Review: Well-Behaved Women (Belvoir St Theatre)

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Venue: Belvoir St Theatre (Surry Hills NSW), Sep 28 – Nov 3, 2024
Music & Lyrics: Carmel Dean
Additional lyrics: Miriam Laube
Director: Blazey Best
Cast: Stefanie Caccamo, Sarah Murr, Zahra Newman, Elenoa Rokobaro
Images by Brett Boardman

Theatre review
Carmel Dean’s Well-Behaved Women (with additional lyrics by Miriam Laube) is a song cycle, with each number inspired by a remarkable woman from the annals of history, from Eve of the Garden of Eden, to Malala Yousafzai the British Pakistani activist. Whether mythical or simply legendary, these personalities all tell extraordinary stories of glorious ascendency, each one a brilliant example of tenacity and triumph.

The songs are uniformly enjoyable, thoroughly melodious to keep our attention and emotions engaged. Direction by Blazey Best delivers a show that reverberates with an unmistakeable sense of dignification for womanhood, although too persistently sombre for the 70-minute duration. Orchestrations by Lynne Shankel are powerful, but overly serious for much of the presentation. Lights by Kelsey Lee too are consistently grave, when we are in search for exaltation.

A cast of captivating singers takes us through this omnibus of exceptional women. Performers Stefanie Caccamo, Sarah Murr, Zahra Newman and Elenoa Rokobaro bring great verve, along with admirable polish, for a show memorable for its proud expressions of success and resistance.

Women are capable of great things, of course, but we are worthy even when we are unremarkable. Feminism is not only for those who are exceptional. In fact, it is more about those who are ordinary. We should all have the courage to behave badly and make history, but we need to remember that it will always be harder for some. It is impossible that we are all going to become iconic, not so much because of personal constitutions, but more because of circumstances. As we continue to love the characters in Well-Behaved Women, we need to understand that it is not only these anomalies that should be celebrated.

www.belvoir.com.au

Review: Frankenstein (Theatre Royal)

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Venue: Theatre Royal (Sydney NSW), 28 Sep – 13 Oct, 2024
Playwright: Nelle Lee (from the novel by Mary Shelley)
Director: Nick Skubij
Cast: Darcy Brown, Tony Cogin, Nick James, Anna Lise Phillips, Jeremiah Wray, Chloé Zuel
Images by Joel Devereux

Theatre review
It is with the most obsessive passion, that the scientist sets out to build his creature. It seems Mary Shelley had intuited that technology would simply march forward, whether the consequences are good or bad. Nelle Lee’s adaptation of Frankenstein provides a rich narrative, for an eventful piece of theatre. Unlike the original, it tends not to inspire much philosophical rumination, but there is certainly a lot of room for drama and spectacle.

Dynamic direction by Nick Skubij’s aims to provide a thrilling experience, and the production is indeed impressive with its unrelenting kineticism. It however neglects our need for emotional involvement until late in the piece, and when we begin to feel for the story,  it may be too little, too late.

Ambitious set design by Josh McIntosh keeps our senses enthralled, with Craig Wilkinson’s intensive video projections sometimes adding to the extravagance, but at other times making things look less than elegant. McIntosh’s work on costumes proves accomplished, and along with makeup by Steven Boyle, especially memorable for their combined rendering of the notorious Frankensteinian creature. Lights by Trent Suidgeest are striking, with a consistent flamboyance that really dazzles. Sounds and music by Guy Webster are wonderfully grand, always imbued with a sense of opulence that greatly enhances the show.

Actor Darcy Brown plays a very eccentric Victor Frankenstein, perhaps slightly too unrestrained on occasion, but nonetheless marvellous with the intensity being delivered. Jeremiah Wray is remarkable as the creature, astonishing with the physicality he brings to the role, and disarming with the sentimentality he delivers quite unsuspectingly, just when we begin to tire of the inexorable theatrical hullabaloo.

There is a karmic lesson fundamental to the meanings of Frankenstein; it appears that monsters can only be created by other monsters. It may also seem that monstrous behaviour can be unintentional, although it is infinitely more human, to cling to the belief that it is our resolve that means everything, that we must endeavour to do good, and that our vigilance is key to thwarting destructive aspects of our nature. 

www.frankensteinlive.com.au

Review: Seventeen (Seymour Centre)

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Venue: Seymour Centre, Reginald Theatre (Chippendale NSW), Sep 27 – Oct 19, 2024
Playwright: Matthew Whittet
Director: Mary-Anne Gifford
Cast: Di Adams, Katrina Foster, Noel Hodda, Peter Kowitz, Colin Moody, Di Smith
Images by Carlita Sari

Theatre review
A group of teenagers has completed their final day in high school, and is now poised for the rest of their lives. It is all very daunting for characters in Matthew Whittet’s Seventeen, at a moment where big changes are afoot, and with new identities being formed, but for those of us who have been through that rite of passage,  it can all seem a little trite and pedestrian.

Once again the play is performed by older actors, presumably in their sixties, in order that the text may communicate with greater poignancy. Indeed it is the notion of transience that becomes a prominent dimension of the storytelling, juxtaposing against the naivety of young people in the throes of something that feels defined by finality.

Actors Noel Hodda and Di Smith are particularly captivating, both bringing a savvy to their performative representations, of personalities decades their junior. Others in the cast tend to be overly earnest, which only draws greater attention to the mundane qualities of Seventeen. Direction by Mary-Anne Gifford could benefit from a more flamboyant approach, but there is certainly an integrity to her realism that cannot be denied.

Set design by Paris Burrowes introduces visual familiarity to the experience, although it is doubtful if her costumes convey that same accuracy. Lights by Grant Fraser and sounds by Michael Huxley are implemented with simplicity, in a production that errs on the side of reticence. 

Watching the seniors play juvenile roles, it is the nature of time that comes to the fore. The impermanence of human experience should tell us that it can all be taken with a pinch of salt, but life has a knack for having us completely invested in all of its ups and downs. We should know to be unperturbed, but the truth is that we are embroiled, hopelessly engaging in every emotion, even as we understand more clearly their ironic futility.

www.seymourcentre.com | www.wildthingproduction.com

Review: Gilgamesh (Carriageworks)

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Venue: Carriageworks (Eveleigh NSW), Sep 26 – Oct 5, 2024
Composer: Jack Symonds
Librettist: Louis Garrick
Conductor: Jack Symonds
Director: Kip Williams
Cast: Jeremy Kleeman, Jessica O’Donoghue, Mitchell Riley, Jane Sheldon, Daniel Szeisong Todd
Images by Daniel Boud

Theatre review
The Epic of Gilgamesh is a story that has been told for more than 4,000 years, with the titular character’s tyrannical tendencies as the king of Uruk, always a prominent feature. His relationship with Endiku, the wild man counterpart, too has been key to the legend, but it is not a pairing that is usually framed as a romantic one. In this 2024 operatic retelling by composer Jack Symonds and librettist Louis Garrick, simply titled Gilgamesh, the two are undeniably and unabashedly in love. Considering the intensity of their connection, we can now see that it is frankly absurd, to have ever denied them their queerness.

Symond’s thoroughly modern but mournful score is immediately captivating. Along with the visual flamboyance as introduced by director Kip Williams, Gilgamesh is an intriguing confluence of classic and contemporary. At almost three hours however, its resolute despondency becomes hard to bear, especially with the concluding passages becoming increasingly meditative. Initially mesmeric, the production struggles to sustain our attention to the end, although the integrity afforded the music is admirable, when we observe the staging gradually turning minimal.

Elizabeth Gadsby’s set design rises to the challenge of depicting a sense of ancient aristocracy, with the juxtaposition of felled tree parts, against an abundance of tinsel. Lights by Amelia Lever-Davidson are certainly dramatic, and quite entrancing in their effect. Bold costumes by David Fleischer can seem somewhat derivative with some of their more extravagant creations, but when required to convey earthiness, Fleischer’s work is truly exquisite.

Playing the main character is Jeremy Kleeman, who although not consistently powerful in his portrayal of the partially divine despot, demonstrates unequivocal conviction and focus, for this very demanding role. Mitchell Riley’s physicality is unforgettable as Enkidu, whether evoking the grotesque or the exalted, the performer’s energy bears a perverse beauty and magnetism, that keeps us fascinated in his interpretation of a heavenly being.

The chamber orchestra, as conducted by Symonds, takes us on a transcendent journey, opening the gates to somewhere mystical or even surreal, with their strange yet disciplined contributions to the experience. Often far exceeding the traditional function of accompaniment, the musicians are frequently the central concern in Gilgamesh. Art that takes us to unfamiliar places must be considered noble, especially when discomfort pervades, as though to persuade us of alternate and unexpected perspectives.

www.carriageworks.com.au

Review: Titanique (The Grand Electric)

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Venue: The Grand Electric (Surry Hills NSW), 12 Sep 2024 – 22 Jun 2025
Book: Tye Blue, Marla Mindelle, Constantine Rousouli
Director: Tye Blue
Cast: Abu, Stephen Anderson, Abigail Dixon, Georgina Hopson, Jo-Anne Jackson, Matt Lee, Jenni Little, Marney McQueen, Trent Owers, Keane Sheppard-Fletcher, Drew Weston
Images by Daniel Boud

Theatre review
If we are to revisit the story of the Titanic, we may as well have Celine Dion provide her account of events, given how she has inadvertently become so closely associated with the disaster—or, more accurately, with the Hollywood movie about it. This absurd idea is brought to glorious life in the jukebox musical Titanique, a work of unparalleled campy hilarity so completely infused with creative chaos and unbridled frivolity, that it is impossible to dislike.

The incorporation of Dion’s hits may feel somewhat arbitrary at times, but writing by Tye Blue, Marla Mindelle and Constantine Rousouli is so thoroughly uninhibited and joyful, that nothing gets in the way of the good time that Titanique is determined to deliver. Also, Blue’s direction of the production is correspondingly unrestrained, leaving no stone unturned in this unabashed embrace of qualities as personified by its central diva; characteristics that are perhaps too flamboyant, too ridiculous, too mad, and too gay.

Leading lady Marney McQueen is a sensation as the iconic Quebecer, with impeccable mimicry proving a marvel to witness, and impossibly precise comic timing, that has us amused from the very second of her appearance. Casting for the production is quite the achievement, with each performer showcasing exceptional talent, along with their ability to adhere to the same idiosyncratic tone and tenor of this “kooky crazy” show, and for navigating the most challenging stage design imaginable, consisting entirely of stairs.

Characters from the film are brought to the stage with cheeky irreverence. Jack is played by Drew Weston whose knack for physical comedy is as endearing as his natural charm. Georgina Hopson’s astonishing vocal abilities as Rose are sheer pleasure. Stephen Anderson’s outrageous extravagance in the role of Ruth is consistently funniest of the duration, and certainly unforgettable. Also outstanding is Keane Sheppard-Fletcher, who impresses as the strongest all-rounder, singing and lampooning the part of Cal to the greatest effect.

The humour of Titanique feels very particular and granular, but because its source material is one of the widest appeal, the show becomes consequently much more universally approachable than its aesthetic might suggest. If low art and high art do indeed exist, Titanique is perhaps one of the most successful fusion of both, involving subject matters that are almost painful in their mundanity, but elevated with a niche sensibility, one that is most often associated with marginalised communities. When outsiders are left with nothing to lose, being outrageous seems a natural proposition, even if it upsets the hegemony unfailingly. 

www.titaniquemusical.com.au

Review: New Works Festival Part 2 (Old Fitz Theatre)

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Venue: Old Fitzroy Theatre (Woolloomooloo NSW)

Sitting, Screaming Sep 20 – Oct 5, 2024
Playwright: Madelaine Nunn
Director: Lucy Clements
Cast: Clare Hughes
Images by Phil Erbacher

Anomalies Sep 20 – Oct 5
Playwright: Jordyn Fulcher
Director: Matt Bostock
Cast: Giani Fenech, Rhiaan Marquez, Harold Phipps
Images by Phil Erbacher

Theatre review
Centred in the second instalment of New Works Festival by Old Fitz Theatre, are the troubling lives of teenagers. Madelaine Nunn’s Sitting, Screaming depicts with searing realism the dangerous situation of a schoolgirl dealing with a predator, whilst Jordyn Fulcher’s Anomalies is completely fantastical in its speculations about a dystopian future, when three youngsters find themselves waking up to calamity, as an extensive technological malfunction takes hold.

The very cleverly structured and rigorously considered Sitting, Screaming is a work of gripping theatre, as directed by Lucy Clements, who brings exceptional detail to this exploration of rape culture. Its protagonist Sam is played by the wonderful Clare Hughes, who keeps us riveted for the entirety, highly impressive with the tonal variations she introduces, for an occasion of memorable storytelling.

Anomalies however is much more demanding of its audience. Although given energetic direction by Matt Bostock, the piece speaks in a convoluted and alienating language, over a lengthy duration, and with little narrative development. The cast works hard to make sense of the play, but Giani Fenech, Rhiaan Marquez and Harold Phipps can only be credited for being able to find meaning from Anomalies for themselves.

Thankfully, we discover that the staging for both are remarkably well designed. Hailley Hunt’s set and costumes are expressive, and convincing with what they wish to convey. Lights by Luna Ng are commendable for their attentiveness to the nuances of the writing, and for helping us shift through all the vacillating drama and comedy. Sounds by Sam Cheng for Sitting, Screaming too are effective at pulling us deep into the fluctuating emotional textures, just as Milo McLaughlin’s audio creations for Anomalies are able to indicate the escalating intensity of its sci-fi predicament.

Characters in both tales, one authentic and one imaginary, inherit broken worlds. So much of what is normalised, should never have been deemed acceptable. It is through the perspective of youth that we can clearly see that all we have acquiesced to consider good enough, is actually of tragic proportions. The eternal dilemma of humanity seems to be that we cannot help but conceive of perfection, but to bring it to fruition is always beyond us.

 ww.oldfitztheatre.com.au | www.newghoststheatre.com

Review: Colder Than Here (Ensemble Theatre)

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Venue: Ensemble Theatre (Kirribilli NSW), 16 Sep – 12 Oct, 2024
Playwright: Laura Wade
Director: Janine Watson
Cast: Airlie Dodds, Charlotte Friels, Huw Higginson, Hannah Waterman
Images by Phil Erbacher

Theatre review
Myra only has months to live. There are only so many practical affairs to attend to, before she has to deal with the real business of saying goodbye to her loved ones. A meditation on death, Laura Wade’s Colder Than Here is an excellent opportunity for audiences to contemplate the inevitable. In paradigms such as ours, that vehemently avoid any discussion on the subject, the play is an unusual attempt to offer a sincere look at something that is certain for all.

Although irrefutably deliberative in nature, Colder Than Here is memorable for its humour, surprising perhaps for the lightness of its tone. Direction by Janine Watson makes sure that those comedic qualities sing prominently throughout the piece, along with all the sensitive renderings of conversations being depicted between family members.

Set design by Michael Hankin takes clear inspiration from Wade’s text, to introduce a carpet of green moss, that dominates the staging, to mixed results. Video projections by Mark Bolotin form beautiful backdrops for scenes of the English landscape, gently animated to evoke the life that continues be, in a story about the renewal of human corporeality. Lights by Morgan Moroney and sounds by Jessica Dunn are sparse and subtle, for a show that always chooses the understated option.

Actor Hannah Waterman brings great believability to Myra, portraying strength and vulnerability in equal measure, along with a charming wit that proves captivating. Husband Alec is also a funny character, as performed by Huw Higginson, who absolutely convinces as a man trying to avoid painful emotions. Airlie Dodds and Charlotte Friels play Myra’s daughters, both demonstrating commitment and focus, in a work that steers clear of cheap sentimentality.

The human mind seems always to be searching for that which is definite; we want to understand things in black and white, yet death being one of the very few that is beyond question, constantly escapes our attention. “The irony of man’s condition is that the deepest need is to be free of the anxiety of death and annihilation; but it is life itself which awakens it, and so we must shrink from being fully alive.” (Ernest Becker, 1973).

www.ensemble.com.au

Review: Plenty Of Fish In The Sea (Sydney Fringe Festival)

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Venue: New Theatre (Newtown NSW), Sep 17 – 21, 2024
Creators: Emily Ayoub, Madeline Baghurst
Cast: Emily Ayoub, Madeline Baghurst, Christopher Carroll
Images by Geoff Magee

Theatre review
Emily Ayoub and Madeline Baghurst’s Plenty of Fish in the Sea is a story about passion, involving three people on a boat, spending all of their time fishing. Inspired by something named Saint Cotriade, a village or maybe a Catholic deity, they have set off to concoct a special soup from their haul from the ocean. The results are both magnificent and devastating, as we discover in this work of exceptional whimsy.

Creators Ayoub and Baghurst are joined by Christopher Carroll, to form an extraordinary cast remarkable for their physical and facial agility, who deliver a performance memorable for its crisp precision and admirable for its collaborative harmony. Highly inventive in its conception, and executed with great vision and humour, Plenty of Fish in the Sea is a succinct piece of theatre that proves endlessly amusing and delightful.

Production design by Tobhiyah Stone Feller consists of a set that is magically malleable, and costumes that are both evocative and flattering. Dynamic lights by Victor Kalka offer wide ranging calibrations of atmosphere, helping us intuit surprising layers to this simple tale. Daniel Herten’s sounds and music manufacture excitement and intensity, in perfect synchrony with everything being depicted by the personalities on stage.

We learn from Plenty of Fish in the Sea that where there is passion, there could be abundance. Indeed, there are limitless forces that will impose restrictions, on anything one might choose to pursue, and it is incumbent on an individual to honour their own sense of truth. A person’s will could be made to bend, but a person’s essence has the natural inclination to resist, whether or not one wishes.

www.sydneyfringe.com | www.clockfiretheatre.com

Review: Dancefloor Conversion Therapy (Sydney Fringe Festival)

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Venue: The Atherden (The Rocks NSW), Sep 12 – 28, 2024
Playwright: Aunty Jonny Hawkins
Director: Mikala Westall
Cast: Aunty Jonny Hawkins
Images by @anbintheframe

Theatre review
It has been quite a journey for Aunty Jonny who, as a young adult, had been on track to becoming a star minister in the evangelical church system, to now extolling the virtues of dance parties, clad in titillating lingerie. The one thing that remains the same, is Jonny’s passion for proselytising. As witnessed in Dancefloor Conversion Therapy, a tongue-in-cheek presentation in the style of a sermon, the artist speaks of first-hand experiences, in order that we may be convinced of a state of transcendental divination that they so fervently advocate. 

Unlike Christianity however, Jonny’s proclamations are consciously and radically inclusive, informed by their personal journey as a queer person, emerging from a stridently heteronormative background. Now passionately embracing a new paradigm that is almost too neatly diametric in its opposition to their previous life, Jonny shares their love for something decidedly more chaotic and wild, as enthusiastic about debauchery as the old religion is about temperance and chastity.

Providing support on DJ decks and a lighting console is Mikala Westall, who as director of the piece, ensures that we encounter a highly endearing Aunty Jonny, in a show that is ceaselessly humorous, with a spiritual quality that is simultaneously ironic and authentic, that keeps us invested.

Jonny’s writing for Dancefloor Conversion Therapy is considered and clever, although not always rich or sufficiently complex in their personal expressions, from the perspective of someone who is evidently still in a tumultuous process of maturation and discovery.  Amusingly analogous with sectarian leaders of all kinds, are not only Jonny’s commanding charisma as performer, but also their steely certainty about the topics they preach. Not to presently draw a false equivalence though, for it is the fundamental concept of liberation that forms the heart of what the artist wishes to convey, which is entirely different from teachings of monotheistic traditions.

One might be hard-pressed to dream up a party that excludes absolutely no one, but we must always believe that freedom can be a state of being made available to all. This means that we must find ways to conceive of our enemies as having the freedom to be who they authentically are, the same way we wish for them to simply let us be who we are. Harmony is key, and we must all insist on it.

www.sydneyfringe.com | www.instagram.com/auntyjonny

Review: All Boys (KXT on Broadway)

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Venue: KXT on Broadway (Ultimo NSW), Sep 6 – 21, 2024
Playwright: Xavier Hazard
Director: Mehhma Malhi
Cast: Ashan Kumar, Braeden Caddy, Faisal Hamza, Harry Stacey, Jackson Hurwood, Jasper Lee-Lindsay, Leon Walshe, Louis Delaunay-Henbest, Robert Miniter, Toby Carey, Victor Y Z Xu
Images by Nicholas Warrand

Theatre review
Xavier Hazard’s All Boys takes place over 6 years, in the previous decade, at a Catholic boarding school for boys. As a site of germination for the patriarchy, institutions like these profess to cultivate leaders of the future, but are in fact committed to preserving the many ills that are foundational to the  dysfunctions and inequities of Australian life.

We see in the play, boys learning to become their fathers, in a world devoid of womanhood; they are capable of doing good, but the system engenders and normalises a lot of extremely bad behaviour. This process of indoctrination provides for All Boys its riveting sense of drama, as we watch the young at crossroads, being propelled towards negative outcomes by an establishment obsessed with its elite status. Hazard’s acute observations are expressed in the most sophisticated manner, never overwrought but always powerful, for a work that will resonate especially with those it seeks to represent.

Direction by Mehhma Malhi is correspondingly refined, notable for its trust in the audience’s discernment. Malhi’s show avoids obvious manoeuvres, but is consistently magnetic, having us enthralled for its entirety. It provokes big questions, without ever being on the nose with any of them. 11 excellent actors are perfectly cast; each character is distinct and credible. They bring a wonderful inventiveness to their interpretations of the text, along with an admirable level of commitment that insists on our attention, and our careful scrutiny on the subject matter.

Set design Rebecca Howarth helps the ensemble facilitate a great range of visual compositions, along with costumes, also by Howarth, that impress with their nuanced carving out of individual personalities. Lights by Isobel Morrissey deliver surprising variation to the imagery, and are effective in manufacturing  atmosphere and tension appropriate to each scene. Amy Norton’s sound design is very subtly rendered, but fascinating in its approach at creating suitable focus for the vacillating sensibilities that All Boys inspires.

We see the boys being terrible, and wonder how this comes to be. None of it is intentional, yet culpability resides entirely on those who birth and raise them. We say that all we ever want, is to provide the best education and development, and that none of these negative consequences are part of the plan. We then continue enacting the same systems that produce the same old results. 

www.kingsxtheatre.com | www.instagram.com/every_other_