Tag Archives: drama

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: Mary Jane (Old Fitz Theatre)

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Venue: Old Fitzroy Theatre (Woolloomooloo NSW), May 23 – Jun 15, 2025
Playwright: Amy Herzog
Director: Rachel Chant
Cast: Di Adams, Sophie Bloom, Isabel Burton, Eloise Snape, Janine Watson
Images by Phil Erbacher 

Theatre review
Mary Jane is about a single mother and her medically complex 2-year-old, trying to make things work in Queens, New York. It is a challenging life to say the least, and playwright Amy Herzog certainly goes to great pains, in a work of sobering realism, to ensure that we see how her central character barely survives the ongoing ordeal.

Although not entirely humourless, this staging of Herzog’s 2017 piece is intensely dour. Directed by Rachel Chant, the depiction of despondency for the mother and son in Mary Jane, is almost suffocating with its moroseness.  Leading lady Eloise Snape brings a valuable believability to the story, and is admirable for the unaffected naturalism she is able to maintain. Set design by Soham Apte too is focussed on delivering authenticity, leaving a remarkable impression with a scenic transformation that demonstrates considerable inventiveness.

Some art is more difficult than others. Mary Jane may not be an entertaining experience, but it does draw attention to issues that we routinely look away from. We can observe and try to think up solutions. We can ponder on how predicaments like this could be avoided. We can simply be present and witness something truthful, if only as a reminder that nobody has to be alone.

www.oldfitztheatre.com.au | www.mitodoproductions.com

Review: Happy Days (Sydney Theatre Company)

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Venue: Wharf 1 Sydney Theatre Company (Walsh Bay NSW), May 5 – Jun 15, 2025
Playwright: Samuel Beckett
Director: Nick Schlieper, Pamela Rabe
Cast: Markus Hamilton, Pamela Rabe
Images by Brett Boardman

Theatre review
Winnie is submerged up to her waist, living in a state of constant suspension. The paralysis stems from circumstance, although it is never clear why or how Winnie finds herself thus. There appears nothing much to live for, yet she strives for optimism, in Samuel Beckett’s Happy Days, a work that could be considered allegorical for any number of things, although there is no mistaking its ruminations about the human condition.

Direction by Nick Schlieper and Pamela Rabe embraces wholeheartedly the central abstraction of the piece. Reluctant to make obvious gestures that would provide convenient indications about the meanings of Happy Days, the audience is left to its own devices. The experience is often confounding. The extent to which individuals can engage, or indeed feel alienated, likely depends on one’s own constitution and temperament. Even if it leaves us cold, there is no questioning the integrity of this interpretation of Beckett’s 1961 masterpiece.

Schlieper’s set and lighting design for the production, although minimalist in approach, convey a certain grandeur. There is a stillness being rendered that is key to the very essence of Happy Days, but we are always cognisant of a much wider context. Although the play seems a lot to be about Winnie’s isolation, Schlieper reminds us of the greater world that exists, beyond the confines of her monologue. Costumes by Mel Page talk of a faded glory, and Stefan Gregory’s restrained sound design becomes prominent in conclusion moments, to imbue a dramatic crescendo to the piece.

Rabe performs the part of Winnie with admirable gusto, impressive with the intricacy of her textual analysis. The laconic Willie is played by Markus Hamilton who brings a strong presence, to his depiction of a secondary character. The pair embody a mysterious world that is often impenetrable, but we never doubt the honesty they bring to their parts.

It is the stasis in Happy Days that should scare us. Death will surely come, and to deny it is foolish. To sit around waiting for the inevitable, is worse.

www.sydneytheatre.com.au

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: Abigail Williams (Wharf 2 Theatre)

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Venue: Wharf 2 Sydney Theatre Company (Walsh Bay NSW), Apr 23 – 26, 2025
Playwright: Rebecca McNamee
Director: Rebecca McNamee
Cast: Ebony Tucker
Images by Robert Miniter

Theatre review
It is mainly young women who are the key accusers in Arthur Miller’s The Crucible, but we never seem to know them very well. In Abigail Williams by Rebecca McNamee, we are given an opportunity to speculate on what might have caused the eponymous ringleader to inflict such ruthless damage. The work is an exploration of the rage that results from misogyny, and how it manifests in unexpected ways.

McNamee’s writing is thoughtful and creative, but her direction of the work is strangely placid, even if there is an undeniable elegance that guides her storytelling. Costuming by Angelina Daniel is astutely fitted and assembled, along with a set design that is commensurately graceful. Chris Milburn’s lights deliver finesse, but lack the necessary energy to satisfactorily address the core themes of the play. More impressive is sound design by Keelan Ellis, memorable for its intricacy and rigour.

Performer Ebony Tucker brings strength and detail to her portrayal of the 17th century villain, highly persuasive in bringing a new perspective to the narrative. The production is perhaps overly reliant on Tucker’s efforts to provoke our emotional response, but she is unquestionably up to the task.

So much of how we believe the world to be, is shaped by archaic ways of seeing. We hold in high regard the words of so many who have come before, often unable to discern good from bad, inevitably inheriting toxic values, and accepting what they represent to be truthful or natural, even when they are perniciously self-defeating. Our old masters wrote things that harm us, but little is ever done to take them down.

www.herstoryfestival.com

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: Amber (Old Fitz Theatre)

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Venue: Old Fitzroy Theatre (Woolloomooloo NSW), Mar 28 – Apr 11, 2025
Playwright: Nikita Waldron
Director: Mehhma Malhi 
Cast: Harry Stacey, Ashan Kumar, Kurt Ramjan, Esha Jessy, Nikita Waldron
Images by Phil Erbacher

Theatre review
There must be more to her life than boys, but in her eponymous play Amber by Nikita Waldron, it certainly appears that her entire existence is shaped only by a series of romances and dalliances. From the age of fifteen, all Amber wanted was to find love, but unlike the books, movies and tv shows that form a regular cultural diet of high school girls some twenty years ago, things do not happen quite so easily.

Directed by Mehhma Malhi, Amber is a surprisingly earnest work that perhaps takes youth angst slightly too seriously. A greater exploration into comedic dimensions would deliver better entertainment, but the production’s dedication to the real concerns of girls like Amber, is a commendable one.

Waldron takes on the role of Amber, convincing at any age (from early teen to young adulthood) in the character’s evolution. Her performance lacks an organic quality that could make the material’s sentimentality ring true, but her verve helps sustain our attention. A commensurately vibrant supporting cast adds further zest to the piece; Harry Stacey, Ashan Kumar, Kurt Ramjan and Esha Jessy create the many likeable personalities who come in and out of Amber’s orbit.

Set design by Hailley Hunt is appropriately sanguine in approach. Lights by Izzy Morrissey, along with sounds by Madeleine Picard, are memorable for comical punctuations they introduce at choice moments.

There are some segments in modern societies, where we are able to provide so much for our young, that they seem unable to worry about anything but frivolous matters. We then become frustrated and resentful of their apathetic attitudes towards the bigger things, after having ensured that they circumvent challenges previous generations have had to tolerate. One wishes that Amber could expend her energies in more meaningful ways, but it appears that she has been shielded from so much, so that the only vulnerable aspect left to her existence, are matters of the heart.

www.oldfitztheatre.com.au | www.eswrkrs.com

Review: The Glass Menagerie (Ensemble Theatre)

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Venue: Ensemble Theatre (Kirribilli NSW), Mar 21 – Apr 26, 2025
Playwright: Tennessee Williams
Director: Liesel Badorrek
Cast: Danny Ball, Blazey Best, Bridie McKim, Tom Rodgers
Images by Prudence Upton

Theatre review
Tom’s mother Amanda is pushing him to find his sister Laura a beau, hoping that a gentleman caller would be their ticket to an improved existence. It is St. Louis in the Great Depression of the 1930s, and the Wingfields have little to live for. In Tennessee Williams’ The Glass Menagerie, characters are in a state of psychological paralysis, inert in their daily misery, unable to dream up better ways to be.

There is a fear at the centre of who they are, that director Liesel Badorrek expresses well in her version of the American classic, with an ensemble that delves deep into the psychologies of these troubled souls. Actor Blazey Best ensures that we empathise with Amanda’s frustrations, even as we witness her comical attempts at presenting a dignified front, to hide all of the Southern belle’s brokenness. The fragile Laura is given kooky charm by Bridie McKim, and with her knowing eyes, successfully thwarts any pitied readings of the role.

Tom Rodgers plays romantic prospect Jim with an endearing exuberance, almost making us forgive his dastardly deceptions. A memorable Danny Ball delivers a sumptuously rhapsodic interpretation of Tom Wingfield, in a beautiful representation of the higher possibilities that await an as yet oblivious and disgruntled young man.

Ball’s brand of lyricism is supported wonderfully by the resplendent music of Maria Alfonsine and Damian De Boos-Smith, who deliver for the show a satisfying dreamlike quality specific to the era being visited. Lights by Verity Hampson are perhaps too often of a naturalistic tone, as is set design by Grace Deacon that although features satisfying hints of stylistic elevation, has a tendency to be overly plain in approach. Costumes, also by Deacon, are judiciously assembled, for accurate depictions of epoch and personalities.

If we believe everything that people say about us, we will forever be stifled and dejected. Our sociality has a strong tendency to disempower. It propagates a disillusionment, so that we feel further subjugated and diminished. We then act in weakness, thus allowing the reckless to usurp more than their rightful share. To demand equity requires bravery, and a firm belief that we can co-exist with individual fulfilment, that there are ways to be wholly who we are, without encroaching on the rights of others.

www.ensemble.com.au

Review: Saints Of Damour (Qtopia)

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Venue: Qtopia (Darlinghurst NSW), Mar 19 – Apr 5, 2025
Playwright: James Elazzi
Director: Anthony Skuse
Cast: Max Cattana, Nicole Chamoun, Deborah Galanos, Saro Lepejian, Antony Makhlouf
Images by Emma Elias

Theatre review
Pierre left Damour in Lebanon during the unrest of the 1970s. Making the trip alongside were his wife Layla and his mother Zienab, leaving behind secret male lover Samir. As they make new lives in Goondiwindi of rural Queensland, conditions improve quickly but Pierre’s longing for his true paramour never fades.

James Elazzi’s Saints of Damour is a tender tale of forbidden romance, incorporating a narrative of Middle Eastern migration and an interrogation of Australian identities. Its heightened drama is built on an irrefutable authenticity, with characters that are empathetic, genuine and multidimensional. A gentle humour peppers the work, to further draw us into an important exploration into legacies of queer immigrants. 

Direction by Anthony Skuse elicits highly accomplished performances from the entire cast. The complex psychologies involved are thoroughly deciphered, so that dynamics between every character are able to resonate with a sense of palpable intimacy and accuracy.

Production design by James Smithers includes a set that could benefit from some cosmetic refinement, but costumes are wonderfully assembled, to help us situate the personalities in the play’s transforming milieu. Sam Wylie’s lights are appropriately sentimental, as are sounds by Akesiu Poitaha that leave a remarkable impression with how they deliver poignancy for this melancholic presentation. 

Actor Antony Makhlouf brings intellectual rigour to his portrayal of Pierre, facilitating a deep understanding of the challenging circumstances faced by someone many should regard as a community forebear. Samir is played by Saro Lepejian whose natural presence injects a valuable soulful quality that makes the whole dilemma a believable and engaging one.

Deborah Galanos as Zienab brings wonderful timing, to both the comedy and pathos of the piece. Nicole Chamoun is exceptionally organic in her flawless depiction of Layla, amazing with the realism she renders. Other significant supporting parts are brought to life by an assiduous Max Catana, who proves convincing in wildly contrasting roles.

Many from faraway have arrived on these lands that although disputed, have been more welcoming than virtually everywhere else. We have had to leave homes that struggle to contain differences, and seek refuge here, in hopes that a greater capacity for human diversity means greater chances of survival. There is no question however, that the more we disrupt the sense of cultural hegemony, the more this place becomes unwilling to embrace the broadness of our spectrum as inhabitants. Our acceptance as newcomers is contingent on the smallness of our numbers, and the smallness of our characteristics. We are perceived as threats when we grow in demographic and in vigour. At a time when assimilation is no longer de rigeur, what it means to belong is undergoing redefinition.

www.qtopiasydney.com.au

Review: No Love Songs (Foundry Theatre)

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Venue: Foundry Theatre (Pyrmont NSW), Mar 7 – Apr 13, 2025
Book: Laura Wilde, Johnny McKnight
Songs: Kyle Falconer
Director: Andrew Panton, Tashi Gore
Cast: Keegan Joyce, Lucy Maunder
Images by Brett Boardman

Theatre review
It appears to be the most ordinary of romances when Lana and Jessie meet, but things take a dark turn after the birth of their baby. Post-natal depression may give No Love Songs much needed gravity, but there is no denying the dreariness it adds to an already lacklustre experience. Based on a true story from creators Kyle Falconer and Laura Wilde, No Love Songs is replete with honesty, always guided by integrity in its very personal revelations. The musical however, requires more than sincerity to deliver entertainment.

Directed by Andrew Panton and Tashi Gore, the production is certainly well rehearsed, with an evident polish that conveys a sense of confidence. Visual elements are kept simple, with lights by Grant Anderson commendable for introducing a quotient of drama. Work by Mark Chamberlain on music direction and accompaniment is a delight, even if energy of the piece never ceases to gradually and persistently falter. 

The combination of performers Keegan Joyce and Lucy Maunder may lack chemistry, but each demonstrates themselves to be individually accomplished. There is great detail in their efforts at bringing Lana and Jessie to life, both with remarkable conviction for their parts, along with strong vocals that prove their mettle.

Theatre can be as earnest as any story needs for it to be, but it is a space where imaginativeness should be able to run wild. No Love Songs is perhaps too plain in its expressions of an intense human moment. It is wonderful to attain a state of empathy through art, for it offers an avenue of communication that is unpredictable, when the normal ways fail to move.

www.nolovesongs.com.au