Tag Archives: belvoir

Review: The Spare Room (Belvoir St Theatre)

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Venue: Belvoir St Theatre (Surry Hills NSW), Jun 7 – Jul 13, 2025
Playwright: Eamon Flack (from the novel by Helen Garner)
Director: Eamon Flack
Cast: Elizabeth Alexander, Judy Davis, Emma Diaz, Alan Dukes, Hannah Waterman
Images by Brett Boardman

Theatre review
Nicola is spending a few weeks in Melbourne, as she undergoes “alternative cancer treatment”. Helen has volunteered as carer through the ordeal, completely unconvinced by the bogus claims of the expensive but unsubstantiated therapies. Helen Garner’s 2008 novel The Spare Room deals with sickness and death, from the perspectives of those who are terminally ill, and those close to them.

Adapted by Eamon Flack, this theatrical version is thankfully humorous in tone, even if it does delve deep into difficult subject matter. What it discusses is certainly worthwhile, considering its universality, and its somewhat taboo nature only makes the experience more meaningful. The show is mostly an engaging one, even if performers seem consistently under-rehearsed. Judy Davis as Helen has a tendency for physical exaggeration, while Elizabeth Alexander as Nicola is overly trepidatious, but notwithstanding these imperfections, both are able to tell the story convincingly.

To address the practical requirements of the text, set design by Mel Page incorporates elements that are disparately homely and clinical, leaving the space to languish in an awkward intermediary, never really conveying any believable locale. Paul Jackson’s lights offer intricate atmospheric enhancements, as does music by Steve Francis, notable for being performed live by a very attentive Anthea Cottee on her trusty cello.

At her time of need, Nicola becomes hugely demanding of her friends and family. Her friends and family in turn discover, that there are no burdens more special than those of a loved one, in their final moments. 

www.belvoir.com.au

Review: I & You (25A Belvoir)

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Venue: Belvoir St Theatre (Surry Hills NSW), May 6 – 18, 2025
Playwright: Lauren Gunderson
Director: Claudia Barrie
Cast: Josh Hammond, Alyssa Peters
Images by Phil Erbacher

Theatre review
Caroline is confined to her home due to a chronic illness. When Anthony drops by from school to work on an assignment, they become fast friends, bonding over the artistic legacies of Walt Whitman, John Coltrane and Jerry Lee Lewis. In the play I & You by Lauren Gunderson, we not only observe the burgeoning relationship between two teens, but also meditate on the nature and meaning of death, in the presence of someone who has to grapple with mortality every day.

Gunderson’s writing is relentlessly optimistic, allowing director Claudia Barrie to place emphasis on comedic elements for an effervescent experience, that should prove particularly resonant for younger audiences. Performed by a highly endearing team of two, Josh Hammond and Alyssa Peters make their magical world sparkle with believability and tangibility. Their cohesiveness is a joy to witness, both actors keeping us completely at ease with the authenticity they so effortlessly bring to the stage.

Also noteworthy are lights by Saint Clair, that always feel considered in their approach, whether subtly modulating or dramatically embellishing. The set is designed by Saint Clair along with Masone Browne, to provide an elegant solution for specific requirements of the text. Emily Brayshaw’s costumes portray with accuracy, the style of regular teens who could reside either in Australia or America, whilst maintaining a flattering appearance for the cast.

There is real beauty in the fundamental truth of death, yet we try so hard to deny its existence.  The fact that time is limited, from the perspective of each individual perishable organism, should mean that moments big and small must be cherished, but all humans seem to do, is to imagine new ways to defy the inevitable. Life is already eternal, we only need to be appreciative of the infinite tiny encounters that materialise, from simply being here.

www.belvoir.com.au | www.madmarchtheatreco.com

Review: The Wrong Gods (Belvoir St Theatre)

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Venue: Belvoir St Theatre (Surry Hills NSW), May 3 – Jun 1, 2025
Playwright: S. Shakthidharan
Director: Hannah Goodwin, S. Shakthidharan
Cast: Manali Datar, Nadie Kammallaweera, Radhika Mudaliyar, Vaishnavi Suryaprakash
Images by Brett Boardman

Theatre review
Isha is a schoolgirl exhibiting great promise, with a brilliant mind and a passion for science that have attracted attention, from American industry entering rural India. Her mother Nirmala wants the best for Isha, but making decisions about an uncertain future is difficult, even if the gods seem so resolute with what they stand for. Provocative ideas are presented in The Wrong Gods by S. Shakthidharan through scintillating conversations, between characters who are thoroughly authentic, and interminably sympathetic.

It explores notions of progress, technology, capitalism and colonisation, from perspectives realistic rather than ideological, based on interviews conducted with those of relevant lived experience. The tremendous poignancy of Shakthidharan’s writing may be derived from a specific story originating in an Indian village, but its resonances are universal. As an Australian work, The Wrong Gods seems often to reflect on Indigenous dispossession and displacement, allowing us to further relate to the themes and ethos of this deeply affecting creation.

Co-direction by Shakthidharan and Hannah Goodwin delivers emotional intensity, for a highly consequential examination of our very times and values. Complexities of thought are conveyed with astonishing salience, for a show that is as intellectually stimulating as it is moving. Music composition by Sabyasachi (Rahul) Bhattacharya, along with sound design by Steve Francis, are a marvellous concoction that proves stirring even if its expressions are always delicate.

Inspired by farmlands of South Asia, set design by Keerthi Subramanyam is a beautiful evocation of our relationship with nature, making a statement about human activity in conjunction with notions of the organic. Lights by Amelia Lever-Davidson are elegantly rendered, adding subtle enhancements to aid dramatic tension, for a tale that is consistently escalating.

Actor Nadie Kammallaweera as farmer Nirmala brings to the stage gravity and power, leaving a lasting impression with her exacting physicality and commanding voice. Isha is played by the charismatic Radhika Mudaliyar whose persuasive naturalism has us hopelessly invested in a narrative about the conundrum of modernisation. Vaishnavi Suryaprakash is a compelling presence, and wonderfully nuanced, as Lakshmi the local representative of foreign interests. Manali Datar is appropriately spirited as Devi, an activist working for the resistance against deleterious commercialisation.

We know progress to be inevitable, but it is imperative that its momentum is always kept in check. Having seen the many devastations that have resulted from greed in the guise of advancements, it is shocking that those who control technology should be allowed to act wantonly. We cannot stop time from moving forward, but we must always be able to raise caution, be able to slow things down, and not be deceived by those who characterise our collective gain, as a race.

www.belvoir.com.au

Review: Snakeface (25A Belvoir)

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Venue: Belvoir St Theatre (Surry Hills NSW), Apr 8 – 27, 2025
Playwright: Aliyah Knight
Director: Bernadette Fam
Cast: Aliyah Knight
Images by Abraham de Souza

Theatre review
Inspired by the legend of Medusa, Aliyah Knight’s Snakeface deals with themes of abuse and assault, through a modern feminist lens. The writing is unrelentingly poetic and sometimes obtuse, with an undeniable beauty to its language that leaves an impression. Within a theatrical context, work of this nature can feel disorienting, but the resolve of its vision and ambition helps sustain our attention.

Rigorous direction by Bernadette Fam creates distinct and imaginative segmentations at every step of the show’s progression, for a staging that fascinates our senses, even when we share in the discombobulation of its central figure. Bold choreography by Fetu Taku adds meaningfully to the visceral power of the solo piece, which Knight performs with admirable focus and confidence.

Set design by Keerthi Subramanyam is intricately considered, with the inclusion of a clay slab proving an evocative touch. Similarly entrancing are Wendy Yu’s video projections, that fuse seamlessly with the overall visual scheme.

Costuming by Wanyika Mshila bridges the gap with the past, whilst allowing us to perceive the character’s full sexual agency. Rachel Lee’s lights tell a sensual yet violent tale, and alongside stirring sound design by Marco Cher-Gibard, the production is an unequivocal sensorial delight.

www.belvoir.com.au | www.fruitboxtheatre.com.au

Review: Big Girls Don’t Cry (Belvoir St Theatre)

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Venue: Belvoir St Theatre (Surry Hills NSW), Apr 5 – 27, 2025
Playwright: Dalara Williams
Director: Ian Michael
Cast: Bryn Chapman Parish, Mathew Cooper, Nic English, Guy Simon, Stephanie Somerville, Megan Wilding, Dalara Williams
Images by Stephen Wilson Barker

Theatre review
Cheryl, Lulu and Queenie have so much to look forward to, not least of which is the first Aboriginal debutante ball in Sydney. It may be 1966 and the marginalisation of Indigenous peoples is still atrocious to say the least, but nothing can keep these young women down. Big Girls Don’t Cry by Dalara Williams is at once political, philosophical and romantic; a dramedy that portrays the fullness of these friends’ lives, with all that makes them rich as a collective and as individuals, contained in one charming play.

Direction by Ian Michael suffuses the work with a palpable warmth, keeping us completely endeared to these characters and attentive to the many ebbs and flows that form their circumstances, as Black women finding happiness in a colonised city.

Set design by Stephen Curtis features a revolve that provides every scene with a sense of movement and urgency. Costumes by Emma White ensure that we know exactly the epoch being depicted, while creating flattering silhouettes for each of the bodies we encounter. Kelsey Lee’s lights manufacture a tenderness that stays with us for the duration, so that we can connect with the  sentimentality of the piece, and sounds by Brendon Boney offer nostalgic allure as they guide us through oscillations between pathos and laughter.

Cheryl is played by aforementioned writer Dalara Williams, with a commendable subtlety that establishes a beautiful poignancy, for a story that only becomes increasingly meaningful, with every subsequent scene. Megan Wilding plays Queenie, who along with Guy Simon’s Earnie, form an extraordinarily charming pair, memorable for the wonderful humour they inject into the presentation.

Stephanie Somerville brings a valuable sweetness to the role of Lulu, almost as a constant reminder not only of the resilience that is being celebrated in Black women, but also of the very quality of femininity that is often neglected in discussions about survival and triumph. No less noteworthy are Bryn Chapman Parish, Mathew Cooper and Nic English, who are as measured as they are passionate, in contributing to this charming yarn, about the incredible women who continue to teach us how to make things better for future generations.

Big Girls Don’t Cry is about the giants on whose shoulders we stand. It is about the examples they have set that we must follow, and their legacies which although entrenched, can easily be forgotten in many of our frenzied metropolitan lives. Cheryl, Lulu and Queenie demonstrate different ways to resist. They also show us how we can offer support and love, in the face of forces that wish to have us become more like them, cold and hardened.

www.belvoir.com.au

Review: Furious Mattress (25A Belvoir)

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Venue: Belvoir St Theatre (Surry Hills NSW), Mar 11 – 30, 2025
Playwright: Melissa Reeves
Director: Margaret Thanos
Cast: Julian Garner, Alex Malone, Matilda Ridgway, Shan-Ree Tan
Images by Robert Catto

Theatre review
Else was not the first woman to be described as difficult, and not the first to be subject to an exorcism for that very reason. Based on a true story from 90s rural Victoria, Furious Mattress by Melissa Reeves is a dark comedy exploring parochialism, ignorance and intolerance. A scathing indictment of prevailing systems, most notably the Abrahamic religions which perpetuate all manner of social exclusionary, Reeves’ deeply subversive writing is as thrilling as it is mischievous.

The play is a wild ride, using poltergeist activity and demonic possession as basis for its renderings of theatrical magic. Direction by Margaret Thanos provides an exhilarating kineticism that represents female rage in the twisted form of absurd comedy. Although memorable for that surreal extravagance, its humour can also be wickedly deadpan in naturalist scenes. Either way, Furious Mattress makes us laugh from a condemnatory position, for a satirical chastisement on superstitions and traditions, that insist on the rejection of gender parity. Also noteworthy is the work by Harry Milas as magic consultant, giving literal and figurative elevation to the show.

Angelina Daniel’s set design is immediately evocative of country life, with the incorporation of padded surfaces further suggesting interiors of psychiatric institutions, while providing functionality for this highly dynamic presentation. Costumes by Ruby Jenkins guide us to a recent past, but it is a surprise macabre creation that truly excites. Lights by Ryan McDonald are a powerful element, especially satisfying in its delivery of optical illusions for this exploration of paranormal phenomenon. Sound design by Cameron Smith and music composition by Daniel Hertern dial up the drama, for an instance of storytelling that invites us to approach its serious themes with a delicious duality of solemnity and playfulness.

Actor Matilda Ridgway brings a wonderful defiance to Else, demanding that we see the world through her eyes. Ridgway’s cheeky presence keeps us endeared to the central character, even if it is interpreted as demonic within the text. An extremely funny Alex Malone plays Christian zealot Anna with a marvellous cynicism. Else’s husband Pierce is imbued admirable integrity along with the most subtle of incisive derision, by a captivating Julian Garner. Shan-Ree Tan as charlatan exorcist Max adds to the intensity, for a production that elicits a complex melange of emotions from its audience.

When something supernatural happens, and the church is the first authority called upon to solve its mystery, we can observe the extent to which that old institution controls our understanding of the world. When a woman seems to be losing her mind, and the only available discourse regarding her perceived brokenness relates to religion, we ignore the inherent systemic requisites of keeping women down. Some women will not adhere, and they are usually the ones who speak the truth.

www.belvoir.com.au | www.legittheatreco.com

Review: Song Of First Desire (Belvoir St Theatre)

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Venue: Belvoir St Theatre (Surry Hills NSW), Feb 13 – Mar 23, 2025
Playwright: Andrew Bovell
Director: Neil Armfield
Cast: Kerry Fox, Borja Maestre, Jorge Muriel, Sarah Peirse
Images by Brett Boardman

Theatre review
The Spanish Civil War ended officially in 1939, but it appears reverberations from the bloodshed continue to this day. There are two distinct periods in Andrew Bovell’s Song of First Desire, 1968 and the present day. The story of one family spans those decades and three generations, revealing the brokenness of the Spanish soul that continues to seek mending. It is an intricate piece of writing, with cleverly woven fragments that spark intrigue, culminating to plot twists that prove highly satisfying.

Directed by Neil Armfield, the narrative’s sombre sense of gravity is always present, as is the weightiness of the sociological concerns that Song of First Desire wishes to explore. Emotions however do not always run high, in a show that is only occasionally evocative of the essence of a culture it represents.

Set design by Mel Page features a striking reference to the barrenness of a nation that struggles to piece itself back together. Lighting by Morgan Moroney, along with sound and music by Clemence Williams, are effective in calibrating a mournful quality for this reflective experience. A more distinct rendering of time and place could make our connection to the work feel richer. Even though the production’s integrity never comes into question, a greater air of authenticity is needed to inspire a more intense visceral response.

Actor Sarah Peirse sets an elegant tone with her quiet interpretations of Camelia and Margarita. Borja Maestre brings soulfulness to the stage, through his sensitive portrayals of Alejandro and Juan. Playing Julia and Carmen is Kerry Fox, memorable for dialling up the drama at opportune moments. A valuable warmth is contributed by Jorge Muriel as Luis, who then turns chilling as the frightening Carlos.

It is sobering to observe characters in Song of First Desire suffer the consequence of prolonged unrest. We are now in a moment of watching history repeat as despotism begins to take hold, in the most powerful office on earth. The worst has yet to transpire, but damage is already evident. At this time, strategies for survival, are as important as strategies for reconstruction. Choosing between safety and resistance will often seem difficult, but the key is to make it through to the end of this ordeal.

www.belvoir.com.au

Review: Jacky (Belvoir St Theatre)

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Venue: Belvoir St Theatre (Surry Hills NSW), Jan 16 – Feb 2, 2025
Playwright: Declan Furber Gillick
Director: Mark Wilson
Cast: Danny Howard, Mandy McElhinney, Guy Simon, Greg Stone
Images by Stephen Wilson Barker

Theatre review
Having moved to the city, and now starting to put down roots, Jacky is hoping to finally be able to buy his home. Even though he is of Indigenous background living on unceded lands, he accepts that the prevailing system requires a lot of jumping through hoops, before he can be granted approval for a loan. In Declan Furber Gillick’s marvellous play Jacky, we watch as the titular character twists and contorts himself into all manner of awkward and humiliating states, in order that he may feel like he is getting ahead in life.

Jacky strives for success and is willing to compromise endlessly his own integrity to attain his dreams. However, the realities of a colonized existence gradually reveal demands that extend beyond his personal sacrifices. Furber Gillick’s writing makes an exceptionally powerful statement about injustice, through a narrative of normative modernity, contextualising contemporary politics in a way that resonates with all. His work is blisteringly spirited, whilst being consistently witty and entertaining, effortlessly holding our attention as it drives home some of the hardest truths about the foundations of our communal life.

Direction by Mark Wilson is commensurately daring, memorable for pushing the delicious but agonising drama to the edge of our nervous limits. Difficult discussions are presented unvarnished, allowing us to consider these matters of national importance with absolute candour. Although unyieldingly serious, the show is often very funny, filled with ironic humour for an experience nothing less than scintillating.

Design elements of the production are all rendered with efficacious simplicity. The set by Christina Smith delivers logical demarcations of performance space. Emily Barrie’s costumes help create believable personalities from everyday life. Lights by Matt Scott, along with sounds by James Henry, offer uncomplicated solutions that signal movements in time and space.

Leading man Guy Simon sets the tone with restraint and charisma. His minimalist style of presentation is thoroughly mesmerizing, perhaps due to the contrast with the many provocative situations Jacky finds himself in. Simon articulates perfectly the immense complexities involved, when Indigeneity has to navigate structures that are fundamentally about the entrenchment of white supremacy. 

Danny Howard plays Jacky’s brother Keith, with wonderful effervescence and disarming depth. An admirably nuanced Mandy McElhinney in the role of Linda confronts the values of our white middle class, asking troubling questions about whether a person can survive the economy, without furthering racist agendas. Greg Stone is fearless as Glen as he demonstrates most convincingly, the extent to which racism can appear so benign yet be so damaging.

Linda and Glen are entirely oblivious to the hurt and harm they cause, in fact they only ever think of themselves as being generous and helpful. We see in them, the familiar intention to do good, followed by a painful observation of devastating results. We are reminded of the famous words from American activist Audre Lorde, that “the master’s tools will never dismantle the master’s house”. In Jacky it can be seen so clearly, the very real problems that hold us back, and only if we really want to, we can detect the solutions that Jacky provides.

www.belvoir.com.au | www.mtc.com.au

Review: Hot Tub (25A Belvoir)

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Venue: Belvoir St Theatre (Surry Hills NSW), Dec 6 – 21, 2024
Playwright: Lewis Treston
Director: Riley Spadaro
Cast: Jack Calver, Patrick Jhanur, Melissa Kahraman, Kieran McGrath, Ella Prince, Shannon Ryan, Diane Smith
Images by Katherine Griffiths

Theatre review
The Hunter-Whites have more dollars than sense, and something about the Gold Coast just sends them in a tailspin. Hot Tub by Lewis Treston is an absurdist comedy about the wealthy, a fantasia on the frenzied existence of cash-rich and drug-fuelled moguls, with lifestyles propped up by property ownership and a distinct shortage of moral concerns. The play is composed of highly amusing dialogue, featuring flamboyantly imagined personalities; its narrative may be lacklustre, but its spirit is certainly wildly infectious.

Commensurately exuberant direction by Riley Spadaro delivers a show as camp as it is unabashedly depraved. There is a sophistication to Spadaro’s approach that counteracts the obvious humour of Hot Tub, and while it may not prevent us from feeling empty at the end, the journey is unquestionably entertaining.

Grace Deacon’s set design is attractive and remarkably finessed, and even though her costumes do not sufficiently portray affluence, the colourful imagery being formulated proves a delight. Lights by Phoebe Pilcher are energetic and richly tailored, bringing a wonderful sense of variety to our visual enjoyment of the piece. Madeleine Picard’s sound design is less conspicuously presented, but the vitality it imbues is unambiguous.

It is clear that the cast of Hot Tub is deeply committed, with every performer bringing an unwavering focus to their parts. Ella Prince is particularly memorable as Officer Sheryl, with a level of theatricality that feels completely off the charts, yet accurate to the aesthetic being rendered. Diane Smith too introduces a brand of bizarre to her delicious interpretation of a grandmother more interested in money than in family, admirable for her iconoclastic depiction of an Australian matriarch. 

There is something in the very bones of our way of life on this land, that insists that we make safe and bland decisions. Even in art, we are often held back from jumping off cliffs, as though the repercussions will forever be dire, even though nobody can know for certain what awaits thereafter. In Hot Tub, we can see that a leap of faith has been taken, a kind of wild abandon is in action, perhaps informed by the unequivocal queerness that serves as central guiding principle, establishing the language and paradigm from which it communicates.

It is a play about family, yet love seems non-existent, or at least undetectable in a conventional manner. Queer people perceive kinship differently. Queer people may even understand love differently. There is a communal connection taking place, when we laugh at glamorous characters being awful parents, and even though they leave us needing more, we know that for a moment, we had been held.

www.belvoir.com.au | www.instagram.com/presentedbybub

Review: August: Osage County (Belvoir St Theatre)

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Venue: Belvoir St Theatre (Surry Hills NSW), Nov 9 – Dec 22, 2024
Playwright: Tracy Letts
Director: Eamon Flack
Cast: Tamsin Carroll, Bee Cruse, John Howard, Bert LaBonté, Amy Mathews, Johnny Nasser, Rohan Nichol, Will O’Mahony, Pamela Rabe, Anna Samson, Greg Stone, Helen Thomson, Esther Williams
Images by Brett Boardman

Theatre review
After hiring Johnna as caretaker, Beverly vanishes, leaving his wife Violet and their three daughters in a state of chaos. August: Osage County by Tracy Letts takes the form of a family drama, with outrageous dialogue and plot points delivering both excitement and hilarity. It is a work of theatre that not only indulges our sentimentality with its extravagant storytelling but also prompts contemplation on the origins of our modern discontents.

There is an aggression that feels intrinsic to the Weston household, rendered with confident surety by director Eamon Flack. Flack’s thoughtful juxtapositions of Johnna’s indigeneity against the Weston family’s whiteness, elicits persuasive deductions relating to colonisation, and the legacy of violence that forms the very foundation of Western civilisations. Furthermore there is a sense of being unmoored, at the centre of their very existence, that the Westons struggle with. Unlike Johnna who exemplifies a certain serenity in the midst of relentless upheaval, the Westons can never arrive at peace. Even as Violet fervently reaches for words to express multitudes of truths, or when her daughters try endlessly to settle in romance, their bitterness refuses to be assuaged. It is a generational curse that plays out in August: Osage County, an inheritance from the forefathers of yore.

Delectable performances from the 13-strong cast keep our intellect and our emotions firing on all cylinders. Pamela Rabe’s wild manifestations of Violet as an unhinged addict sets us agog, having us intrigued with the endless pit of toxicity that a person can contain. Tamsin Carroll brings marvellous complexity to Barbara’s narrative of interminable desperation, along with splendid timing that provokes both thought and laughter. Johnna is played by Bee Cruse, whose silent but strong presence speaks volumes for the entire duration, using elegant restraint as a philosophical instrument in this deep examination of existential angst. 

Set design by Bob Cousins evokes dilapidation, in relation to the family and to the nation in question. Costumes by Ella Butler represent effectively the middle class, if slightly austere in tone. Lights by Morgan Moroney are similarly unassuming, but are certainly encouraging of our attentiveness, for a plot that can travel in surprising directions. Music by Rachael Dease is subtle and sparse, but commendable for its perfect encapsulation of the tragic melancholy that undergirds all the action.

Talking psychology for individual characters in August: Osage County can only go so far. A meaningful diagnosis of their disorders must include much wider contexts than what transpires within the Weston household. Contemporary paradigms have a strong tendency to explain experiences in terms of personal pathologies, but a substantial part of how we understand our worlds, need a much greater appreciation of that which has been handed down, and that affects more than our immediate kin.

www.belvoir.com.au