Author Archives: Suzy Wrong

5 Questions with Jinkx Monsoon

Posted in Suzy's 5 Questions by

jinkxmonsoonWhat is your favourite swear word?
Not to be too on the nose, but I would have to say shit.

What are you wearing?
Three girdles, five pairs of tights and Opera gloves.

What is love?
I wish I knew.

What was the last show you saw, and how many stars do you give it?
Briefs. 5 out of 5. It has everything I love in a circus show, plus ten times more man butt.

Is your new show going to be any good?
That’s for history to decide.

 

Jinkx Monsoon is appearing in The Vaudevillians, part of the Sydney Gay & Lesbian Mardi Gras 2014 festival.
Show dates: 18 Feb – 2 Mar, 2013
Show venue: The Vanguard
Image by Jose A. Guzman Colon

Review: Short+Sweet Dance 2014 (Short+Sweet)

Posted in Dance by

shortsweetdance1Venue: New Theatre (Newtown NSW), Jan 21 – Feb 2, 2014
Festival Directors: Joshua Lowe & Adam Wheeler
Photography by Pia

Theatre review
Short+Sweet Dance is a platform for emerging and professional choreographers from a wide range of genres to develop and showcase their work. It is also an opportunity for the Aystralian dance community to share and exchange ideas. This review is based on the Gala performance, which presented best pieces from this year’s festival, where more than 45 works from all over Australia featured over two weeks. It is noteworthy that a vast majority of performers are very young, but their abilities range widely. One of the strengths of this collection of works is the way in which each dancer’s capacity is taken into account, and no one is required to stretch too far beyond their faculties. The program is also memorable for its diversity, with artists from different backgrounds working across a good range of genres.

We commence with Familiar Strangers by Joseph Simons, who bases his abstraction on celebrity culture, and expresses a point of view that is characteristic of queer young men. Kirsty Fromholtz’s And Then Patterns (pictured above) features four dancers, each with a unique way of moving, is tender and probably the most emotionally engaging piece in the show.

Burlesque styles are explored in Natalie Pelarek’s Sink Or Swim, and Eva Crainean’s Girl Getting Bitter, both with a strong female presence, dealing with themes of gender difference. Sink Or Swim in particular, handles the subject matter very well, with extremely effective use of humour and sees Renelle Loretta Jones’ outrageous comic chops stealing the show.

Other stand outs include Jay Bailey’s Jaybird, which features a completely live soundtrack by the incredibly impressive beatboxer L.C.Beats. Also from the world of hip hop is Amber McCartney, whose interpretation of “popping and locking” in Hard-Boiled Wonderland, which utilises precise physical articulation brings to the program a sense of wonder and intrigue. No Fungus, No Tree by Sean Marcs and Anna Healey is an unusual work that features two very focussed and captivating performers. Their segment using Yazoo’s 1982 recording “Only You” is beautifully minimal and highlights the fantastic chemistry between the two. Nyunga by Thomas E.S. Kelly delivers an indigenous perspective and stars dancing sisters, Taree and Caleena Sansbury, who are truly delightful and graceful in their quiet confidence.

Our young dancers need to be congratulated for the training they put into their vocations. The amount of dedication in their art is evident in their skill and on their flesh. Their exploration into human physicality and visual mediums provides us with new and enlightening ways of looking at our own bodies and relationships with this vast universe in which we dwell. List of prize winners below.

Outstanding Choreography (joint winners):

  • Sean Marcs and Anna Healey for creating and performing No Fungus, No Tree – exploring the world of the symbiotic; and
  • Brianna Kell and Alexandra Andrews for creating and performing Salt – an inspired investigation

The People’s Choice (audience voted):

  • Swing Dancin’ – Natasha Crane’s infectious and quirky mix of styes performed by 25 artists

Award for Audacious Work:

  • Eva Crainean for Girl Getting Bitter – a comical, sexy and vengeful piece commenting on serious social issues and the femme fatale stereotype.

Outstanding Female Dancer (shared):

  • Amber McCartney for Hard-Boiled Wonderland – a movement study inspired by the work of Japanese novelist Haruki Murakami; and
  • Rosslyn Wythes for /Lu:p-/   – inspired by entrances, exits and the cyclical process where, within each loop, different information is revealed.

Outstanding Male Dancer: 

  • Harrison Hall for his solo work Melekh – “casting a shadow of light from within the darkness”.

www.shortandsweet.org

Review: Legend! (Decorum / Sydney Independent Theatre Company)

Posted in Theatre by

legend1Venue: Old Fitzroy Theatre (Woolloomooloo NSW), Jan 28 – Feb 15, 2014
Playwright: Pat Sheil
Director: Lex Marinos
Actor: John Derum
Image by Katy Green Loughrey

Theatre review
‘Slips’ Cordon is in his home, reminiscing. We don’t know why, or who it is he speaks to, but there is certainly no shortage of tall tales to share. Pat Sheil toys with our “European history” in his script, re-writing events involving our iconic war heroes, legendary sporting personalities, celebrated performers, and various significant political figures of times past. These revisions are amusing, and depending on your level of affinity with the “source material”, possibly even hilarious.

Cordon is played by the effortlessly charming John Derum, who carves out a character that is immediately endearing. This is an actor who revels in spinning yarns, and his enjoyment of the limelight is infectious. We are drawn in and are glad to be his captive audience. Derum is excellent at punchlines. Indeed, the show does at times, feel like a stand up comedy routine, where a comedian simply tells jokes, without much concern for context or character development. We do not learn very much about Cordon, but he does make us laugh.

This is a clever script that could work well in the form of a novella, but Derum’s interpretation adds a dimension of time and place that is strangely (and ironically) authentic, even though we are free to imagine where and when the action before our eyes actually takes place. Legend! is only mildly iconoclastic. In fact there is an air of reverence for these legends that hangs heavily over the production. Rest assured that our sacred cows are left unscathed.

www.sitco.net.au

5 Questions with Ben Hall

Posted in Suzy's 5 Questions by

benhallWhat is your favourite swear word?
Oh! Fuck wank bugger shitting arse head and hole! Courtesy of Bill Nighy.

What are you wearing?
A smile. Because I worked out how to avoid answering this question.

What is love?
A decision.

What was the last show you saw, and how many stars do you give it?
Cyrano De Bergerac by the Sport for Jove Theatre Company out in the Blue Mountains. Five Stars. I have two methods for a good show 1. when I’m not critiquing every scene and 2. I don’t check my phone. Didn’t do either. Was easily one of the funniest plays I have seen in years and set that against the mountain backdrop, you don’t even notice that the sun has set behind you.

Is your new show going to be any good?
Put it this way it has a cast including Katrina Retallick and Margi Diferranti (that alone should get you in the door), a lyric that will have you laughing hysterically and crying in the same number, plus Tamlyn Henderson and I boxing half naked which then turns into passionate lovemaking… and that’s just the 3rd number.

Ben Hall is appearing in Falsettos, from Darlinghurst Theatre Company’s 2014 season and part of the Sydney Gay & Lesbian Mardi Gras 2014 festival.
Show dates: 7 Feb – 16 Mar, 2014
Show venue: Eternity Playhouse

5 Questions with David Ouch

Posted in Suzy's 5 Questions by

davidouchWhat is your favourite swear word?
Stupid B!*ch – when you make it roll into one word. Hah! It just so plosive, aggressive and feels good in the mouth.

What are you wearing?
Right now I am in my undies and a t-shirt. I was getting undressed but got side tracked.

What is love?
I believe love is the human thread that bonds us all together.

What was the last show you saw, and how many stars do you give it?
The last show I saw was Grease the musical. It was such a fun, playful show and very audience interactive. I was very proud to see a couple of my friends up there making their debut. I gave it a 4.5 out of 5.

Is your new show going to be any good?
Privates On Parade is a part of the Mardi Gras festival for 2014. It is full of fun, flamboyance and has a strong heart. If you like a bit of drag, a bit of skin and hot guys singing then you’ll love the PRIVATES on parade.

David Ouch is appearing in Privates On Parade, from New Theatre’s 2014 season and part of the Sydney Gay & Lesbian Mardi Gras 2014 festival.
Show dates: 11 Feb – 8 Mar, 2014
Show venue: New Theatre

Review: Hotel Sorrento (The Genesian Theatre)

Posted in Theatre by

rsz_sorrento3Venue: The Genesian Theatre (Sydney NSW), Jan 18 – Feb 22, 2014
Playwright: Hannie Rayson
Director: Shane Bates
Actors: Sarah Purdue, Melanie Robinson, Gemma Munro, Barry Moray, Martin Bell, Oliver Beard, Lyn Turnbull Rose, Rob White
Image by Mark Banks

Theatre review
One of the key functions of art (if art has any function at all), is to express and represent concepts of identity. In the case of the Australian identity, the discussion is always a fascinating, and complex one. We are intrinsically invested in the issue, and the diversity of perspectives makes for effortlessly dynamic discourse. Hotel Sorrento was written in 1990 and talks a lot about who we are, who we like to think we are, what others think of us, and why we care. It presents a view of Australia as a nation trying to find its feet, almost like an awkward teenager in the later stages of puberty, unsure of itself but determined to establish something substantial and defined.

This production features a committed cast, including Oliver Beard who plays Troy, an awkward teenager just beginning to understand the mechanisms at play in his family that give meaning to his very being. Sarah Purdue is the strongest actor on this stage, creating a Hilary that is tender and moving despite her parochialism. Purdue’s knack for naturalism provides the perfect tone for the production and she successfully shows us the depths of her character even when the details are not all spelt out in the script. Lyn Turbull Rose is delightful and infectious in a scene talking about yearning and passion as Marge, and Martin Bell injects much needed humour in a show that tends to be overly serious at times.

Shane Bates’ direction focuses on storytelling, and the clarity of his plot is a pleasure. The show however, seems to be a bit oversimplified, and the characters seem a little analogous. We are left with a desire for something more colourful, with slightly more complication and inconvenience. Nevertheless, it is exciting to see a great script remembered and revived with such fitting respect and genuine affection.

www.genesiantheatre.com.au

5 Questions with Matilda Ridgway

Posted in Suzy's 5 Questions by

matildaridgwayWhat is your favourite swear word?
Cunt burger. It’s evocative.

What are you wearing?
Right now a white regency dress. It’s interval in Sport for Jove’s production of Much Ado About Nothing. I am sweating through.

What is love?
Merely a madness.

What was the last show you saw, and how many stars do you give it?
I saw Phil Spencer’s You And Whose Army at the Newsagency in Marrickville. I give it 5 stars. You are welcome Phil.

Is your new show going to be any good?
Good is an understatement. This play is going to buy the audience dinner and call you in the morning.

Matilda Ridgway is starring in Proof.
Show dates: 31 Jan – 8 Mar, 2014
Show venue: Ensemble Theatre

5 Questions with Margie Fischer

Posted in Suzy's 5 Questions by

margiefischerWhat is your favourite swear word?
I said ‘that’s fucked’ when I didn’t get the funding from ARTS SA (SA’s arts funding body) to tour my show to Mardi Gras. This was followed by ‘fuck you, I’m doing it anyway’.

What are you wearing?
I am wearing a swimming costume and track suit pants. The costume is a few years old and a bit saggy however I haven’t been able to face trying on a new one in a change room as yet. I think I’ll stick to the old one for this summer.

What is love?
Someone seeing me in my current swimming costume and tracksuit pants and adoring me totally.

What was the last show you saw, and how many stars do you give it?
I saw Yana Alana’s show Between The Cracks at this years Feast Festival and I loved it. I give it 5 stars. Yana’s show is superb, she sings, talks to the audience and reveals all literally.

Is your new show going to be any good?
My show is excellent. It truly lives up to its publicity. I know this as I have done 3 seasons of it in Adelaide and Melbourne, and many audience members told me so, plus the reviews did as well – a rare combination.

Margie Fischer is presenting The Dead Ones, part of the Sydney Gay & Lesbian Mardi Gras 2014 festival.
Show dates: 18 – 22 Feb, 2014
Show venue: Seymour Centre

Review: Triple Bill (Ockham’s Razor)

Posted in Theatre by

ockhamsrazorVenue: Seymour Centre (Chippendale NSW), Jan 21 – 26, 2014
Directors: Ruth Naylor-Smith, Deb Pope, Meline Danielewicz
Music: Derek Nisbet, Patrick Larley, Penguin Cafe Orchestra
Performers: Alex Harvey, Charlotte Mooney, Grania Pickard, Steve Ryan

Theatre review
Aerial acrobatics can be relied upon to provide exciting thrills, as it easily evokes sensations of tension and vertigo, but to create narratives and imagery that bear strong aesthetic appeal within that framework is a challenging one. Ockham’s Razor succeeds in presenting beautiful imagery and emotionally involving pieces while allowing acrobatics to remain centre stage. Their stylistic choices are always simple, but they are masters at communicating to our eyes. They know exactly what we look at at every point in time, and they feed us everything we need by controlling how our eyes move and what we focus on.

Their show incorporates the art of miming, through which they surreptitiously acquire our empathy and identification. Relationships between characters are established ambiguously, but our connection with them are certain. In Arc, we see a love triangle set against a backdrop reminiscent of a shipwreck. The performance plays with ideas of emotional turbulence, using it to create a sense of breathtaking danger at every turn. Memento Mori presents life and death as a romance, one that is always at the brink of devastation. Their movements in space allegorise our intimate relationships with love and death, with moments of tenderness, and cruelty. The final work Every Action… injects humour into their craft. It is the liveliest section of the triple bill, cleverly applying mischief and playfulness to their acrobatic skills. The team looks especially effortless in their approach here, but are still able to elicit gasps of surprise and pleasure from the crowd.

Opening night saw fairly long intervals between each work. It is understandable that set up has to be completed thoroughly with no room for error, but with each break, the mood in the auditorium slumps down from the fervour we had been left with at the end of the previous piece. It truly does feel like a waste to not pick up from the enthusiasm and keep building up on the energy. Hopefully subsequent performances will see the gaps shortened.

Music and lighting design are thoughtfully created, adding to the ethereal elegance of these works. There is always a stillness that pervades, like an acknowledgement of the things that could go horribly wrong at any time. We are captivated, by the super-human stunts unfolding before us, the sheer beauty of the choreography, and the irresistible urge to imagine all the “what if’s” that could result from playing with gravity.

www.ockhamsrazor.co.uk

5 Questions with John Derum

Posted in Suzy's 5 Questions by

johnderumWhat is your favourite swear word?
Feck! – It took the Irish to come up with a swear more powerful in more combinations than the Anglo Saxons could imagine.

What are you wearing?
Out! There comes a time in longish lives that only just precedes the state of being “worn out”. It is the state of wearing out… fast!

What is love?
It is cruelly ironic that in the scorebook of this sporting life, love is what you get when you fail to score.

What was the last show you saw, and how many stars do you give it?
You mean, all the way through?!!! Penelope was top draw! Always good to see a strong silent woman discombobulate ambitious men! They were all stars.

Is your new show going to be any good?
When an unreliable irascible know-all decides to tell-all and destroy the reputations of a nation’s heroes – be afraid, be very afraid. Some insensitive people will laugh uproariously throughout. More sensitive folk will groan and wince and wish they were watching someone more emotionally nurturing like Ricky Gervais, or Larry David. Legend! is an outrage. A disgrace. ‘Slips’ Cordon must be stopped!

John Derum stars in Legend!, from Sydney Independent Theatre Co’s 2014 season.
Show dates: 28 Jan – 15 Feb, 2014
Show venue: The Old Fitzroy Hotel