Butterflies Are Free (Lambert House Enterprises)

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butterfilesVenue: King Street Theatre (Newtown NSW), Oct 7 – Nov 3, 2013
Playwright: Leonard Gershe
Director: Les Solomon
Actors: James Wright, Emily Kennedy, Cheryl Ward, Matt Young

Theatre review
Written by Leonard Gershe in 1969, Butterflies Are Free premiered at virtually the same time as the legendary Woodstock Festival. The work discusses notions of freedom at a time when America was in the depths of the Vietnam War, and when the hippie subculture was at its peak. 44 years on, the resonances in Gershe’s script remain strong, and its story still strikes a chord with contemporary audiences.

Les Solomon’s revival of the play is slightly referential of the 60s, but design elements do not explore the retro aspect too deeply. Instead, Solomon focuses our attention on character development and the themes inherent in the writing. His direction of the piece is confident and passionate. We are treated to perfectly paced comedy, as well as an earnest approach to the deeper and more philosophical sections of the text.

Quality of acting is consistently strong. Emily Kennedy’s portrayal of a free spirit is delightful, and she captivates by shading her character with glimpses of a sombre interior. Her balance of light and dark grounds the show in a space of warmth and truthfulness, and establishes an intimate sense of identification with the audience. Cheryl Ward plays Mrs Baker, the “mother”, bringing a comic quality that is enjoyable yet subtle. Ward’s performance is measured and sensitive, creating probably the most convincing character in the show. It is noteworthy however, that the final quarter of the play seems slightly rushed. The comedy eventually gives way to a fairly serious conclusion packed with meaning and pathos, but the actors seem to remain at the speed of the earlier scenes.

The theme of freedom is one that absolutely everyone can relate to. In Butterflies Are Free, we are presented with a beautiful story and sublime, deeply moving words. This production allows us to savour those words as delivered by a group of impassioned players, and provides an opportunity for its audience to reflect upon the freedoms that exist in our lives and also those that are sadly absent.

www.kingstreettheatre.com.au

Daisy Pulls It Off (The Genesian Theatre)

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daisypullsitoffVenue: The Genesian Theatre (Sydney NSW), Oct 18 – Nov 16, 2013
Playwright: Denise Deegan
Director: Mark Langham
Actors: Anna Hitchings, Amylea Griffin, Bianca Bradey, Laura Genders, Anita Donovan, Monica Smithers

Theatre review
Originally staged in the 1980s, Denise Deegan’s Daisy Pulls It Off is a modern parody of adventure stories from the early twentieth century about English boarding schools. With the passage of time, Genesian’s production has the difficult task of referencing those old adventures that have all but faded from our memories. On the bright side, director Mark Langham and his cast have crafted a crisp and well-rehearsed piece of light entertainment that accommodates audiences aged 8 to 80.

Amylea Griffin’s performance as Trixie Martin is by far most memorable. Her portrayal of an adorable and playful youngster is vibrant and extraordinarily effervescent. She brings a great sense of fun to the proceedings, and keeps the show lively whenever she appears. Laura Genders is one of the funnier actors in the show, who performs the postmodern elements of the comedy most effectively. She demonstrates that realism has very little place in Deegan’s writing, and it is in the madcap and absurd, that her humour is found.

Langham is very strong with his details in the construction of the play, and even though the laughs are not always riotous, Daisy Pulls It Off is filled with wonderment and good old-fashioned cheer, which are of course the hallmarks of the great Genesian Theatre.

www.genesiantheatre.com.au

5 Questions with Matt Young

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mattyoungWhat is your favourite swear word?
Well, I grew up in the States, so “hell” is considered a swear word-it’s blasphemous, you see. So I’ll have to say: God-damned!

What are you wearing?
Now that I’m half-Aussie, R.M. Williams button-down shirt, jeans, and boots, mate.

What is love?
My man-husband and our two beautiful children.

What was the last show you saw, and how many stars do you give it?
Kit Brookman’s Small And Tired at Belvoir amazed and moved me in design, direction, and acting performances. I submitted myself for the role of Electra’s husband, and read the outstanding, mature script back then. But I didn’t get an audition. So four stars. Otherwise five. God-damned Belvoir didn’t give me an audition!

Is your new show going to be any good?
Hell… I mean, heck yes! Both of them. Check out #ButterfliesRFreeAu and #3WintersGreen @kingsttheatre on Twitter to find out what the punters think. Or just me. If I’m the only one using the hashtag. #sob

Matt Young is starring in Three Winters Green and Butterfiles Are Free, two plays in repertory.
Show dates: 17 Oct – 3 Nov, 2013
Show venue: King Street Theatre

5 Questions with Stephen Mahy

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stephenmahyWhat is your favourite swear word?
C you next Tuesday.

What are you wearing?
Black Calvin Klein jeans, grey t shirt with the earth on it.

What is love?
Not expecting anything back.

What was the last show you saw, and how many stars do you give it?
Tequila Mocking Bird in Brisbane. A great theatre and education play. 4 out of 5.

Is your new show going to be any good?
Grease? I think it is.

 

 

Stephen Mahy is starring in Grease.
Show dates: From 13 Oct, 2013 (Sydney) & Jan 2, 2014 (Melbourne)
Show venue: Sydney Lyric Theatre & Her Majesty’s Theatre

5 Questions with Damian de Montemas

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damiandemontemasWhat is your favourite swear word?
Clusterfuck, or fucking motherfucker, or shove it up your ass and fuck off while you’re doing it…

What are you wearing?
Jeans, t-shirt, boots.

What is love?
All you need.

What was the last show you saw, and how many stars do you give it?
Ummm Iggy Pop at the Hordern… 9/10 stars… How many stars is it outta 5? 4.5 outta 5.

Is your new show going to be any good?
Anaconda is going to be unmissable.

 

 

Damian de Montemas is starring in Anaconda.
Show dates: 29 Oct – 23 Nov, 2013
Show venue: The Bondi Pavillion Theatre

Hamlet (Belvoir St Theatre)

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hamletVenue: Belvoir St Theatre (Surry Hills NSW), Oct 12 – Dec 1, 2013
Playwright: William Shakespeare
Director: Simon Stone
Actors: Toby Schmitz, Emily Barclay, Luke Byrne, Thomas Campbell, John Gaden, Nathan Lovejoy, Robyn Nevin, Anthony Phelan, Maximilian Riebl, Greg Stone

Theatre review
Shakespeare’s tragedies are vehicles for artists to express the extremities of human emotion and inconceivable psychological torment. When created well, a staging of plays like Hamlet will allow for the most outlandish and ostentatious of acting styles. In Belvoir’s production, Toby Schmitz pushes his portrayal of Hamlet over the edge of sanity, giving us one of the year’s most memorable theatrical performances.

Taking the brave decision to remove the ambiguity of the protagonist’s insanity, director Simon Stone’s version of events presents a Hamlet that is as much about mental disorders as it is about death and betrayal. Consequently, Schmitz’s choices are liberated, and he explores states of grief and madness with great intensity and high-octane drama. It is a delicious performance and the actor is magnetically powerful, while being controlled and considered. Schmitz is as intelligent as he is artistic, and the combination is lethal.

Greg Stone plays Polonius with great flair and confidence. This is an actor who loves Shakespeare’s words and knows how to use them. His performance is a real delight. Robyn Nevin’s role is less substantial, but she delivers what we have come to expect of her. Loads of gravitas and focus, and incredible elegance.

Many liberties are taken in Stone’s work, including a very clever take on the “play within a play” scene in which Lord Hamlet’s death is re-enacted, and some of the best use of incidental music in a long while. Stone displays not just originality and ingenuity, but also a keen sense of playfulness. His Hamlet is surprising, intriguing and taut. It runs slightly over two hours, and every moment is imbued with wonder and tension. This is exhilarating theatre. Stone’s show has a dangerous flirtation with abstraction which adds to its intrigue and seductive quality, but unfortunately becomes overwhelming in the final scenes. The play closes strongly but the journey at the end is slightly rocky. Nevertheless, this slightly abridged Hamlet is a courageous and accomplished work, one that showcases some of the best theatre practitioners and their dedication to, and faith in the art form.

www.belvoir.com.au

Grease (Lyric Theatre)

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grease1Venue: Lyric Theatre (Sydney NSW), from Oct 13, 2013
Based on the original by: Jim Jacobs, Warren Casey
Performers: Rob Mills, Gretel Scarlett, Stephen Mahy, Lucy Maunder, Todd McKenney, Bert Newton, Anthony Callea

Theatre review
Grease (1978) is one of Australia’s most loved films of all time. Our relationship with its songs and characters is an intimately familiar one, and this familiarity ensures that the staging of its musical version for Australian audiences is a safe bet. This theatrical presentation is a faithful adaptation of the cinematic version, and aims at providing entertainment and nostalgia, both of which are delivered in dazzling abundance.

Danny Zuko is played by Rob Mills, who has carved a career out of incredible charisma, and an impressive, consistent improvement in his stage craft. Now ten years in the public eye, Mills’ performance in Grease is a turning point in his career. The leading man’s voice is today at its most vibrant and versatile, and while not always known to be a great dancer, he attacks all choreography with gusto and flair, proving himself once and for all to be a formidable player in the musical arena.

Todd McKenney is Teen Angel (the fairy godfather), and steals the show with his only appearance in the eminently memorable “Beauty School Dropout” sequence. McKenney shows himself to be the proverbial Mr Showbiz, all sparkling toothy smiles and nifty footwork. The way his physical prowess owns the stage is mesmerising, and he absolutely exemplifies all we love about musical theatre. Also a stand out is Stephen Mahy who elevates Kenickie from a run-of-the-mill bad boy to one with impressive showmanship and great comic timing. He also happens to be dashingly handsome.

The Sandy in this production is, however, miscast. Gretel Scarlett has a stunning singing voice, but lacks the pop sensibility that is associated with Olivia Newton-John’s legendary recordings. Scarlett is a statuesque beauty and the perfect visual match with her leading man, but her interpretation of the wholesome girl from down under comes across slightly bland. It is bewildering also, that her two key moments (her solo, and her penultimate transformation) are not supported by stronger stage effects for greater dramatics.

The overall excellent cast, along with the brilliant band, and big budget set and costume design, all conspire to materialise a “real life” version of a celluloid dream we have all cherished through the years. The joy Grease represents and all the memories it evokes is invaluable, and much more than what we have come to expect of commercial musical theatre.

www.greaseistheword.com.au

The Vehicle Failed To Stop (Version 1.0)

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vehiclefailed1Venue: Carriageworks (Eveleigh NSW), Oct 15 – 26, 2013
Devisors: Sean Bacon, Irving Gregory, Jane Phegan, Paul Prestipino, Kym Vercoe, Olivia Stambouliah
Actors: Irving Gregory, Jane Phegan, Olivia Stambouliah

Theatre review
The subject is a heavy one, and the themes are serious. We are shown a side to the Iraq war that is little known, and the evidence provided is scandalous and outrageous. The tone of the production is suitably sombre, but it is a lively show that comprises quick and sharp scenes, holding its audience’s attention from start to end.

Exploration of theatrical techniques and devices are a key interest of this group (the exploding car is wonderful). Using the war story as a backdrop for a wide range of experimentation with sounds, visuals, and all the possibilities of an empty space, this is a highly creative work that is centred on form as much as it emphasises its content. Indeed, both form and content are interesting and thoroughly delved into, but on occasion, they seem to diverge and distract from one another. There are points in the performance where what is being shown on stage is so complex and enthralling, that the story seems to fall by the wayside. The originality of Version 1.0’s theatrical craft is accomplished and important, and so is the message of the story. Fortunately, both manage to get their days in the sun, although not always at the same time.

Aside from three actors, we see on side stage (in this multimedia production), a team of two musicians and a video artist. Their work alternates between providing background effects and featuring heavily at the foreground, but always married perfectly with the stage action. This genre of performance is still unconventional and not always practised successfully, but The Vehicle Failed To Stop is an example of how close collaborative efforts can give birth to something authentic and deliver theatre that is intriguing and unique.

www.versiononepointzero.com

5 Questions with Andrew Henry

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andrewhenryWhat is your favourite swear word?
“Fuck” for its magnificent versatility.

What are you wearing?
A singlet, chinos and my trusty old boots.

What is love?
Life’s great discovery.

What was the last show you saw, and how many stars do you give it?
Miss Julie at Belvoir. Five out of five, it was incredibly uncomfortable and the most dangerous play I have seen for many years. I fucking loved it.

Is your new show going to be any good?
Not at all, the writing is terrible. This Arthur Miller guy had no talent for writing plays.

Andrew Henry is appearing in All My Sons, by Arthur Miller.
Show dates: 1 Nov – 1 Dec, 2013
Show venue: Eternity Playhouse

5 Questions with Jai Higgs

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jaihiggs1What is your favourite swear word?
Definitely CUNT. Sound it out. C-u-n-t… Feel how each sound moves further forward in your mouth, starting the back of the throat and ending with a sharp, direct spit? It’s like the word is designed to cut through the air and attack the listener. I know it sounds like I’ve over-thought the trajectory of this word, but it’s only because my character unleashes the c-bomb a couple of times in this show, honestly…

What are you wearing?
My corporate slave-wear. Please come and see An Ordinary Person so that we can all make millions and I can overthrow my capitalist overlords to devote my life unceasingly to my craft.

What is love?
A battlefield. Am I right, ladies??

What was the last show you saw, and how many stars do you give it?
Miss Julie at Belvoir. 4.5 stars. What the actual fuck? It was the most intense piece of theatre I’ve seen in a long time. I sat in my seat for five minutes afterwards trying to digest what had just happened.

Is your new show going to be any good?
Fuck yeah. It’s going to make King Lear look like Mean Girls.

Jai Higgs is appearing in An Ordinary Person.
Show dates: 22 Oct – 16 Nov, 2013
Show venue: The Old Fitzroy Hotel