Tag Archives: comedy

Review: Sistren (Griffin Theatre Co)

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Venue: Old Fitzroy Theatre (Woolloomooloo NSW), Jun 26 – Jul 12, 2025
Playwright: Iolanthe
Director: Ian Michael
Cast: Janet Anderson, Iolanthe
Images by Brett Boardman

Theatre review
Isla and Violet are the closest of friends, and being seventeen years of age, that bond has an intensity unlikely to ever recur. Sistren by Iolanthe is often glib and irreverent in tone, but a deep sincerity emerges unexpectedly at various points, making sure that the play touches us ultimately, with meaningful intention and consequential impact. Iolanthe’s writing is brazenly loose in structure, and defiantly meandering, in its resistance of formal conventions that uphold linear progression and cohesion.

Director Ian Michael is on hand to imbue a powerful emotional trajectory, that places us on an ever rising crescendo of visceral charge. The politics of Sistren is undeniable, with a modern brand of feminism characterised by radical inclusivity,  resulting in a work of theatre that is able to speak vociferously, yet never alienates.

As we watch Isla and Violet negotiate their differences, with one being Black and cis, and the other white and trans, we too experience that push and pull of being constantly caught between right and wrong. Living consciously political means that there is an ideal to strive for, as embodied by the girls’ love and friendship, but also always having to contend with flawed methods of progression. The point is to be able to trust.

Production design by Emma White is appropriately playful in approach. Lighting design by Kelsey Lee provides a wealth of visual flourish that proves thoroughly elevative. Video projections by TK Abiyoe are a delightful addition, as is sound design by Daniel Herten, memorable for a camp zaniness that keeps the show squarely in the realm of queer.

Iolanthe herself takes to the stage, playing Isla along with Janet Andersons’ Violet. What we witness is a singular chemistry, distinguished by the two women’s shared humour, which shapes a theatrical experience remarkable for the intimacy of the world it opens to us. Together they create a work of art distinct for its specificity, one that feels inimitable and therefore completely evanescent. In their unusual unity and love, in seeing two characters who have every reason to hate each other, we are compelled to reflect on the meaning of difference in a world fixated on division.

www.griffintheatre.com.au | www.greendoortheatrecompany.com

Review: Primary Trust (Ensemble Theatre)

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Venue: Ensemble Theatre (Kirribilli NSW), Jun 19 – Jul 12, 2025
Playwright: Eboni Booth
Director: Darren Yap
Cast: Charles Allen, Peter Kowitz, Angela Mahlatjie, Albert Mwangi
Images by Prudence Upton

Theatre review
Kenneth talks all day to his imaginary friend Bert, which is highly unusual for a man of 38. Primary Trust by Eboni Booth, is about the defence mechanisms and trauma responses, that a person develops after suffering a devastating incident. Mental health is unquestionably worthwhile as subject matter for any discussion, but its rendering on this occasion, involving a slightly simplistic narrative, has a tendency to feel somewhat surface.

This exploration of psychological deficiency is accomplished with dignity by director Darren Yap, who is also noteworthy for his deft hand at comedy that makes effective, the light humour of Booth’s writing. Characters in the play are wonderfully charming. Leading man Albert Mwangi brings appropriate innocence to Kenneth’s story of arrested development, along with a joviality that keeps us entirely on his side. Mwangi’s knack for naturalist authenticity sets the tone for the production, making everything believable and compelling.

Charles Allen embodies a glow of warmth in the fatherly role of Bert and is commendable for establishing a wonderful chemistry with Mwangi, ensuring that the central relationship always feels substantial. Angela Mahlatjie plays more than a few parts in Primary Trust, and is splendid in all of them. Her timing is immaculate, and her charisma, undeniable. Also memorable and very funny is Peter Kowitz, especially imaginative as the quirky bank manager Clay.

Music by Max Lambert and Roger Lock is a strong feature of the production, adding considerable verve to Kenneth’s emotional journey. Production design by James Browne offers simple solutions that help transport us to small town America, while Verity Hampson’s lights and Cameron Smith’s video projections attune us to tonal shifts that reflect the troubling psychological landscape being explored. 

The fantastical Bert can be seen partly as symptomatic of what has been termed an epidemic of loneliness. In the modern age, real connections have proven to be increasingly difficult. We resort to surrogates, rather than to fix problems, that we either fail to understand, or are incapable of surmounting. Imaginary friends, technological obsessions, substance abuse, and so on are just some of the ways in which we soothe our selves, in the absence of the wherewithal to make actual human connections. Isolation can often feel a solution, but the degradation of civility presently witnessed on all fronts, suggests that being in touch with each other’s humanity will always be necessary.

www.ensemble.com.au

Review: Koreaboo (Griffin Theatre Company)

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Venue: Belvoir St Theatre (Surry Hills NSW), Jun 14 – Jul 20, 2025
Playwright: Michelle Lim Davidson
Director: Jessica Arthur
Cast: Heather Jeong, Michelle Lim Davidson
Images by Brett Boardman

Theatre review
Hannah has flown to South Korea, hoping for a successful reunion with her birth mother. However, Soon Hee’s response falls far short of Hannah’s expectations. Koreaboo by Michelle Lim Davidson explores the phenomenon of transnational and transracial adoption, from the perspective of a person caught between cultures. Sharply observed and finely nuanced, Koreaboo proves to be as insightful as it is entertaining.

Davidson plays Hannah the naïve Australian, with exceptional effervescence. Heather Jeong brings admirable authenticity, to the role of shopkeeper Soon Hee. Both performers are wonderfully comedic, demonstrating excellent timing along with a persuasive chemistry. Directed by Jessica Arthur, the presentation is compulsively engaging at every moment, memorable for its sparkling humour. Scenes of poignancy could be provided more gravity, but they remain effective, in this story about unconventional kinship.

Production design by Mel Page accomplishes an extraordinary level of naturalism, to have us connecting immediately with visual cues that convey all we need to know, about these people and places. Lights by Kate Baldwin are commensurately accurate, in portraying a heightened ordinariness. Music by Brendon Boney offers a full-bodied expression of the playful spirit underpinning Koreaboo‘s humour, punctuating the show with gleeful joy throughout.

Parents are rarely, if ever, ideal beings. Admittedly some are more flawed than others, but a substantial part of any person’s maturation, involves coming to terms with disappointments around our parents’ deficiencies. Hannah longs for her mother’s love, but we discover that Soon Hee’s affections take a form quite different from what Hannah had hoped for. Like all adults, Hannah will learn eventually, that she simply has to make do.

www.griffintheatre.com.au

Review: The Half-Life Of Marie Curie (Ensemble Theatre)

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Venue: Ensemble Theatre (Kirribilli NSW), Jun 13 – Jul 12, 2025
Playwright: Lauren Gunderson
Director: Liesel Badorrek
Cast: Rebecca Massey, Gabrielle Scawthorn
Images by Prudence Upton

Theatre review
It was 1911 when Marie Curie won her second Nobel Prize, but her monumental contribution to science was overshadowed by the public outcry over her scandalous relationship with a married man. In her agony, she takes refuge under the wing of fellow scholar Hertha Ayrton, who is determined to be a source of strength and inspiration. Lauren Gunderson’s The Half-Life of Marie Curie is a work that not only pays tribute to women trailblazers, but also highlights the importance of female friendship in a world that so often prefers to pit women against each other.

Vivaciously directed by Liesel Badorrek, the production is surprisingly comedic, despite the titular character’s unrelenting misery. Actor Gabrielle Scawthorn’s representations of Curie’s pain and suffering are almost unbearable in their believability, but the sublime Rebecca Massey is pure joy as Ayrton, offering a marvellous counterpoint to the dominant narrative of hardship.

Production design by James Browne is effective in taking us back to the appropriate time and space, whilst providing a charming theatricality to the experience. Lights by Verity Hampson take every opportunity to dial up the drama, while video projections by Cameron Smith deliver persuasive renderings of evanescent visions. Music by Daniel Hertern is at times beautifully transcendent, for a show that is as much about the past as it is about our future.

There are many forms of resistance, but the revolution will only endure, if the sisterhood remains unbreakable in its unity.

www.ensemble.com.au

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: Eureka Day (Seymour Centre)

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Venue: Seymour Centre (Chippendale NSW), May 29 – Jun 21, 2025
Playwright: Jonathan Spector
Director: Craig Baldwin
Cast: Deborah An, Christian Charisiou, Branden Christine, Jamie Oxenbould, Katrina Retallick
Images by Richard Farland

Theatre review
It is the 2018-19 school year, and a child comes to their Californian school with mumps, and sends everyone into a tailspin, when it is discovered that a substantial number of families have refused the MMR vaccine.

The comedy Eureka Day by Jonathan Spector emerged slightly before the pandemic, when it had become clear that conspiracy theories were more popular than ever, due to their unchecked proliferation on the internet. An unequivocally pertinent discussion for our times, Spector’s play encourages reflections on the phenomenon of parallel truths and fake news. It is thoughtful writing, and certainly worthwhile of attention, even if its generosity for those deceived and deluded, can often feel deeply frustrating.

Direction by Craig Baldwin makes use of that difficult conflict between ideological tribes, to create a stimulating work of theatre. Anger and exasperation might not be pleasurable emotions, but they are certainly powerful ones, that the production rouses for a communal experience that resonates with marvellous authenticity and familiarity.

An evenly dazzling cast of five delivers with urgent immediacy, a story that touches all in the modern age. Each actor is engaging, with palpable empathy and with sardonic humour, to earn our complete investment, if not for finding real solutions to the problem, then at least to simply commiserate about our sad state of affairs. Also noteworthy is production design by Kate Beere, offering simple yet colourful solutions that make believable, Eureka Day‘s explorations of a very upper middle class sanctuary.

A few short years since the original premiere of Eureka Day, we find ourselves in the preposterous position of fearing for the demise of science. Investigative, regulatory, and tertiary institutions in the USA are being systematically undermined, by a new kleptocracy determined to bankrupt any concept of the common good. Until very recently we have been able to “defer to science” in debates involving personal choice and public interest, but it seems that venerable authorities are being stripped of their credibility and efficacy, leaving us in an immensely troubling precarity.

www.seymourcentre.com | www.outhousetheatre.org

Review: The Anarchy 1138-53 (KXT on Broadway)

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Venue: KXT on Broadway (Ultimo NSW), May 22-31, 2025
Creators: Pat Fielding, Chelsea Hickman, Kerith Manderson-Galvin, Tobias Manderson-Galvin, Dr Tom Payne
Cast: Kerith Manderson-Galvin, Tobias Manderson-Galvin
Images by Skye Gellmann

Theatre review
It is ostensibly a show about a civil war in 12th century England and Normandy. The very many words written for the verbose script of The Anarchy (1138-53), however, seem not to be of great importance in this telling of a story, that proves much more to be about the act of telling, than it is about the story itself. Kerith and Tobias Manderson-Galvin have prepared a great amount of copy, but their performance wants us almost to ignore their verbal regurgitations, and instead find alternative ways to pay attention, to a work of theatre determined to create unusual resonances.

Inevitable in this experience perhaps, are recollections of the Dadaist ethos, with its rejection of bourgeois aesthetics, its embrace of absurdity, and its simultaneous construction and deconstruction of artistic form. This can all be tiresome, academic and dry, but the Manderson-Galvins are so resolutely present as theatre-makers, that we find ourselves delighted and apprehensive, in equal measure, as they keep us riveted to their every bizarre manoeuvre. Theatre is ancient, but it can still communicate through new languages. For The Anarchy (1138-53), we keep finding different ways to ingest this abstract presentation, testing how our humanity can interact with stimuli of this nature. We explore the meaning of meaning, in a strange work like this, wondering where the phenomenon of understanding begins and ends.

When art is bewildering, it is rarely engaging. Thankfully, with its chaotic magnetism, The Anarchy (1138-53) proves itself to be curious but enjoyably so. Its charisma insists that we stay attentive, even if the payoff at every juncture, feels unfamiliar. When things are predictable and always the same, we stop questioning it. That which is uninterrogated holds power over us. Undoubtedly, it is comforting to encounter circumstances that feel natural, normal or ordinary, even if we know that nefarious elements will try to make themselves invisible and undetectable. So much of our ills is buried under the guise of blandness, which must be partly why James Baldwin declared, that “artists are here to disturb the peace.”

www.kingsxtheatre.com | www.doppelgangster.com

Review: Heaven (Qtopia)

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Venue: Qtopia (Darlinghurst NSW), May 14 – 31, 2025
Playwright: Eugene O’Brien
Director: Kate Gaul
Cast: Noel Hodda, Lucy Miller
Images by Alex Vaughan

Theatre review
Mairead and Mal are attending a wedding, but we see them spend all of their time apart, even though they are themselves a married couple. Heaven by Eugene O’Brien comprises two interweaving monologues, about people who are “fifty-plus” in age. It explores ideas of finality and potential, for those who have lived prescribed lives, exhausting all rules and expectations, only to find so much more that can be experienced.

A gently humorous work, directed by Kate Gaul with elegant conciseness, Heaven speaks with simplicity, about notions of personal fulfilment, especially for middle-aged individuals who tend to be characterised as being past their prime. Convincing performances by the cast inspire meditations on the meanings of freedom and selfhood.

Noel Hodda as Mal is compelling with his cheeky charm, and Lucy Miller’s effortless sass for the role of Mairead conveys the possibilities, of attaining something greater, if only one would allow themselves that liberty. Also noteworthy is Topaz Marlay-Cole, whose subtle lighting design provides appropriate enhancements at every atmospheric shift.

Central to the story are the character’s sexualities, and how Mairead and Mal are incompatible on that front. They take time apart to discover what it is that excites them, and therefore find versions of selves that are deeper and more authentic. Never for a moment in Heaven do wife and husband see or speak with each other. All of this happens at a wedding, which only serves to make us feel more than a little sceptical about that ancient tradition.

www.qtopiasydney.com.au | www.bitchenwolf.com

Review: Women On The Verge Of A Nervous Breakdown (Hayes Theatre)

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Venue: Hayes Theatre Co (Potts Point NSW), May 9 – Jun 8, 2025
Music & Lyrics: David Yazbek
Book: Jeffrey Lane (based on the film by Pedro Almodóvar)
Director: Alexander Berlage
Cast: Nina Carcione, Andrew Cutcliffe, Grace Driscoll, Amy Hack, Tomáš Kantor, Tisha Kelemen, Aaron Robuck, Mel Russo, Sean Sinclair
Images by Daniel Boud

Theatre review
In the films of Pedro Almodóvar, it is often the storytelling, rather than the stories themselves, that matters the most. In his iconic 1988 offering Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown, the narrative is simply one of a woman being jilted, but it is the unique way in which characters and places are represented, that leaves a startling impression. This stage adaptation by Jeffrey Lane and David Yazbek too, seems unremarkable on the surface, but proves fertile ground for something quite spectacular to be built upon.

Alexander Berlage’s ingenious direction of the piece preserves the essence of Almodóvar’s original and oeuvre, whilst manufacturing real frisson for a live audience. The manic chaos of women being on the brink, is harnessed into a splendidly entertaining package of rambunctious theatricality, before we find ourselves landing somewhere surprisingly poignant. Berlage’s imaginative artistry, along with his effortless stylishness, delivers a production exciting at every moment, as it seeks to express itself unconventionally at every turn. Choreography by Chiara Assetta further amplifies that spirit of unpredictable inventiveness, much to our delight.

Set design by Hailley Hunt incorporates haphazard angles and cosmetic disarray, not only to represent the emotional states being explored, but also to facilitate for the staging, a dynamism in the very physicality of its cast members. Costumes by Sam Hernandez are certainly evocative of Madrid forty years ago, adding intricacy and interest to the overall visual textures being rendered. Phoebe Pilcher’s lights are an unequivocal highlight, with endless configurations of colour and intensity to keep us absorbed in all the frenzied action.

Leading lady Amy Hack embodies convincingly, both the comedic and traumatic dimensions of this Spanish pseudo melodrama. As Pepa, she brings great verve from start to finish, and always keeps us firmly on her side. Grace Driscoll’s irresistible charm provides for Candela many unforgettable moments, while Tisha Kelemen’s satirical austerity as Lucia reminds us where the soul lies for this absurd presentation. Highly noteworthy are Tomáš Kantor as Carlos and Aaron Robuck as a taxi driver, both considered in their approach, giving us clarity and humour in equal measure.

There is an undeniably queer sensibility in Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown, that figures centrally in its efforts at subverting sexism. There is an overt narrative about women finding independence, but there is also an aesthetic at play, that seeks to establish a new balance in the ways gender operates, in how we perceive the world, and how we traverse it.

Women and queer men are natural allies in resisting the patriarchy, but because the two factions often have separate and differing investments in the very thing it should overturn, efforts to disrupt the old order often diverge. Queerness however is by definition elastic, and if people of all genders are able to subscribe to its tenets, a greater unity can be forged to get us closer to the revolution.

www.hayestheatre.com.au | www.instagram.com/pinwheel_productions

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