Tag Archives: play

Review: Seventeen (Seymour Centre)

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Venue: Seymour Centre, Reginald Theatre (Chippendale NSW), Sep 27 – Oct 19, 2024
Playwright: Matthew Whittet
Director: Mary-Anne Gifford
Cast: Di Adams, Katrina Foster, Noel Hodda, Peter Kowitz, Colin Moody, Di Smith
Images by Carlita Sari

Theatre review
A group of teenagers has completed their final day in high school, and is now poised for the rest of their lives. It is all very daunting for characters in Matthew Whittet’s Seventeen, at a moment where big changes are afoot, and with new identities being formed, but for those of us who have been through that rite of passage,  it can all seem a little trite and pedestrian.

Once again the play is performed by older actors, presumably in their sixties, in order that the text may communicate with greater poignancy. Indeed it is the notion of transience that becomes a prominent dimension of the storytelling, juxtaposing against the naivety of young people in the throes of something that feels defined by finality.

Actors Noel Hodda and Di Smith are particularly captivating, both bringing a savvy to their performative representations, of personalities decades their junior. Others in the cast tend to be overly earnest, which only draws greater attention to the mundane qualities of Seventeen. Direction by Mary-Anne Gifford could benefit from a more flamboyant approach, but there is certainly an integrity to her realism that cannot be denied.

Set design by Paris Burrowes introduces visual familiarity to the experience, although it is doubtful if her costumes convey that same accuracy. Lights by Grant Fraser and sounds by Michael Huxley are implemented with simplicity, in a production that errs on the side of reticence. 

Watching the seniors play juvenile roles, it is the nature of time that comes to the fore. The impermanence of human experience should tell us that it can all be taken with a pinch of salt, but life has a knack for having us completely invested in all of its ups and downs. We should know to be unperturbed, but the truth is that we are embroiled, hopelessly engaging in every emotion, even as we understand more clearly their ironic futility.

www.seymourcentre.com | www.wildthingproduction.com

Review: Colder Than Here (Ensemble Theatre)

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Venue: Ensemble Theatre (Kirribilli NSW), 16 Sep – 12 Oct, 2024
Playwright: Laura Wade
Director: Janine Watson
Cast: Airlie Dodds, Charlotte Friels, Huw Higginson, Hannah Waterman
Images by Phil Erbacher

Theatre review
Myra only has months to live. There are only so many practical affairs to attend to, before she has to deal with the real business of saying goodbye to her loved ones. A meditation on death, Laura Wade’s Colder Than Here is an excellent opportunity for audiences to contemplate the inevitable. In paradigms such as ours, that vehemently avoid any discussion on the subject, the play is an unusual attempt to offer a sincere look at something that is certain for all.

Although irrefutably deliberative in nature, Colder Than Here is memorable for its humour, surprising perhaps for the lightness of its tone. Direction by Janine Watson makes sure that those comedic qualities sing prominently throughout the piece, along with all the sensitive renderings of conversations being depicted between family members.

Set design by Michael Hankin takes clear inspiration from Wade’s text, to introduce a carpet of green moss, that dominates the staging, to mixed results. Video projections by Mark Bolotin form beautiful backdrops for scenes of the English landscape, gently animated to evoke the life that continues be, in a story about the renewal of human corporeality. Lights by Morgan Moroney and sounds by Jessica Dunn are sparse and subtle, for a show that always chooses the understated option.

Actor Hannah Waterman brings great believability to Myra, portraying strength and vulnerability in equal measure, along with a charming wit that proves captivating. Husband Alec is also a funny character, as performed by Huw Higginson, who absolutely convinces as a man trying to avoid painful emotions. Airlie Dodds and Charlotte Friels play Myra’s daughters, both demonstrating commitment and focus, in a work that steers clear of cheap sentimentality.

The human mind seems always to be searching for that which is definite; we want to understand things in black and white, yet death being one of the very few that is beyond question, constantly escapes our attention. “The irony of man’s condition is that the deepest need is to be free of the anxiety of death and annihilation; but it is life itself which awakens it, and so we must shrink from being fully alive.” (Ernest Becker, 1973).

www.ensemble.com.au

Review: Plenty Of Fish In The Sea (Sydney Fringe Festival)

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Venue: New Theatre (Newtown NSW), Sep 17 – 21, 2024
Creators: Emily Ayoub, Madeline Baghurst
Cast: Emily Ayoub, Madeline Baghurst, Christopher Carroll
Images by Geoff Magee

Theatre review
Emily Ayoub and Madeline Baghurst’s Plenty of Fish in the Sea is a story about passion, involving three people on a boat, spending all of their time fishing. Inspired by something named Saint Cotriade, a village or maybe a Catholic deity, they have set off to concoct a special soup from their haul from the ocean. The results are both magnificent and devastating, as we discover in this work of exceptional whimsy.

Creators Ayoub and Baghurst are joined by Christopher Carroll, to form an extraordinary cast remarkable for their physical and facial agility, who deliver a performance memorable for its crisp precision and admirable for its collaborative harmony. Highly inventive in its conception, and executed with great vision and humour, Plenty of Fish in the Sea is a succinct piece of theatre that proves endlessly amusing and delightful.

Production design by Tobhiyah Stone Feller consists of a set that is magically malleable, and costumes that are both evocative and flattering. Dynamic lights by Victor Kalka offer wide ranging calibrations of atmosphere, helping us intuit surprising layers to this simple tale. Daniel Herten’s sounds and music manufacture excitement and intensity, in perfect synchrony with everything being depicted by the personalities on stage.

We learn from Plenty of Fish in the Sea that where there is passion, there could be abundance. Indeed, there are limitless forces that will impose restrictions, on anything one might choose to pursue, and it is incumbent on an individual to honour their own sense of truth. A person’s will could be made to bend, but a person’s essence has the natural inclination to resist, whether or not one wishes.

www.sydneyfringe.com | www.clockfiretheatre.com

Review: All Boys (KXT on Broadway)

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Venue: KXT on Broadway (Ultimo NSW), Sep 6 – 21, 2024
Playwright: Xavier Hazard
Director: Mehhma Malhi
Cast: Ashan Kumar, Braeden Caddy, Faisal Hamza, Harry Stacey, Jackson Hurwood, Jasper Lee-Lindsay, Leon Walshe, Louis Delaunay-Henbest, Robert Miniter, Toby Carey, Victor Y Z Xu
Images by Nicholas Warrand

Theatre review
Xavier Hazard’s All Boys takes place over 6 years, in the previous decade, at a Catholic boarding school for boys. As a site of germination for the patriarchy, institutions like these profess to cultivate leaders of the future, but are in fact committed to preserving the many ills that are foundational to the  dysfunctions and inequities of Australian life.

We see in the play, boys learning to become their fathers, in a world devoid of womanhood; they are capable of doing good, but the system engenders and normalises a lot of extremely bad behaviour. This process of indoctrination provides for All Boys its riveting sense of drama, as we watch the young at crossroads, being propelled towards negative outcomes by an establishment obsessed with its elite status. Hazard’s acute observations are expressed in the most sophisticated manner, never overwrought but always powerful, for a work that will resonate especially with those it seeks to represent.

Direction by Mehhma Malhi is correspondingly refined, notable for its trust in the audience’s discernment. Malhi’s show avoids obvious manoeuvres, but is consistently magnetic, having us enthralled for its entirety. It provokes big questions, without ever being on the nose with any of them. 11 excellent actors are perfectly cast; each character is distinct and credible. They bring a wonderful inventiveness to their interpretations of the text, along with an admirable level of commitment that insists on our attention, and our careful scrutiny on the subject matter.

Set design Rebecca Howarth helps the ensemble facilitate a great range of visual compositions, along with costumes, also by Howarth, that impress with their nuanced carving out of individual personalities. Lights by Isobel Morrissey deliver surprising variation to the imagery, and are effective in manufacturing  atmosphere and tension appropriate to each scene. Amy Norton’s sound design is very subtly rendered, but fascinating in its approach at creating suitable focus for the vacillating sensibilities that All Boys inspires.

We see the boys being terrible, and wonder how this comes to be. None of it is intentional, yet culpability resides entirely on those who birth and raise them. We say that all we ever want, is to provide the best education and development, and that none of these negative consequences are part of the plan. We then continue enacting the same systems that produce the same old results. 

www.kingsxtheatre.com | www.instagram.com/every_other_

Review: The Queen’s Nanny (Ensemble Theatre)

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Venue: Ensemble Theatre (Kirribilli NSW), 6 Sep – 12 Oct, 2024
Playwright: Melanie Tait
Director: Priscilla Jackman
Cast: Matthew Backer, Elizabeth Blackmore, Emma Palmer
Images by Phil Erbacher

Theatre review
Marion Crawford worked as governess for 17 years, caring for Princesses Elizabeth and Margaret of England. Although she had published articles and a book about her time with royalty, Crawford remained faithful, never writing a disrespectful or denigrating word. Melanie Tait’s play The Queen’s Nanny is accordingly courteous, in its renderings of a woman’s memories pertaining to a special time. There is no questioning the integrity of Tait’s work, but when it comes to stories relating to the crown, some audiences prefer a more creative approach, as evidenced by the success of titles that have taken great liberties in fabricating anecdotes, to have us truly riveted.

The production is nonetheless vibrantly directed by Priscilla Jackman, who ensures that the staging is beautifully crafted in all aspects. Michael Hankin’s set design is elegant in its simplicity, featuring scale model versions of buildings that help us imagine the rarefied world of The Queen’s Nanny. Costumes by Genevieve Graham are splendidly tailored, to accurately convey the class of people being depicted. Lights by Morgan Moroney are intricately designed, to manufacture dramatic tension, and to represent a sense of opulence. There is an intense sensitivity in James Peter Brown’s music that offer a gravity to the experience, as though a constant reminder that there is always a real humanity at the centre of this show.

In the titular role is Elizabeth Blackmore who excels at finding emotional range, for a personality from somewhere noted for its great restraint. We may not always be interested in her chronicles, but there is an authenticity to Blackmore’s performance that makes everything feel truthful. A very endearing Emma Palmer plays The Queen Mother with delicious aplomb, bringing a valuable flamboyance that keeps the storytelling buoyant and colourful. Matthew Backer is highly impressive as he morphs into a wide range of characters, each one persuasive and beguiling, demonstrating remarkable skill as he imaginatively carves out his portions of the tale.

It is often a mystery, how an artist finds inspiration, and what results from their efforts. We can very rationally map out the kinds of stories we wish to share at our theatres, but we must also be mindful about the restrictions we impose on our artists. There is a freedom that must be afforded to those in the business of creativity, in order that they may discover something astonishing and unanticipated. It is also important to believe that a greater moment can only happen, after the current one is completed. Marion Crawford was only 39 when her time with queens and kings was over. Her subsequent years may not have been documented as extensively, but we have to believe that they remained cherished and meaningful, even as her life had taken on a different complexion.

www.ensemble.com.au

Review: Pickled ﻛﺑﯾس (25A Belvoir)

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Venue: Belvoir St Theatre (Surry Hills NSW), Aug 20 – Sep 8, 2024
Concept: Najee Tannous
Story: Antony Makhlouf, Francesco Pelli, Najee Tannous, Hayden Tonazzi, May Yousif
Directors: Hayden Tonazzi, May Yousif
Cast: Antony Makhlouf, Najee Tannous
Images by Anna Kucera

Theatre review
Summoned home by the death of his mother, Sam returns after a long absence. His brother Yousif is understandably resentful, having stayed put all this time, and now feeling as though he has missed out on a lot. Conceived by Najee Tannous, Pickled ﻛﺑﯾس deals humorously with family ties and the myriad complications involved in these often difficult entanglements. Thoroughly amusing, and interminably relatable, Pickled ﻛﺑﯾس explores some of the most authentic challenges in our emotional lives. Wonderfully candid and intricately considered, the interactions between Sam and Yousif offer valuable insights into human behaviour, and that eternally troublesome nature of love.

Pickled ﻛﺑﯾس is also an exploration of masculinity, in which we witness the tensions between the need for connection, alongside the obstacles to truthful expression. The characters may only rarely say what they mean, but thoughtful and innovative direction by Hayden Tonazzi and May Yousif always offers substantive illumination, to all the critical undercurrents that inform how the brothers think and act. What results is a show that proves immensely entertaining, whilst inspiring some stirring meditations about kinship that many will certainly find resonant.

Set design by Soham Apte depicts an unpretentious scene of domesticity, that turns poignant at pivotal moments. Lights by Elyse Drenth are a creative touch that brings theatricality and sentimentality, whenever we need a sense of intensification for the storytelling. Sounds and music by Chrysoulla Markoulli are  inventive, penetrating and beautiful, bringing to the production an air of elevated sophistication.

The siblings in Pickled ﻛﺑﯾس  are played by the aforementioned Tannous as Yousif, and by Antony Makhlouf as Sam, who both bring extraordinary authenticity to their portrayals of contemporary gay Lebanese-Australian men, as well as being a marvellously engrossing and endearing pair. The harmony in their performance has us entirely captivated, in their sometimes moving and often kooky presentation, of a sweet tale between queer Arab siblings.

Sam and Yousif might not see very much of each other, but there is no questioning the depth at which they know one another. There are people we see often in passing, but whom we only know on perfunctory levels. Queer Arabs are a marginalised group, whose voices are rarely represented in so many parts of Australian life. There are Australians who dominate our consciousness, and there are Australians who are routinely excluded. We are meant to be equal, but evidence suggests that the disparities are profound.

www.belvoir.com.au | www.pyt.com.au

Review: Gaslight (Roslyn Packer Theatre)

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Venue: Roslyn Packer Theatre (Sydney NSW), Aug 21 – Sep 8, 2024
Writer: Patrick Hamilton (adapted by Johnna Wright and Patty Jamieson)
Director: Lee Lewis
Cast: Courtney Cavallaro, Kate Fitzpatrick, Geraldine Hakewill, Toby Schmitz
Images by Brett Boardman

Theatre review
Bella is trying hard to settle into her new home with husband Jack, but things are not going at all well. Jack convinces Bella that her mind is playing tricks, and causing great amounts of anxiety, but in fact Jack is the one behind all the machinations of her escalating delusions. Patrick Hamilton’s 1938 play Gaslight, as adapted by Johnna Wright and Patty Jamieson in 2022, is certainly modernised and given a feminist perspective, but the work’s effectiveness is doubtful.

Direction by Lee Lewis depicts upper class English life, in the late 19th century, with stylistic splendour, but we are never really completely gripped by this psychological thriller. There are comedic elements, as well as a lot of drama, but much of it feels hesitant. The production bears an indecisive ambivalence in the portrayal of its villain, that makes the audience confused as to how it should respond to its narrative of deceit.

It must be noted however, that actor Geraldine Hakewill’s commitment as Bella cannot be denied. We may not be convinced by the character she plays, but there is a lot to be admired in Hakewill’s professionalism. The role of Jack is performed by Toby Schmitz, who gives us no reason to believe in Bella’s devotion, but his mischievous theatricality is an asset to the staging. 

Production design by Renee Mulder may be predictable but is clearly accurate in its rendering of a specific time and space, with a refinement that always pleases the eye. Lights by Paul Jackson are sumptuous and appropriately alluring, in this story about lies and manufactured hallucinations. Sounds and music by Paul Charlier are memorable in heightened moments, leaving no room for doubt that we are witnessing melodrama in its most classic form.

In Gaslight, we observe a young woman’s obedience, as dictated by society at large, and its subsequent deterioration, but only after she can take no more. Watching Bella play the role of the doting wife, can be a bizarre experience, but we also understand her behaviour to be a result of the way so many of our daughters had been brought up. It could be that we are terrified when women and girls think too much for themselves. Jack and his ilk will definitely no longer be able to do as they wish, if we stop adhering to the narratives of their determination.

www.gaslightplay.com.au

Review: The Curious Incident Of The Dog In The Night-Time (Belvoir St Theatre)

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Venue: Belvoir St Theatre (Surry Hills NSW), Aug 17 – Sep 22, 2024
Playwright: Simon Stephens (based on the novel by Mark Haddon)
Director: Hannah Goodwin
Cast: Nicholas Brown, Roy Joseph, Tracy Mann, Brandon McClelland, Daniel R. Nixon, Matilda Ridgway, Ariadne Sgouros, Brigid Zengeni
Images by Brett Boardman

Theatre review
Christopher discovers that his neighbour’s dog has been killed, and sets out to solve the mystery of who committed the crime, embarking on an investigation that leads him to uncover unexpected truths about his own family. Based on Mark Haddon’s novel of the same name, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Simon Stephens depicts a central character with an unnamed form of neurodivergence, allowing us to better understand those within our community who live every day with challenges that go beyond the normative.

Actor Daniel R. Nixon is unequivocally brilliant as Christopher, with an impressive precision to his approach, yet consistently soulful and warm, in his portrayal of an exuberant 15-year-old. It is not a particularly remarkable story that we encounter, but Nixon imbues the protagonist with so much charm and spirit, that we cannot help but invest earnestly into the production. The supporting cast of seven is wonderfully entertaining, in a large number of roles, that thoroughly enrich the experience.

Direction is provided by Hannah Goodwin who demonstrates great inventiveness, in a show that is never short of imagination or theatricality. Set and costumes by Zoë Atkinson are designed to enhance the ensemble’s work in subtle ways. Lights by Kelsey Lee too are effective but mostly understated, delivering imagery memorable for its sense of delicateness. Sounds by Alyx Dennison are meticulously and intensely rendered, to have us unexpectedly riveted, to this simple tale.

People in minority groups are always in positions that require them to yield to standards set by the mainstream. Having to constantly capitulate to what is considered normal, can make one feel a sense of grave inadequacy. Even for those who are unusual, it is easy to forget that there is a lot to aspire to, in unusualness. There seems something about that need for conformity, that feels to be fundamentally human. It is perhaps a misunderstanding that the virtue of harmony, which we should always pursue, requires that we all be the same. The truth is that no two people can ever be the same, and much as our differences can prove inconvenient, it is in that acceptance of variance that we can reach for our higher selves.

www.belvoir.com.au

Review: Sister Act (Capitol Theatre)

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Venue: Capitol Theatre (Sydney NSW), from Aug 7 – Oct 20, 2024
Music: Alan Menken
Lyrics: Glenn Slater
Book: Cheri Steinkellner & Bill Steinkellner, with Douglas Carter Beane
Cast: Bianca Bruce, James Bryers, Rhonda Burchmore, Casey Donovan, Genevieve Lemon, Sophie Montague, Raphael Wong
Images by Daniel Boud

Theatre review
Deloris takes refuge in a convent, after getting in trouble with her gangster boyfriend. An opportunity to escape the seedy underground of Philadelphia presents itself, but it is up to our protagonist to make the right decisions. Sister Act the musical is based on the hugely popular Hollywood film from 1992, and although lacking the wit of the original, the charm of its characters is dutifully retained, to provide amusement for a wide range of audiences.

Music by Alan Menken is catchy and uplifting, taking inspiration from gospel and disco, in an adaptation that takes the action back to the heady 70s. Deloris is played by the luminescent Casey Donovan, who aside from being eminently likeable, sings every note to perfection, demonstrating extraordinary vocal versatility, in a deeply satisfying performance of some very demanding songs.

All other members of cast too, impress with their talent and dedication. Genevieve Lemon brings authenticity and warmth to her portrayal of Mother Superior. Rhonda Burchmore and Raphael Wong are standouts, with their dazzling comic dexterities, able to elevate some frankly ordinary material, and turn their parts memorable. 

In Sister Act, we discover that it is through adversity that Deloris finds herself. Not unlike the nuns at Our Lady of Perpetual Sorrow, she learns the big lessons in life, by experiencing it the hard way. We can be critical of religious types who seem to indulge excessively in suffering, but there is no question that one can see the light much better, after being engulfed in the most agonising dark.

www.sisteractthemusical.com.au

Review: Arlington (Seymour Centre)

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Venue: Seymour Centre, Reginald Theatre (Chippendale NSW), Aug 2 – 24, 2024
Playwright: Enda Walsh
Director: Anna Houston
Cast: Phaedra Nicolaidis, Jack Angwin, Georgina Symes, Emma Harrison
Images by Phil Erbacher

Theatre review
A large display flashes random numbers, very much akin to a bureaucratic queue management system, in an inhospitable room designed only with practical considerations in mind. Three individuals take their turn, under strict surveillance, to express their anguish and desperation, about ambiguous incidents, that we know only by inference to be interrelated. In Enda Walsh’s Arlington, we can be forgiven for never really knowing the narrative that runs through the play, as its concerns are with the fallout of trauma, rather than the precipitating events that have brought us here.

Direction by Anna Houston demands that we focus on the present. In lieu of sufficient understanding about contexts, we are required to expend imagination, alongside an investigative curiosity, to create interpretations of the abstract renderings that we encounter. The work can feel impenetrable, but it also speaks with integrity, always with an air of certainty and commitment, to its mysterious sequences exploring the human condition at its most painful and vulnerable.

A key feature of this staging is its remarkable design. An impressive set by the ambitious Kate Beere, delivers a sense of apocalyptic dread, through an ironic representation of something that could be thought of as our mundane modernity, with skewed perspectives offering an enjoyable visuality that is decidedly theatrical. Lights and video by Aron Murray are appropriately foreboding, but also sensual, to consistently guide our sensibilities somewhere inexplicably dangerous. Sounds by Steve Toulmin are highly dramatic, and intricate, for an Arlington memorable for its sensory overload.

A powerful cast of four comprising Phaedra Nicolaidis, Jack Angwin, Georgina Symes and Emma Harrison, is to be commended for providing something intense and uncompromising. We always believe them, even when we feel kept in the dark about what goes on. Their depictions of anguished terror make for a confronting experience. In this observation of people with no control over their own destinies, trapped in unbearable circumstances, we can only respond with revulsion. When characters reach for notions of hope, it is futility that we recognise instead. Arlington does not give everything that our instincts seek, but its insistence on authenticity cannot be denied.

www.seymourcentre.com | www.empresstheatre.com.au