evans’ direction of the piece. Lights by Benjamin Cisterne and sounds by Max Lyandvert pull no punches, when required to deliver the drama. In concluding sections of the play especially, a theatrical flamboyance takes hold quite decisively, as though to remind us of the extremities in human emotionality that Shakespeare had loved to depict, and with such aplomb. In this production however, the drama feels distant, almost synthetic. Its vigour is discernible, but never really connects, leaving us to observe its passionate renderings, only with cerebral curiosity.

The staging is nonetheless aesthetically pleasing, with a captivating set design by Anna Tregloan taking inspiration from celestial elements in the text. It is a modern approach that extends to her costumes, although a greater eye for detail and refinement would improve visual interest, for an audience positioned so intimately in relation to all the action.

Actor Robert Menzies plays leading man on this occasion, highly convincing in the role, although not always compelling. Other performers include Janine Watson as Kent, and Darius Williams as Edmund, both rich and delicious with the myriad colours and textures they deliver, memorable for the inventiveness they bring to the table.

It is arguable if Lear’s regrets are circumventable. We can see that there is so much he could have ameliorated through the years. We also know that one can only do better, if they know better.  What is in contention therefore, is if Lear had actually known any better, or if he was only ever doing his best. Parenting is tricky business, enacted by flawed people, who then create further flaws in other people. No wonder we talk endlessly about forgiveness.

www.bellshakespeare.com.au

Review: American Signs (Sydney Theatre Company)

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Venue: Wharf 2 Sydney Theatre Company (Walsh Bay NSW), Jun 15 – Jul 14, 2024
Playwright: Anchuli Felicia King
Director: Kenneth Moraleda
Cast: Catherine Văn-Davies
Images by Prudence Upton

Theatre review
The unnamed protagonist is a twenty-something, third-generation Vietnamese-American who has completed her degree at Stanford, and is trying to establish a career as a management consultant. She has made her way into a top firm, where competition is strong, and where rules of engagement are soul-destroying. As a junior employee, she is being conditioned to tolerate exploitation in many flavours, and because she believes herself lucky to be there, she takes it all lying down.

Anchuli Felicia King’s sensational American Signs tells a rich story about late-stage capitalism, with particular focus on refugee diasporas and their obligatory allegiance to Western values. The Consultant’s acceptance of dubious conditions and her capitulation to utterly unethical abuses of power, are cuttingly illustrated by King with unequivocal persuasiveness. American Signs also functions as a sort of meditation on the notion of destiny for immigrants, who exist in an inevitable commitment to a hegemony that represents the antithesis of what they flee.

Poignant direction by Kenneth Moraleda fuses intellect with emotion, so that we may understand thoroughly the plight of the central character, and by inference the audience’s own circumstances. For a narrative dealing with impulses and compulsions that often seem to be unconscious or unexamined, it is important that we are encouraged to feel as much as we contemplate, the several resonant morals of the story. Moraleda’s work certainly has us engaging both heart and mind.

It is however the actor Catherine Văn-Davies who brings marvellous elucidation to the complex dimensions of American Signs, and all that it is capable of saying. Whether tragic, vulnerable, powerful or menacing, Văn-Davies is spectacularly convincing with every human state she inhabits. The play’s meaningful observations about systemic failures in our economies, societies and politics, are given further significance by being turned into vigorous demands for cultural transformation, by Văn-Davies’ deeply affecting expressions of rightful indignation.

Production design by James Lew puts on stage the mundane starkness of our utilitarian realities, bringing attention to the pragmatism that often prevails over creativity and spirit. Benjamin Brockman’s lights are intricately calibrated in tandem with the actor’s constantly shifting temperaments, and notable for the visual intrigue it manufactures during more heightened sections of the show. Sound and music by Sam Cheng are not only essential to the way our intuitions respond to every twist and turn of the story, but also memorable for a quality of transcendence it brings to the overall experience, thus allowing us to connect in personal ways with American Signs.

The Consultant sees no alternative to her ambitions. She tells herself that she is not a monster, at every step of her participation in a repugnant and cannibalistic process of getting to the top. It is true that it is the intention of the system to be ubiquitous, so that every individual’s investment in it, is considered non-negotiable. We are made to believe that there are no other ways that can sustain life. It is entirely possible however, that those at the bottom rungs will simply embark on a project of demolishment without a satisfactory plan of replacement, when the moment finally arrives, and a substantial population finds itself with nothing left to lose.

www.sydneytheatre.com.au

Review: King James (Old Fitz Theatre)

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Venue: Old Fitzroy Theatre (Woolloomooloo NSW), Jun 7 – 29, 2024
Playwright: Rajiv Joseph
Director: Bali Padda
Cast: Aaron Glenane, Tinashe Mangwana
Images by Daniel Asher Smith

Theatre review
It was when the legendary LeBron James made his momentous NBA debut in 2003, that Matt and Shawn first connected. Over the course of 13 years, we see each of the pair’s lives go through ups and downs, as do their relationship, in Rajiv Joseph’s 2022 play King James. It is the simplest of two-handers, but irresistibly charming, with an intricately observed and authentically represented study of friendship, that communicates meaningfully and universally.

Direction by Bali Padda places appropriate emphasis on nuances between characters, always ensuring that the unspoken is conveyed with as much accuracy as the delivery of dialogue, in order that we may be entirely convinced of the depth and longevity, of the bond being portrayed. There are many moments that resonate with extraordinary intensity, as we are encouraged to reflect on our own experiences, and on the people who mean most.

Playing Matt is the captivating Aaron Glenane, who brings a wondrous creativity to his depictions of an ordinary person, as well as an effortless charisma that endears us to his dynamic storytelling. Also very engaging is Tinashe Mangwana as Shawn, persuasive whether delivering subdued or exuberant interpretations for his part, with a warmth that makes us feel a certain familiarity with the show’s situations and personalities. The duo’s admirable commitment to fostering a genuine chemistry, is central to our enjoyment of the piece.

Also noteworthy is set design by Ian Kanick, which surprises with its versatility. Rita Naidu’s costumes help to make the performances even more believable. Lights by Priyanka Martin provide the ideal amount of embellishment, just as Michael Toisuta’s music is able to introduce a greater sense of theatricality, at the right moments.

It can feel frustrating, that relationships with people and things that we care about, seem to ebb and flow, that they are rarely consistent in how they manifest. Matt and Shawn go through periods when loved ones become difficult, when their careers encounter challenges, and when their finances face pitfalls. Circumstances then turn around, and new phases of upswing inevitably take hold. This life is a rollercoaster ride, and much as we begrudge the hard parts, we also understand that if the journey never takes us to dark places, we will never see any light.

www.oldfitztheatre.com.au | www.instagram.com/littleripaproductions

Review: Chicago (Capitol Theatre)

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Venue: Capitol Theatre (Sydney NSW), from Jun 9 – Jul 28, 2024
Music: John Kander
Lyrics: Fred Ebb
Book: Fred Ebb, Bob Fosse
Cast: Asabi Goodman, Lucy Maunder, Peter Rowsthorn, S. Valeri, Zoë Ventoura, Anthony Warlow
Images by Jeff Busby

Theatre review
Roxy Hart and Velma Kelly were reality stars, before the advent of television. Americans were gripped by the hijinks of the two criminals, with relentless press coverage reflecting an obsession for scandal, long before click-baiting had become par for the course in the media business. It may seem some things never change, and so it is that Chicago the musical can still feel relevant, almost half a century after its initial staging.

In this incarnation, based on the 1996 revival directed by Walter Bobbie, we discover that it is not just the themes, but also its style that feels hitherto unsurpassed. From its Bob Fosse-inspired choreography, and the vaudevillian jazz score, to the female-forward representations of characters and relationships, Chicago seems to have aged only slightly, and in the most delightful ways. There is something intrinsically subversive about the show, that allows it to stand the test of time.

On this occasion, it is the ensemble that really delivers the goods. Each supporting member of cast is alluring and robust, proving themselves completely captivating, whether or not they are occupying centre stage. Lucy Maunder and Zoë Ventoura are the leading ladies, both demonstrating technical brilliance, although others with more powerful voices have certainly sung those parts to greater effect. Thankfully, the eternally dependable Anthony Warlow is on hand to deliver vocal perfection as the unscrupulous Billy Flynn. Also noteworthy is the winsome Peter Rowsthorn, who absolutely shines as the tenderly comical Amos Hart.

Women are constantly pitted against each other, in Chicago and in real life. We comply and enact repeatedly that narrative of contest and conflict, thinking only about momentary victories, and ignoring the perpetual state of failure, that inevitably results. Women embracing rugged individualism under the patriarchy, is manifestly absurd. Prescribing to anything that relies on the suffering of the majority, is plainly ignorant. At the end, Roxy and Velma are left to their own devices, and they realise that sisterhood is the only way to survive, and perhaps thrive. 

www.chicagomusical.com.au

Review: No Love Songs For Lady Basses (Old Fitz Theatre)

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Venue: Old Fitzroy Theatre (Woolloomooloo NSW), Jun 11 – 16, 2024
Playwright: Sheanna Parker Russon
Music: Lillian M. Hearne
Director: Cassie Hamilton
Cast: Sheanna Parker Russon, Lillian M. Hearne
Images by Jamie James

Theatre review
Having transitioned fairly recently to living as a woman, Sheanna Parker Russon is coming to terms with some of the more practical shifts in the way she has to navigate her day to day. In No Love Songs for Lady Basses, Parker Russon talks about the lack of songs appropriate and available to her lower vocal register, in a world that is so resolutely gendered and binary. She discovers that trying to match her own conceptions of womanhood, with what is considered normative, is proving to be a highly challenging process. This of course, extends beyond the context of singing, and it is with these realisations,  that Parker Russon begins to question how a woman can determine for herself, the parameters of gender, which is itself a construct that any individual has to constantly negotiate, with their respective environments.

This discussion of what happens internally and externally, when a person is transgender, is managed thoughtfully in collaboration with Cassie Hamilton, who as director of the show brings an excellent sense of variety, to the tones, textures and sensibilities being rendered. There may seem a greater emphasis on comedy than is necessary, but the artists’ ideas are always presented with admirable salience.

Live accompaniment by musicians Aisling Bermingham and Lillian M. Hearne, provides energy and an enjoyable polish to the staging. Songs by Hearne and Parker Russon are replete with charming wit, offering valuable counterbalance to the more earnest spoken sections. Lighting design by Hana Truban is noteworthy for its accurate calibrations of atmosphere, along with the visual interest it delivers for the experience.

There is a profound authenticity to Parker Russon’s performance, of what one assumes is her autobiography. In embracing her womanhood, she quickly discovers the trouble with gender, that however a person tries, it is almost always an imperfect endeavour. We know that although gender can be affirming and gratifying, it is also an apparatus by which control is exerted. Oppressive systems have long relied upon our adherence to those norms, and on our acceptance of those corresponding hierarchies, for their machinations to prevail. This can only mean that although gender is hitherto ubiquitous and indomitable, we should regard it with irreverence and subversiveness, and always be at the ready to dismantle and redefine it, if only to remind ourselves, that much as we cannot help investing into it, gender is ultimately meaningless.

www.oldfitztheatre.com.au | www.instagram.com/transtheatrecollective

Review: Stolen (Sydney Theatre Company)

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Venue: Wharf 1 Sydney Theatre Company (Walsh Bay NSW), Jun 6 – Jul 6, 2024
Playwright: Jane Harrison
Director: Ian Michael
Cast: Jarron Andy, Mathew Cooper, Kartanya Maynard, Stephanie Somerville, Megan Wilding
Images by Daniel Boud

Theatre review
Stories about five Indigenous people from the Stolen Generations, interweave in Jane Harrison’s 1998 play, Stolen. Fractured yet determined, it remains an important representation of a collective trauma, one that is fundamental to the experience of being Australian, no matter one’s class or creed. Direction by Ian Michael is distinctive in its sense of quietness, although its power and impact are undeniable. Michael’s presentation of Stolen bears a meditative quality, almost reticent with its drama, yet none will be able to escape its confrontational and introspective effects. The poignancy of this staging is sure to be unforgettable.

A set design by Renée Mulder is based on the simple idea, of depicting the vulnerability of Blak children, in a space that demonstrates unequivocally, their powerlessness in the face of colonialism. Trent Suidgeest’s lights enhance the severe coldness of this brutal history, and James Brown’s music has us absolutely gripped by its melancholic foreboding. There is a sensitivity to these designers’ work, that cushions us in a certain safety, whilst intricately facilitating our observations of some truly harrowing events.

An ensemble of charismatic First Nations actors brings great courage and commitment, to this narrative of appalling injustice. Jarron Andy, Mathew Cooper, Kartanya Maynard, Stephanie Somerville and Megan Wilding may be required to delve into unremitting tragedies in their re-enactments, but it is their incredible resilience as individuals and as a people, that leave an impression.

The sensation of catharsis, that features so prominently in many offerings of theatre, is discernibly missing from Stolen. We continue to live on stolen lands, unable and unwilling, to come to a satisfactory resolution, therefore it is that corresponding feeling of unease and ruefulness that we find lingering, when the performance concludes. We are deprived of emotional release, because so much work needs to be done, before any of us can be granted anything that resembles deliverance.

www.sydneytheatre.com.au