Tag Archives: play

Review: Parade (Seymour Centre)

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Venue: Seymour Centre, Everest Theatre (Chippendale NSW), May 9 – 25, 2024
Book: Alfred Uhry
Music & Lyrics: Jason Robert Brown
Director: Mark Taylor
Cast: Georgia Barron, Nic Davey-Greene, James Frampton, Ashley Garner, Guillaume Gentil, Genevieve Goldman, Adeline Hunter, James Lee, Sophie Loughran, Noah Missell, James Nation-Ingle, Maverick Newman, Rebecca Ordiz, Aaron Robuck, Quinton Rofail Rich, Montana Sharp, Tarisai Vushe, Liam Wigney
Images by Matthew Chen

Theatre review
It was 1913 in the USA state of Georgia, when Leo Frank was charged with the murder of a young girl. The case remains an important and deplorable example of antisemitism, and over a century later, authorities recommenced investigations, in efforts to clear the name of the wrongfully accused. The musical Parade, by Alfred Uhry and Jason Robert Brown, details that infamous trial. Although appropriately sombre, and containing some eternally useful lessons on human behaviour and injustice, the piece features highly enjoyable songs, that keeps an audience attentive to the meaningful story.

Music direction by Mark Bradley is richly inspiring for this 2024 Australian production, but sound engineering proves a significant deficit, often preventing us from sufficiently connecting with the creative endeavours being carried out. Lights too, keep us wanting. Although imaginatively rendered by Sidney Younger, the show is frequently shadowy and consistently dim, further alienating us from the action. Production design by Harry Gill, although overly muted with its palette, conveys a sense of authenticity, and provides impressive spatial adaptability that helps with engagement of the narrative.

Direction by Mark Taylor, along with choreography by Freya List, delivers a staging that is swiftly paced yet admirably earnest, in this valuable recount of history. Performer Aaron Robuck brings integrity to the portrayal of Frank, and Montana Sharp is especially memorable as wife Lucille, with a vocal brilliance and a dramatic urgency, that encourages our emotional investment. Also noteworthy is Adeline Hunter who is surprisingly convincing as the 14-year-old victim, with a believable innocence that accompanies very strong singing, for her interpretation of a crucial role.

The American Civil War was meant to have ended in 1865, but we see time and time again, that a system built on subjugation of peoples, will keep rearing its ugly head, and make refreshed nemeses of new others. We seem always to work on the liberation of particular communities, but in failing to address the very fascistic tendencies of how we relate to one another, we find ourselves simply creating different enemies and scapegoats. Humans understand peace, but it appears we know it much more as an abstract concept, than as a lived reality.

www.seymourcentre.com | www.soundworksproductions.com.au

Review: Misery Loves Company (KXT on Broadway)

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Venue: KXT on Broadway (Ultimo NSW), May 3 – 18, 2024
Playwright: Isabella Reid
Director: Mathew Lee
Cast: Lib Campbell, Clay Crighton, Lincoln Elliott, Paul Grabovac, Teale Howie, Mark Langham, Linda Nicholls-Gidley, Rachel Seeto, Annie Stafford, Michael Yore
Images by Clare Hawley

Theatre review
There has been a death in the Glynne family, and all the kin congregate to hold a vigil for the dearly departed. In Isabella Reid’s Misery Loves Company, we see everything go incredibly wrong, for an uproarious comedy, set in what should be the most sombre of times. With it being 1977 in Northern Ireland, and turbulence a permanent fixture during those years, perhaps chaos does make sense, even in moments of reverence and intimacy.

The jokes are plentiful, and indeed incessant, in Reid’s debut play. Misery Loves Company is full of mischief, with sharp dialogue and short scenes, that keep it a buoyant experience. Director Mathew Lee imbues a bold spontaneity, for a show that feels as fresh as it is amusing, consistently enjoyable with its resolute focus on delivering laughter. The cast of ten is strong in general, with a respectable amount of emphasis on chemistry between performers, that ensure we can all be swept up in the effervescent tomfoolery.

Production design by Ruby Jenkins is commendable for its sense of accuracy in terms of portraying a precise time and place, and also for a visual vibrancy that contributes to the humour of the piece. Lights by Tyler Fitzpatrick are deployed with an impressive eye for detail, notable for their ability to manufacture subtle but meaningful shifts in mood. Clare Hennessy’s music demonstrates an impressive sophistication, as it evokes cultural specificity and a gently melancholic nostalgia, for a presentation that for some, relates to a cherished tradition. We come from all corners, but where we converge on this land, is often in the sheer absurdity of living through together, each and every mercurial day.

www.kingsxtheatre.com | www.legittheatreco.com

Review: Switzerland (Ensemble Theatre)

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Venue: Ensemble Theatre (Kirribilli NSW), 3 May – 8 Jun, 2024
Playwright: Joanna Murray-Smith
Director: Shaun Rennie
Cast: Laurence Boxhall, Toni Scanlan
Images by Brett Boardman

Theatre review
The famous author Patricia Highsmith is visited in the Swiss alps, by a junior member of her publisher’s office. Everybody it seems, wants another instalment of her Ripley novels, but Highsmith is making things very hard, including for herself. For all the bravado she displays, there is clearly a crisis of confidence underway. Young Edward however, is determined to have the new book completed, even if it means having to contend with the artist’s impossible insolence.

The wit in Joanna Murray-Smith’s Switzerland is remarkable, with an unrelenting acerbity that director Shaun Rennie uses to great effect, for a show that is as hilarious as it is thrilling. The humorous acrimony is established from curtains up, but a creeping sense of mortal danger develops decisively over the three acts, as the general tone turns indubitably darker. Fatalistic as it might be, Switzerland is also wonderfully poetic, in its rendering of the creative process, and of the nature of inspiration itself. Murray-Smith’s explorations into the meaning of art, for an artist like Highsmith, turns out to be deeply rewarding, for the rest of us who are unlikely to experience that level of accomplishment.

Actor Toni Scanlan brings extraordinary charm to the comical bitterness of Highsmith’s schtick. The character we encounter feels authentic, whilst being irresistibly theatrical, and we find ourselves incredulously mesmerised by that unremitting wickedness. Laurence Boxhall is fabulously nuanced as the stealthily talented Edward, offering endless layers beyond a sparkling American surface, convincing whether playing naïve or morbidly cynical. Chemistry between the two is electric, effortlessly sustained for 90 minutes of delicious storytelling.

Costumes by Kelsey Lee are appropriate in every way, never distracting and in a sufficiently vibrant palette to help us endear to both personalities. Set design by Veronique Benett is thoroughly elegant, for a home that absolutely befits Highsmith’s status and exacting standards. Benett’s lights, along with Kelly Ryall’s music, are unostentatious to begin with, but as the action turns noir, both rise to the occasion and deliver dramatic transformations to atmosphere that have us spellbound.

In Highsmith’s world, people are never who they seem to be. One may go so far, in Switzerland, to conclude that people rarely even know who they really are. We yearn to have firm grasps of our own identities – it makes our essential evanescence tolerable – but the whole truth of each person’s existence, seems eternally to be a mystery. What is real, is that we continue to seek pathways to understanding, and in that persistence, we can only hope that what we find, is not only glorious, but good.

www.ensemble.com.au

Review: Nayika A Dancing Girl நாயிகா – ஒரு நாட்டியப் பெண் (Belvoir St Theatre)

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Venue: Belvoir St Theatre (Surry Hills NSW), Apr 30 – May 19, 2024
Creators and Directors: Nithya Nagarajan, Liv Satchell
Cast: Vaishnavi Suryaprakash
Images by Brett Boardman

Theatre review
When we meet the heroine of Nayika a Dancing Girl, she is just becoming ready to face the hard truths of her past, and recall the trauma that has pushed her away from her loved ones in India. With the passage of time, and having found a sense of security in her safe harbour of Australia, our unnamed protagonist is now able to confront the hidden parts of herself, that are scarred by having experienced intimate partner violence, when she was but a teenager. In order to survive, there are things that need to be psychologically sequestered, but for a person to truly thrive, their emotions require healing, and those can be attended to, as one becomes stronger over the years.

Created and directed by Nithya Nagarajan and Liv Satchell, Nayika a Dancing Girl tells a story of recovery and triumph, through an amalgamation of western theatrical conventions and the Indian classical dance form of Bharatanatyam. The production is visually compelling, with brilliant choreography set against the tranquil elegance, of Keerthi Subramanyam’s scenic and costume design. Morgan Moroney’s dynamically alluring lights further enrich the atmosphere, as do live music by Marco Cher-Gibard and Bhairavi Raman, delivering for the show a luxuriant aural dimension.

Actor Vaishnavi Suryaprakash is the unequivocal main attraction, with unassailable magnetism, steadfast energy and focus, along with a passionate and authentic approach to the material, that keep us absolutely riveted. The play bears a regretfully halting pace, and a structure that communicates with insufficient power, but Suryaprakash is nonetheless captivating, consistent in her ability to persuade us of the gravity of Nayika and its themes.

It is evident that some of our enduring problems will not find resolution, even after repeated attempts for rectification, from within established systems and conventional approaches. The dancing girl in Nayika has had to abandon an entire culture, and seek refuge elsewhere, before she can pick up the pieces, by creating meaning out of a refreshed consolidation of diverse perspectives. The old ways were never going to serve her, in fact they were made to bolster the behaviour of assailants. To find something effective, has meant that she needed different points of reference. To leave, may look like quitting, but it is that courage to stand on one’s own convictions, against persistent pillars of conformism that are patently harmful, that will set a person free.

www.belvoir.com.au

Review: Aurat Raj عورت راج औरत राज (25A Belvoir)

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Venue: Belvoir St Theatre (Surry Hills NSW), May 2 – 19, 2024
Playwright: Pratha Nagpal
Director: Pratha Nagpal
Cast: Vinaya Elijala, Nikki Sekar, Anusha Thomas, Kirthihaa Veluppillai
Images by Phil Erbacher

Theatre review
Four women are hard at work. Their tasks appear menial and repetitive, but there is a level of dedication that cannot be denied, except for the youngest of the group. She questions the ritualistic practices, but being the factory’s only rebel, faces only repudiation and castigation. Pratha Nagpal’s wonderful Aurat Raj, named after a 1979 Pakistani feminist film, interrogates the meanings of labour and womanhood, within structures that rely on women yet keep us simultaneously subjugated. The absence of male characters further explores the ways in which we enforce instruments of control, on behalf of those who have little concern for our interests.

Aurat Raj might be considered a presentation in the form of physical theatre, but it is unequivocal that the splendid ensemble offers expressions far beyond western conceptions of dance. Vinaya Elijala, Nikki Sekar, Anusha Thomas and Kirthihaa Veluppillai bring a sentimental quality that relay the emotional and psychological complications, of being cogs in systems, whether or not we understand those systems to be functioning to our disadvantage. Movement direction by Sekar is full of grace, with a simplicity for the piece that ensures its symbolism resonates effectively.

Production design by Hailley Hunt introduces a sense of ethereal beauty to the production, along with lights by Tyler Fitzpatrick that deliver remarkable sensuality, to this portrait of woman as both heroic and tragic. Sounds and music by Christine Pan are exquisitely rendered, to offer something transcendental that connects us with the people on stage, and with the larger implications of their earnest, if slightly timid, storytelling.

We understand that the machine will exert punishment, when it detects disobedience. Some of us cannot help but adhere to its every whim and fancy, but there will always be a few who take a more risky approach, even if it means suffering ramifications. It is to those who are fearless and self-sacrificial that we owe gratitude, for it is their incremental efforts that has moved us progressively forward, as we await the next big revolution.

www.belvoir.com.au

Review: Toy Symphony (Qtopia / Ad Astra Theatre Company)

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Venue: Qtopia (Darlinghurst NSW), Apr 18 – 27, 2024
Playwright: Michael Gow
Director: Michelle Carey
Cast: Adam Dakin, Chantal Elyse, Felix Jarvis, Wendi Lanham, John Michael Narres, Bernadette Pryde, Sam Webb, Gregory J Wilken
Images by Bojan Bozic

Theatre review
Roland has lost his ability to write, which is a disaster for someone who relies on it to make a living. His art is of course, also the foundation of his self-esteem and the only thing that gives him a sense of purpose, so in a moment of desperation, he can only turn to professional help in the form of a psychologist, to hopefully work things out. In Michael Gow’s 2007 play Toy Symphony, we watch the therapeutical process unearth the protagonist’ past; not only his formative youth, but also his regrettable behaviour in more recent times. Roland is taught that to gain an understanding of all that has hurt him, along with the hurt he had inflicted on others, is key to being set free.

Hence a writer’s life story unfolds, commencing in 1966 suburbia where parochial values began imposing themselves, until the dawn of the new century, when he finds himself bursting at the seams, as though unable to contain decades of toxicity, that seems to have an ability to accumulate and exacerbate. There is a lot of detail in the personal reflections of Toy Symphony, and while not all of it is universal in resonance, the process of self-examination and rehabilitation, certainly is.

Lively direction by Michelle Carey keeps us invested in the storytelling, and although we perceive a sense of poignancy, it manifests somewhat inconsistently. Gregory J Wilken is extremely focused as leading man, with an unwavering commitment that makes the experience feel worthwhile and authentic. The ensemble cast is strong, admirable for the integrity they bring to a wide range of characters. Less effective are design and aesthetic aspects, in a production that can look and sound creatively deficient, or perhaps insufficiently imaginative in its manipulations of a tight performance space.

In Toy Symphony, we observe an interesting parallel between homophobia and the fear of imagination. Roland’s story is concerned with the suppressive and stifling tendencies of traditional Australia, that part of our culture that insists on conformity and that punishes those who rock the boat. It is insidious, so we often overlook its severity. Roland however demonstrates the devastation that results, from trying to survive in a place that tells our children, that their nature is wrong. Roland inherited their fear, and has turned it against others, as well as harming himself with the same. The play’s conclusion is tentative, and we can only hope that healing is possible and real.

www.qtopiasydney.com.au | www.adastracreativity.com

Review: The President (Sydney Theatre Company)

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Venue: Roslyn Packer Theatre (Sydney NSW), Apr 13 – May 19, 2024
Playwright: Thomas Bernhard (translated by Gitta Honegger)
Director: Tom Creed
Cast: Danny Adcock, Helmut Bakaitis, Tony Cogin, Alan Dukes, Julie Forsyth, Olwen Fouéré, Kate Gilmore, Hugo Weaving
Images by Daniel Boud

Theatre review
The president and first lady of a small unnamed European country have no one to talk to, even though there is never a shortage of hangers-on. They both go on long, repetitive tirades, clearly having stopped listening a long time ago, to anything but their own voices. The nation is on high alert, with the escalating threat  of anarchic activity, but both the head of state and his wife, are preoccupied with their own laments that are patently irrelevant to anyone but themselves.

The four acts in Thomas Bernhard’s 1975 play The President feel very much like a series of monologues, although there is always more than one actor present. In a work that is ostensibly about megalomania, Bernhard’s dialogue never sounds like conversation, and what the characters do say, is unlikely to be of great interest to contemporary audiences. What results is something that does not consistently engage, but under the directorship of Tom Creed, the production is certainly curious, if not completely fascinating. Although this half-century-old piece may not bear obvious resonances for our immediate epochal concerns, The President is nonetheless creatively assembled, and ironically refreshing in its presentation of a theatrical style that seems contrary, to what is considered en vogue.

Its visual aesthetic however is very much on trend, with production design by Elizabeth Gadsby offering sumptuous imagery through sets and costumes depicting the rich and rarefied existence of the political elite. Lights by Sinead Mckenna and sound by Stefan Gregory are relatively minimal in approach, never superfluous with their artistic gestures, only delivering elegant solutions for this instance of cerebral satire.

The luminous Hugo Weaving plays the president, commanding and mesmerising, almost able to help us make sense of all the despotic rants and raves inflicted by his part. Weaving’s capacity to portray someone despicable, whilst keeping us thoroughly charmed, is nothing short of masterful. In the role of the first lady is Olwen Fouéré, whose immense energy sustains our attention, and whose talent for blending the surreal with the natural, makes for a fascinating study of a woman unravelling, almost having us overlook the misogyny in Bernhard’s legacy.

So much of politics have changed since the original staging of The President, but it seems that the need to regard the powerful with suspicion, is eternal. Power affords those who wield it, secrecy and inconsequence, so that they may abstain from accountability, and act with no consideration for morality. Humans are susceptible to corruptibility; anyone can imagine themselves accorded unchecked authority, and understand that to withstand temptation requires extraordinary, or perhaps impossible, integrity. This can only mean that our leaders must be kept under constant scrutiny, even when we do entrust them with all our greatest hopes.

www.sydneytheatre.com.au | www.gatetheatre.ie

Review: A Case For The Existence Of God (Seymour Centre)

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Venue: Seymour Centre (Chippendale NSW), Apr 11 – May 4, 2024
Playwright: Samuel D. Hunter
Director: Craig Baldwin
Cast: Anthony Gooley, Elijah Williams
Images by Phil Erbacher

Theatre review
The two men in A Case for the Existence of God live in different worlds, but when Ryan engages Keith as mortgage broker, they become unexpected friends, and discover that they “share a specific kind of sadness”. Samuel D. Hunter’s play is a sensitive work, about the bond between men, and the tenderness that is rarely acknowledged , but that is crucial to the health and wellbeing of any modern male person. It is also a portrait of single fatherhood in contemporary USA, where like in many Western societies, the evolution of masculinity seems to be at a moment of reckoning.

This deeply reflective piece of writing is imbued commendable integrity, in a staging by director Craig Baldwin, whose depictions of the two individuals, and their burgeoning friendship, beams with authenticity. The tone of the production can feel somewhat unvarying, but the storytelling is nonetheless consistently engaging. With the captivating duo of Anthony Gooley and Elijah Williams performing as Ryan and Keith respectively, we are immediately endeared to both characters, and never let up on our investment in their connections. We may not always see enough contrasts or oppositions in their dynamic, but their generous symbiosis ensures our engagement in the piece.

Set design by Veronique Bennet conveys evocatively the claustrophobic nature of smalltown life, and of traditional masculinity, but lacks the versatility required to transport us to the assorted locations of the play. Bennet’s lights though are marvellously detailed, able to render precisely the appropriate temperament for each scene. Costumes by Jeremy Waters are fittingly stoic, for a presentation that deals with the often overlooked aspects of being male. Sounds by the aforementioned Baldwin offer simple solutions to relay the passage of time, in a show that is distinct for its sense of stillness.

In A Case for the Existence of God, we watch Ryan and Keith find value in the present, by always referring to the past and the future. Family history is key to their identity, which can seem an obvious statement, but in our increasingly individualistic modes of living, concepts of heritage and of legacy are rarely central in how we think and act, and they need our renewed attention. In the pursuit of personal joy and freedoms, one can easily find themself eventually completely unmoored. It is true that all is transient, but to view everything as impermanent, can be unbearable for humans that thrive almost exclusively on meaning. It can be argued that altruism is the solution for our disquiet, and family is the most convenient location for its practice.

www.seymourcentre.com | www.outhousetheatre.org

Review: For The Love Of Paper (KXT on Broadway)

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Venue: KXT on Broadway (Ultimo NSW), Apr 5 – 20, 2024
Playwright: Almitra Mavalvala
Director: Kersherka Sivakumaran
Cast: Antony Makhlouf, Almitra Mavalvala, Joseph Raboy
Images by LSH Media

Theatre review
Amaliah and Kaveh are thick as thieves, best of friends living together. When Amaliah comes to the end of her tether trying to apply for visas to stay in Australia, Kaveh decides to marry her, even though he is gay, and the two are in no way romantically involved. For the Love of Paper by Almitra Mavalvala explores the nature of friendship, in terms of its evolution as conditions change, and as power dynamics become unbalanced. It also looks at the experiences of immigrants in search of greener pastures, but who are always caught between cultures.

There is a lot of ground to cover in the play, and even though meaningful and well observed, For the Love of Paper is much too detailed in its depictions of reality-based events. While the narrative is compelling, it is often a predictable one that requires less exposition than is being given. There is excellent humour in the piece, but direction by Kersherka Sivakumaran tends to be overly severe. Nonetheless, the show bears a distinct sense of authenticity, that makes it a worthwhile experience.

Set design by Paris Bell offers a rendering of familiar domesticity, effective at facilitating physical activity, if slightly busy visually. Costumes by Rita Naidu help to convey personality types with accuracy and immediacy. Jasmin Borsovsky’s lights are intricately conceived, to provide impressive variation to imagery and mood. Music by Mavalvala and Andre Sauzier is thoroughly enjoyable, however sound design is in general deficient, often leaving atmosphere cooler than appropriate.

Mavalvala performs the role of Amaliah with commendable vigour, while Antony Makhlouf is notable for bringing excellent nuance as Kaveh. Both are charming presences, with a lovely chemistry that always feels believable and endearing. Joseph Raboy plays innumerable supporting characters, consistently reliable for the levity he introduces so effortlessly.

Amaliah and Kaveh are making new lives on foreign lands, and like immigrants everywhere going through a process of transplantation, they discover quandaries full of unanticipated challenges. The luckier ones may feel a superficial welcome, but rarely is there sufficient support to truly thrive. Many will have to grapple with being in positions of disadvantage. It is incumbent upon birds of a feather to flock together, in order that we may uplift each other, in spaces where we continue to be regarded as second class.

www.kingsxtheatre.com | www.bcdtheatre.com | www.instagram.com/culture_shock_theatrical

Review: Into The Shimmering World (Sydney Theatre Company)

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Venue: Wharf 1 Sydney Theatre Company (Walsh Bay NSW), Apr 2 – May 19, 2024
Playwright: Angus Cerini
Director: Paige Rattray
Cast: Kerry Armstrong, Colin Friels, Renee Lim, James O’Connell, Bruce Spence
Images by Daniel Boud

Theatre review
Ray is older now, but the life of a humble farmer means a conventional retirement is never quite within reach. In addition to his ailing health, the persistent drought seems determined to only make things harder. His wife Flossy, along with their sons, are however reliable sources of emotional support, and in Angus Cerini’s Into the Shimmering World, we see Ray’s last years becoming increasingly meaningful, even if the struggles never subside.

It seems a simple existence that Cerini’s play depicts, but it speaks profoundly from a space of thorough authenticity. There are no frills to Ray and Flossy’s days in the bush, so our explorations can only be about the essential and important qualities, of what makes a life worth living. Direction by Paige Rattray insists we pay attention to the minutiae, so that we come to an understanding, that it is in the details, that we can discover something truly significant, or even eternal, within fleeting moments that usually feel inconsequential. Into the Shimmering World takes us away from so much that is time-wasting and petty, and for 90 minutes, provides an opportunity to meditate on that which is real and noble.

That virtuousness pertaining to notions of simplicity, is reflected in a production design by David Fleischer, that functions purely to facilitate storytelling. There is nothing extraneous in Ray’s life, so there is nothing frivolous to be found in the set and costumes. Lights by Nick Schlieper do however manufacture instances of theatrical elevation, most notably during scenes that venture into the metaphysical. Music and sound by Clemence Williams are crucial in helping calibrate our temperament, in a show that is full of constant, but subtle, shifts in tone.

It is a deceptively quiet presentation, memorable for its stillness, but always with a submerged rumbling, that feels very much like the unabating sensation of human upheaval. Actor Colin Friels embodies that contained drama, in a portrayal of Ray that is remarkable for its integrity and hence, believability. Like most Australian men of his generation, Ray is not one for words, but Friels does excellently at conveying the textures of turmoil, that are so crucial to our appreciation of the work. Kerry Armstrong plays Flossy with warmth and tenderness, so that we may approach the tale with sensitivity. Other members of cast include Renee Lim, James O’Connell and Bruce Spence, all of whom bring thoughtfulness that help deliver valuable insights inherent in Cerini’s writing.

Legacy is not about vanity, but responsibility. We can deliberate endlessly about the meaning of life, but a commitment to leaving the world a better place than how one had found it, is the key to existential fulfilment.

www.sydneytheatre.com.au