Review: Little Women (Hayes Theatre)

Posted in Theatre by

Venue: Hayes Theatre Co (Potts Point NSW), Jul 12 – Aug 11, 2024
Book: Allan Knee
Music: Jason Howland
Lyrics: Mindi Dickstein
Director: Amy Campbell
Cast: Cameron Bajraktarevic-Hayward, Maddy Betts, Molly Bugeja, Peter Carroll, Emily Cascarino, Lawrence Hawkins, Vitoria Hronopoulos, Tisha Kelemen,  Kaori Maeda-Judge, Shannen Alyce Quan, Kurt Russo, Tyran Stig
Images by Grant Leslie

Theatre review
Jo is an aspiring writer in 1868 Massachussets, facing challenges due to her gender and class. It is decades before women obtain the right to vote, so to have career ambitions, and indeed to imagine herself as anything more than a wife and mother, is quite remarkable. Family, however, remains central to Jo’s concerns, as we see in this musical adaptation of Louisa May Alcott much-loved novel, Little Women. Her mother and sisters form important threads in the narrative, of a young woman who has no qualms about deserving it all.

In a book by Allan Knee, we discover a slightly lacklustre plot assembled from a condensation of key events from Alcott’s story. Songs by Jason Howland and Mindi Dickstein are generic in style, although theatrically effective, and on occasion capable of being deeply moving. Direction by Amy Campbell excels at creating believable characters, and at making every scene engaging, for a show that many will find enjoyable. Visual aspects are less accomplished. Set design by Tanwee Shresta demonstrates admirable creativity, but struggles to evoke relevant time and place. Costumes by Lily Matelian too are imaginatively rendered, although not always flattering. Lights by Peter Rubie are mostly pragmatic in approach, only taking the opportunity to be conspicuous at the right moments.

In the lead role is the sensational Shannen Alyce Quan, powerful not only with their vocal abilities, but also with their depictions of Jo’s emotional dimensions, making a gregarious personality feel wonderfully vibrant and spirited, whilst remaining convincing as a woman from a bygone era. It is a strong cast that delivers Little Women, each performer dedicated and considered in their respective parts, and harmonious as an ensemble. The strong quality of singing is a highlight of the show, and along with music direction by Gianna Cheung, Little Women is a work of theatre that proves enjoyable, if not sufficiently poignant.

We love telling children, that they can be anything they wish when they grow up, but subliminal messages often convey something different. Girls especially, are indoctrinated all manner of restrictions that pertain especially to how we conceive of gender as a defining element in a person’s being. Not only do we continue to believe that men and women have different capacities, we insist on perpetuating the subjugation of one beneath the other. Even if Jo is able in her own mind to escape all that conditioning, there is only so much she can achieve, in 19th century USA where the sustenance of prevailing systems require that very imbalance of power. Jo would certainly have gone further in today’s improved circumstances, but disparities persist and many of her sisters will continue to not be able to shine.

www.hayestheatre.com.au | www.jrpaustralia.com

Review: Swim (Griffin Theatre Company)

Posted in Theatre by

Venue: Carriageworks (Eveleigh NSW), Jul 10 – 27, 2024
Playwright: Ellen van Neerven
Director: Andrea James
Cast: Sandy Greenwood, Dani Sib
Images by Brett Boardman

Theatre review
At the play’s commencement, a character named E enters a public pool changing room tentatively. Without much explanation, we understand that their ambiguous gender expression is a factor in that apprehension. Soon, it is revealed that their Indigeneity is another reason for E’s unease, when negotiating institutions of colonisation. Ellen van Neerven’s Swim describes how a person’s favourite place can turn into a locus for which their most painful memories can coalesce, and how a great love can become the thing that hurts you the most.

The poetic writing is imbued bittersweet melancholy by Andrea James’ inventive direction. Swim is a work about the challenges faced by someone marginalised in different ways, and even though it ventures inevitably into spaces of trauma, the show is often spirited in its representations of defiance, survival and resilience. A versatile set design by Romanie Harper greets us with a visual grandeur that almost conveys a certain reverence that our protagonist holds for the swimming pool. Projected onto tiled surfaces is a sublime video design by Samuel James, who uses arrayed imagery of water to evoke sensations of spiritual transcendence. Operating in tandem are exquisite lights by Karen Norris, accurate with the gamut of emotions it conjures, and making every second of the presentation look unequivocally beautiful. Music and sounds by Brendon Boney are remarkably moving, helping us to connect with the depths and complexities of what E is feeling in every scene.

Actor Dani Sib brings incredible focus to the lead role, delivering unassailable authenticity whilst having us absolutely captivated, as they explore a multitude of tangential reflections, about a life that refuses to be encapsulated in a convenient narrative. Sandy Greenwood’s exceptional charisma comes to good use, as they embody several supporting parts to excellent effect, giving us a reassuring warmth that makes this experience feel accessible and real. Also noteworthy are costumes by the aforementioned Harper, convincing in their rendering of personality types, and wonderfully theatrical at pivotal moments.

Few things can claim to be new, in our artistic expressions and more generally in the ways we conduct social discourse. The emergence of non-binary identities however, is a contemporary phenomenon that elicits new ways of thinking, and indeed new ways of understanding aspects of our nature. It is a revolutionary movement that urges us to see a deeper truth about who we are, and what we are capable of. It is indicative of a future that can fundamentally erase notions of difference, so that we can regard each other with greater equity. Non-binary rejects stratifications, and it will instigate a dismantlement of instruments used for domination, beyond concepts of gender.

www.griffintheatre.com.au

Review: The Past Is A Wild Party (Qtopia / Siren Theatre Company)

Posted in Theatre by

Venue: Qtopia (Darlinghurst NSW), Jul 10 – 27, 2024
Playwright: Noëlle Janaczewska
Director: Kate Gaul
Cast: Jules Billington
Images by Alex Vaughan

Theatre review
In The Past is a Wild Party, Noëlle Janaczewska looks back at her “chosen family history” by examining queer literature through the years, focusing on the often eclipsed experiences of women in the LGBTQ+ community. As she travels through libraries in Australia and in Europe, looking at works both legendary and obscure, Janaczewska reflects on her own life and loves, in what appears to be an exercise in healing, for the writer and for audiences of a similar persuasion.

It is an enchanting one-person show, directed with great passion by Kate Gaul, who brings wonderful elucidation to the meaningful complexions of the text. Performer Jules Billington is extraordinarily precise with each physical gesture and verbal inflection, making sure that we detect all the nuances of this soulful meditation on a collective phenomena that encompasses tribulation, trauma and triumph. There is a memorable and immense benevolence to Billington’s approach that thoroughly captivates, and that keeps us attentive with open hearts and minds.

An unexpectedly rich lighting design by Benjamin Brockman elevates the solo format, by introducing a compelling visuality to the production, with consistent vacillations to its emotional textures, but always beautiful in its depictions. Music by Madeleine Picard guides us on this sentimental journey, hypnotic with its melancholy, and perfectly attuned with the bittersweet musings of a person with wisdom to share.

It is within sapphic spaces that we can perceive especially clearly, an existence outside of the patriarchy. Power and its machinations may not entirely cease to exist in something like The Past is a Wild Party, but a certain disintegration of inequity can certainly be observed. No longer is there an obsession with domination over people, but a sense of togetherness in opposition to systematic oppression. We encounter something specific yet welcoming, with a capacity for the vastness of humanity, much like motherhood, that should come so natural, yet we know to be so rare.

www.qtopiasydney.com.au | www.sirentheatreco.com

Review: Too Human (KXT on Broadway)

Posted in Theatre by

Venue: KXT on Broadway (Ultimo NSW), Jul 5 – 20, 2024
Playwright: Michael McStay
Director: Sammy Jing
Cast: Luisa Galloway, Jasper Lee-Lindsay, Rhiaan Marquez, Mason Phoumirath, Lachie Pringle, Rachel Seeto
Images by Phil Erbacher

Theatre review
Monty is in Year 8, and because she looks different from others at school, is having an inordinately hard time trying to fit in. Michael McStay’s Too Human is a witty return to the classic teen comedy, dealing with themes of acceptance and emancipation. With a narrative that might be considered intentionally trite, it is the sparkling dialogue and kooky characters that really leave an impression. We know exactly where the story is to conclude, but the journey is nonetheless enjoyable, and often thoroughly amusing.

Inventive direction by Sammy Jing keeps us fascinated, in a show that proves inexhaustibly mischievous and fun. Monty is played by Rhiaan Marquez, who convinces with her depictions of desperation amidst social ostracism. Jasper Lee-Lindsay and Rachel Seeto steal the show as Andy and Lewis respectively, both actors expertly balancing comedy with pathos, in portrayals of teenage angst that surprise with their poignancy. Other members of the likeable cast are Luisa Galloway, Mason Phoumirath and Lachie Pringle, all wonderfully humorous and equally committed to the cause.

Production design by Hannah Tayler comprises an archetypal interpretation of life on the schoolyard, with clever costumes full of idiosyncratic personality and a marvellous sense of fantasy. Lights by Emma van Veen and Paris Bell are wonderful in their colourfulness, commendable for the exuberance they bring to proceedings. Ambitious sounds by Felix Partos, with zany songs by Gabbi Bolt, too are effective in creating aural dynamism that keeps the atmosphere consistently buoyant and energetic.

The young ones in Too Human are talked about as half-human and half-animal, which seems to be terminology that engenders notions of incompleteness, rather than multitude. They are in fact of double species, and have the potential to be twice as interesting, if not twice as resourceful. How we name ourselves run the risk of attributing deficiency and inferiority, to beings who are perfect and whole. It may be an exaggeration to say that language means everything, but it is hard to imagine any phenomenon being defined without words, whether careless or impeccable.

www.kingsxtheatre.com | www.liminalproductions.au

Review: Cut Chilli (Old Fitz Theatre)

Posted in Theatre by

Venue: Old Fitzroy Theatre (Woolloomooloo NSW), Jul 5 – 27, 2024
Playwright: Chenturan Aran
Director: David Burrowes
Cast: Noel Hodda, Kelsey Jeanell, Susie Lindeman, Brendan Miles, Nikki Sekar, Ariyan Sharma
Images by Phil Erbacher

Theatre review
Jamie has started thinking a lot about his birth mother in Sri Lanka, which is proving to be a great annoyance for his white Australian adoptive parents. In the beautifully observed Cut Chilli by Chenturan Aran, transracial adoption is the main subject that spurs discussions about racial identity, and about the current state of Western discourse that pertains to our political lives. Conflicting values, represented by a generational divide and along racial lines, are examined with incisiveness and great humour by Aran, whose clever dialogue helps soften the blow of his many provocative but manifestly meaningful expressions.

Direction by David Burrowes brings an excellent vibrancy to the play’s politics, but its comedy is perhaps less finely honed. Chemistry between cast members is inconsistent, although markedly captivating in moments when the actors do find a sense of connectedness. Leading man Ariyan Sharma introduces an authenticity to the show that translates as complexity and credibility, allowing us to engage with its ideas in a sophisticated manner.

Set design by Soham Apte demonstrates considerable resourcefulness and creativity, with proficient demarcations of space that make good sense of the locations being depicted. Costumes by Rita Naidu enhance the realism of Cut Chilli, whilst maintaining visual balance and a quiet elegance. Lights by Isobel Morrissey and sounds by Sam Cheng are fairly minimal in approach, but appropriately so. Also noteworthy is the video content in the show’s prologue and epilogue, as gracefully captured by cinematographer Jamie Gray.

Within these scene of intimacy involving Jamie’s loving family, we cannot help but regard the behaviour of our political adversaries with a certain generosity. Contemporary “rules of engagement” have provided little room for tolerance, with good reason, but in Cut Chilli we are reminded that perhaps kindness does count for something, even if it is attached to ignorance. The road to hell may be paved with good intentions, but without any desire to do better, nothing worthwhile could ever be achieved.

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

Review: Dracula (Sydney Theatre Company)

Posted in Theatre by

Venue: Roslyn Packer Theatre (Sydney NSW), Jul 2 – Aug 4, 2024
Writer: Bram Stoker (adapted by Kip Williams)
Director: Kip Williams
Cast: Zahra Newman
Images by Daniel Boud

Theatre review
In Bram Stoker’s Dracula, mortality is under constant threat, by its central immortal figure. Fear is represented entirely by deathlessness, the very phenomenon we desire the most. In Kip Williams’ single-performer stage adaptation, we see that all this struggle and terror, exists completely within one’s mind. In a story about petrifying phantoms and alarming apparitions, otherness is presented as being utterly heinous, yet only located on the inside.

It may be the old adage, “the only thing to fear is fear itself”, that we so clearly see in actor Zahra Newman’s sublimely rhapsodic performance, as her body and mind masterfully transform before our eyes, into 23 different characters from Stoker’s legendary work. We observe the astonishing courage of a person undertaking a manifestly herculean task, making a persuasive argument in this tour de force about horror and paranoia, demonstrating that what may be only a figment of a person’s imagination, can lead to absolutely devastating consequences.

Combining stage and screen, Williams’ cine-theatre approach deals perfectly with competing concepts of reality and delusion. On film, all manner of fantastical imagery can be shown, and the audience easily invests in its fiction, no matter how extravagant. By contrast, the materiality of the live format is used simultaneously to expose the truth, and we find ourselves in a constant state of discombobulation, experiencing both aspects, virtually at the same time. Williams’ ability to deliver that delightfully bizarre sensation, of being immersed in circumstances that are at once congruent and divergent, is theatrical magic at its most sensational. In Dracula, we learn that art and technology can coalesce to deliver a psychological effect that could perhaps neve be encountered otherwise, and reveal something quite fundamental about how we are.

The immense video work is designed by Craig Wilkinson, whose inventiveness leaves us breathless time and again. Marg Howell’s costumes and sets are consistently surprising, and marvellous in the sense of cohesiveness they manufacture for a show that dares to be thoroughly unhinged. Lights by Nick Schlieper give us seamless and balanced visuals, every which way we choose to position our eyes. Music by Clemence Williams and sounds by Jessica Dunn, are relentlessly gripping, and memorable for being unabashedly dramatic, in their delicious interpretations of Stoker and his essential flamboyance.

The human imagination is unequivocally powerful. It can twist material realities into infinite different meanings, that in turn spur us onto wildly varying trajectories. Our mind has great capacities, yet we can never claim to have real control over it. Count Dracula may or may not be who they think he is, but there is certainly no doubting their dismal failure at ever hoping to resist his allure.

www.sydneytheatre.com.au

Review: The Odd Couple (Theatre Royal)

Posted in Theatre by

Venue: Theatre Royal (Sydney NSW), 27 Jun – 28 Jul, 2024
Playwright: Neil Simon
Director: Mark Kilmurry
Cast: John Batchelor, Laurence Coy, Lucy Durack, Shane Jacobson, Todd McKenney, Penny McNamee Jamie Oxenbould, Anthony Taufa
Images by Pia Johnson

Theatre review
Felix and Oscar are living together, because both have recently divorced their wives. Although best friends, their personalities are wildly divergent and therefore  do not make the most compatible of housemates. Neil Simon’s 60-year-old play delivers nostalgia in spades, but The Odd Couple has clearly lost its relevance decades ago. Many will nonetheless find the humour appealing, within a presentational style that straddles between something charmingly classic and regrettably outmoded.

Direction by Mark Kilmurry remains faithful, to memories of 1960s New York. It is a slick production (on an attractive set design by Justin Nardella), with precise timing that ensures we know exactly where the laughs are situated. Actor Shane Jacobson is very strong with the comedy, never missing an opportunity to expand on Simon’s humour, in the role of the carefree Oscar. On the other hand, his counterpart Todd McKenney is perhaps not entirely convincing as the uptight Felix, but commendable for bringing a consistent verve to his performance. Lucy Durack and Penny McNamee are noteworthy as the Pigeon sisters, an inventive pair demonstrating remarkable capacity for enriching some perhaps more ordinary characters.

Theatre will always explore the silliness of being human. What is silly changes constantly however, just as what we feel to be funny rarely stays the same. When revisiting old comedies, we can discover how we have evolved, and be able to identify shifts in culture that reflect the transformations of values and attitudes. In The Odd Couple, we can see some aspects of life that have gone through dramatic metamorphosis, alongside others that have scarcely altered. Humanity is unlikely to ever become anything resembling pristine, but we certainly cannot help but try tirelessly to be better.

www.theoddcoupleplay.com.au

Review: [Your Name] (KXT on Broadway)

Posted in Theatre by

Venue: KXT on Broadway (Ultimo NSW), Jun 14 – 29, 2024
Playwright: Kate Bubalo
Director: Lily Hayman
Cast: Lola Bond, Andrew Fraser, Georgia McGinness, Evelina Singh
Images by Georgia Brogan

Theatre review
It is 2013 and Kris, Nadine and Petra are fourteen-year-old girls obsessed with a certain world-famous teenage wizard. They write erotic fan fiction about him, and share it online with other enthusiasts, but disaster strikes when a chapter is mistakenly sent to their teacher, Mr. Isaacs. The play [Your Name] by Kate Bubalo demonstrates the anxiety we have about burgeoning sexuality, highlighting our inability to reconcile something purely natural with unrealistic conceptions of girlhood.

It is a raucous comedy, imaginatively directed by Lily Hayman who brings an impressive eye for detail, along with a commendable boldness, to deliver a show that never diminishes in effervescence. Set design by Tyler Fitzpatrick is simple, but noteworthy for the sleekness it brings to the production. Also by Fitzpatrick, are the wonderfully dynamic lights, beguiling with their surprising elaborateness. Clare Hennessy’s purposeful sounds are intricately assembled, to enhance every dramatic nuance of a show intent on expressing very big, youthful emotions.

An extraordinary cast of four takes us on a wild ride, memorable for their remarkable cohesiveness, and astonishing with the dedication they exemplify. Lola Bond, Andrew Fraser, Georgia McGinness and Evelina Singh bring an unbridled campness to the experience, full of charming irreverence, yet sensitive and earnest in their representation of adolescent angst.

So much of sex occurs in our minds. It follows then, that our personal identities are closely connected with our sexual fantasies. In private explorations of deepest desires, we can discover the truest core of who we are, whether or not those fantasies are ever to be rendered to life. How a person is, is intimately related to how one wishes to relate to the world. Discovery of the self may not entirely be about sex, but mysteries can certainly be solved, when examining one’s strongest libidinous urges.

www.kingsxtheatre.com | www.instagram.com/purpletapeproductions

Review: Master Class (Ensemble Theatre)

Posted in Theatre by

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)

Posted in Theatre by

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